Official Sacred Record
LEGACY
Humanities Scholar Iryeon's reading records
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I n t r o d u c t i o n
「Samguk Yusa」 Iryeon
Humanities ScholarKR1206 — 1289
A Buddhist monk and historian of the late Goryeo period. By authoring the *Samguk Yusa*, he transmitted the Dangun myth and fourteen *hyangga* poems to posterity, leaving an invaluable repository of ancient Korean history.
“For the pitied people trampled by hooves, I merely record our brilliant, sublime, and strong roots originating from Dangun.”
C o n t e m p o r a r i e s
L i b r a r y
Cultural Journey
How cultural experiences shaped this figure's life
Iryeon was a Seon practitioner and a historian at once. He read the scriptures yet accorded equal value to folk tales, hyangga poems, and myths that lay beyond them. While Kim Busik's 'Samguk Sagi' recorded official history through a Confucian perspective, Iryeon gathered the stories excluded from official records and wove them into the 'Samguk Yusa'. He was the first to record the Dangun myth in a historical work and included fourteen hyangga poems. He read with the eyes of a monk yet sought to encompass the whole of national culture without confining it to a Buddhist framework.
He was a scholar who left over a hundred written works and 250 volumes of the 'Seokwon Sallim', yet his scholarly capacity is condensed into the single work of the 'Samguk Yusa'. A breadth of reading spanning Buddhist scriptures, Chinese histories, ancient records, and popular oral traditions made this book possible. It was a deliberate choice to elevate unwritten oral tradition to the status of text.
That he wrote the book at Unmun Temple during the Mongol invasions was no coincidence. The urgent need to preserve the roots of the people in textual form amid a foreign threat gave birth to this work. Had Iryeon not collected and recorded them, the Dangun myth and the hyangga poems would have been lost.
He was a scholar who left over a hundred written works and 250 volumes of the 'Seokwon Sallim', yet his scholarly capacity is condensed into the single work of the 'Samguk Yusa'. A breadth of reading spanning Buddhist scriptures, Chinese histories, ancient records, and popular oral traditions made this book possible. It was a deliberate choice to elevate unwritten oral tradition to the status of text.
That he wrote the book at Unmun Temple during the Mongol invasions was no coincidence. The urgent need to preserve the roots of the people in textual form amid a foreign threat gave birth to this work. Had Iryeon not collected and recorded them, the Dangun myth and the hyangga poems would have been lost.
Cultural Journey
How cultural experiences shaped this figure's life
Iryeon was a Seon practitioner and a historian at once. He read the scriptures yet accorded equal value to folk tales, hyangga poems, and myths that lay beyond them. While Kim Busik's 'Samguk Sagi' recorded official history through a Confucian perspective, Iryeon gathered the stories excluded from official records and wove them into the 'Samguk Yusa'. He was the first to record the Dangun myth in a historical work and included fourteen hyangga poems. He read with the eyes of a monk yet sought to encompass the whole of national culture without confining it to a Buddhist framework.
He was a scholar who left over a hundred written works and 250 volumes of the 'Seokwon Sallim', yet his scholarly capacity is condensed into the single work of the 'Samguk Yusa'. A breadth of reading spanning Buddhist scriptures, Chinese histories, ancient records, and popular oral traditions made this book possible. It was a deliberate choice to elevate unwritten oral tradition to the status of text.
That he wrote the book at Unmun Temple during the Mongol invasions was no coincidence. The urgent need to preserve the roots of the people in textual form amid a foreign threat gave birth to this work. Had Iryeon not collected and recorded them, the Dangun myth and the hyangga poems would have been lost.
He was a scholar who left over a hundred written works and 250 volumes of the 'Seokwon Sallim', yet his scholarly capacity is condensed into the single work of the 'Samguk Yusa'. A breadth of reading spanning Buddhist scriptures, Chinese histories, ancient records, and popular oral traditions made this book possible. It was a deliberate choice to elevate unwritten oral tradition to the status of text.
That he wrote the book at Unmun Temple during the Mongol invasions was no coincidence. The urgent need to preserve the roots of the people in textual form amid a foreign threat gave birth to this work. Had Iryeon not collected and recorded them, the Dangun myth and the hyangga poems would have been lost.
S i g n a t u r eL i n e s
Quote
“For the pitied people trampled by hooves, I merely record our brilliant, sublime, and strong roots originating from Dangun.”
Greeting
“Within the stories that did not make the official histories lives the spirit of this land.”
“One must record the traces of Dangun to know the roots.”
“In the sound of the wind at Ingaksa, the Buddha's teaching is carried.”
Roll Call
“I stand bearing the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms.”
“The Dharma and history are my two hands.”
“I will advance worthy of the name National Preceptor Bogak.”
Deploy
“Open the door to forgotten history!”
“Unfurl the records of the Memorabilia on the battlefield!”
“Guard the roots of this land!”
Victory
“Within the extraordinary tales, truth was found.”
“One who records history is the one who preserves it.”
“The protection of the Buddha was with us.”
Draw
“There are still tales left ungathered.”
“I must go back and ponder a hyangga once more.”
“It is because the recording is unfinished — I must collect more.”
Defeat
“Even through the Mongol invasion, I never let go of the Samguk Yusa.”
“History being forgotten is a greater defeat than any war.”
“I will return to Ingaksa and write one more line.”
Strike
“Shatter oblivion with the power of the Memorabilia!”
“Guard the memory of this land!”
“Push forward with the power of extraordinary tales!”
Quote
“For the pitied people trampled by hooves, I merely record our brilliant, sublime, and strong roots originating from Dangun.”
Greeting
“Within the stories that did not make the official histories lives the spirit of this land.”
“One must record the traces of Dangun to know the roots.”
“In the sound of the wind at Ingaksa, the Buddha's teaching is carried.”
Roll Call
“I stand bearing the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms.”
“The Dharma and history are my two hands.”
“I will advance worthy of the name National Preceptor Bogak.”
Deploy
“Open the door to forgotten history!”
“Unfurl the records of the Memorabilia on the battlefield!”
“Guard the roots of this land!”
Victory
“Within the extraordinary tales, truth was found.”
“One who records history is the one who preserves it.”
“The protection of the Buddha was with us.”
Draw
“There are still tales left ungathered.”
“I must go back and ponder a hyangga once more.”
“It is because the recording is unfinished — I must collect more.”
Defeat
“Even through the Mongol invasion, I never let go of the Samguk Yusa.”
“History being forgotten is a greater defeat than any war.”
“I will return to Ingaksa and write one more line.”
Strike
“Shatter oblivion with the power of the Memorabilia!”
“Guard the memory of this land!”
“Push forward with the power of extraordinary tales!”
P e r s o n aA n a l y s i s
Overview
High temperance combined with strong loyalty formed a historical-practitioner intellectual who became the guardian of national spirit during the Mongol invasion. Command ability as National Preceptor and high benevolence enabled his role as spiritual center for the suffering people, while reflection and diligence made completion of Samguk Yusa possible even in old age.
Core Abilities
Command60
Martial18
Intellect88
Charm72
Inner Virtues
Temperance87
Diligence89
Reflection85
Courage70
Outer Virtues
Loyalty80
Benevolence79
Fairness73
Humility75
Core Disposition
Pessimism
Optimism
Conservative
Progressive
Individual
Social
Cautious
Bold
Similar Figures
Overview
High temperance combined with strong loyalty formed a historical-practitioner intellectual who became the guardian of national spirit during the Mongol invasion. Command ability as National Preceptor and high benevolence enabled his role as spiritual center for the suffering people, while reflection and diligence made completion of Samguk Yusa possible even in old age.
Core Abilities
Command60
Martial18
Intellect88
Charm72
Inner Virtues
Temperance87
Diligence89
Reflection85
Courage70
Outer Virtues
Loyalty80
Benevolence79
Fairness73
Humility75
Core Disposition
Pessimism
Optimism
Conservative
Progressive
Individual
Social
Cautious
Bold
Similar Figures
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