A Korean Translation of Dharani Incantations
Jineon gwongong (A Book of Mantras Promoting Meritorious Acts)
  • Joseon Dynasty, 1496
  • Woodblock print on paper
  • Daegu National Museum
  • dae 10576

This book offers a Korean translation of the sequences of rituals regularly performed in Buddhist temples and Korean transliterations of dharani formulas. Queen Dowager Insu had 400 copies printed from the woodblocks of this book in memory of her son, King Seongjong. Dharani is comprised of Sanskrit letters serving as incantations, and their pronunciations used to be written down in Classical Chinese characters. Korean transliterations of such Buddhist magic formulas allowed for increased recitations of dharani, which contributed to the standardization of Korean transcriptions and pronunciations of dharani incantations.