[KS] Authenticity of the Haedong KosUng chOn?

Andrew zatouichi at gmail.com
Wed Oct 16 10:32:57 EDT 2013


On the topic of forged books which came up recently (as well as the query I
made to this list on the *Chaodai-ji* 朝代記 back in February),  I have just
been reading Sorensen's 2008 book review of Best's *A History of the Early
Korean Kingdom of Paekche* (Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies Vol.8:2)
in which, concerning the *Haedong kosUng chOn* 海東高僧傳, he says recent
scholarship "by John Jorgensen, Jorg Plassen and Gari Ledyard has strongly
indicated that there are problems with the authenticity of this work.  On
the basis of their findings it appears that the work is a late
nineteenth-century forgery, most likely from the hand of the controversial
Korean monk SasOn also known as Yi Hoegwang".

I'm only familiar with the text through the Peter H. Lee translation, *Lives
of Eminent Korean Monks*, which I unfortunately do not have a copy of
currently but in lectures to undergraduates I have been quoting the "Five
Secular Injunctions" 世俗五戒 recorded in the biography of WOngwang.

How widely accepted amongst Korean Studies scholars is the doubt concerning
its authenticity?  Is there any relevant literature as, being a book
review, no further references were given?

As ever, grateful for any responses.

sincerely
Andrew Logie
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