King Munmu, Beommin文武王法敏

King Munmu, Beommin.

In the sinyu year of Longshuo, when the king first ascended the throne, the corpse of a dead woman was found in the sea south of Sabi. She was seventy-three cheok tall and her feet were six cheok long. Some say she was eighteen cheok tall, and that this was in the second year of Qianfeng (乾封), a jeongmyo year.

In the mujin year of Zongzhang the king led his army, together with Inmun, Heumsun, and the others, to Pyongyang, joined the Tang army, and destroyed Goguryeo.

The Tang commander Li Ji captured King Gojang (高臧王) and returned to his country.

〔Because the king's surname was Go, he is called Gojang. The native Gogi says that Tang sent Kong Gong, general of the land route, and You Xiang, general of the sea route, who destroyed it together with Gim Yusin of Silla and the others. But here it says Inmun, Heumsun, and the others, and Yusin is not there. The details are not known.〕

At that time some of the roving Tang soldiers and the troops of various generals stayed on garrison and plotted to attack Silla. The king saw through it, sent out troops, and struck them.

The next year Gaozong summoned Inmun and the others and rebuked them. "You asked for our troops to destroy Goguryeo, and now you do us harm. What is this?"

Then he threw them into prison, trained five hundred thousand soldiers, and made Xue Bang commander, meaning to attack Silla.

At that time Dharma Master Uisang had gone west to study in Tang, and he saw Inmun. Inmun told him what was happening.

Uisang then returned east and reported it. The king was greatly alarmed, gathered his ministers, and asked for a plan of defense.

Gim Cheonjon, of the rank of gakgan, said, "Lately Dharma Master Myeongnang went into the Dragon Palace and brought back a secret rite. Please summon him by decree and ask him."

Myeongnang said, "South of Mount Nang there is the Sinyu Grove. If Sacheonwang Temple is founded on that ground and a ritual site opened there, it will do."

Then a messenger from Jeongju came running and reported, "Tang soldiers beyond counting have reached our borders and are circling on the sea."

The king summoned Myeongnang. "The matter is already upon us. What shall be done?"

Myeongnang said, "It is best to bind one together for now out of colored silk."

So they built a temple of silk, wove images of the gods of the five directions out of grass, and with twelve monks skilled in Yoga, Myeongnang at their head, performed the secret rite of Mundure.

At that time the Tang and Silla armies had not yet met, but wind and waves rose in fury, and the Tang ships all sank in the water.

Later the temple was rebuilt and named Sacheonwang Temple, and to this day the seat of the altar has not lapsed.〔The Guksa says the great rebuilding was in the first year of Tiaolu, a gimyo year.〕

The next year, a sinmi year, Tang again sent Zhao Xian as commander with fifty thousand soldiers to attack. Again the rite was performed, and the ships sank as before.

At this time Bak Munjun, of the rank of hallimnang, was in prison with Inmun. Gaozong summoned Munjun and said,

"What secret rite does your country have, that twice we sent out great armies and no one came back alive?"

Munjun said, "We have been in the superior state for more than ten years and do not know the affairs of our home country.

We have only heard one thing from afar. Having received the deep kindness of the superior state and united the three kingdoms, our country, wishing to repay that virtue, newly founded Cheonwang Temple south of Mount Nang, prays that the emperor may live ten thousand years, and has long kept a Dharma assembly open there. That is all."

Gaozong heard this and was greatly pleased. He sent Yue Penggui, Vice Minister of Rites, as envoy to Silla to inspect the temple.

The king heard beforehand that the Tang envoy was coming, and judged that this temple must not be shown. So he built a separate new temple south of it and waited.

The envoy arrived and said, "I must first offer incense at Cheonwang Temple, where prayers are made for the emperor's long life."

So they led him to the new temple and showed it to him. The envoy stood before the gate and said,

"This is not Sacheonwang Temple. It is the temple of Mangdeok Yosan (望德遙山)."

In the end he would not go in, and the people of the state gave him a thousand nyang of gold.

The envoy went back and reported, "Silla has founded Cheonwang Temple and prays for the emperor's long life at a new temple. That is all."

Because of the Tang envoy's words, the temple was named Mangdeok Temple (望德寺).〔Some tie this to the reign of King Hyoso, but this is wrong.〕

The king heard that Munjun had spoken well and that the emperor was inclined to pardon. So he ordered Master Gangsu to compose a memorial asking for the release of Inmun, and had the secretary Wonu present it to Tang.

The emperor saw the memorial, shed tears, released Inmun, comforted him, and sent him home.

While Inmun was in prison, the people of the state founded a temple for him named Inyong Temple and opened a Gwaneum ritual site there. When Inmun died at sea on his way home, it was changed to a Mita ritual site, and it still exists today.

After the great king had governed the state for twenty-one years, he died in the second year of Yonglong, a sinsa year.

By the decree he left behind, he was buried on a great rock in the East Sea.

In his lifetime the king always said to Dharma Master Jiui, "After my death I wish to become a great dragon that guards the state, to honor the Buddha's law and protect the country."

The Dharma master said, "A dragon is the retribution of a beast. What of that?"

The king said, "I have long been weary of the glories of the world. If by a coarse retribution I become a beast, that suits my heart all the better."

When the king first ascended the throne, he set up a long storehouse on Namsan, fifty paces long and fifteen paces wide. Rice, grain, and weapons were stored there. This was the right storehouse, and the one on the mountain northwest of Cheoneun Temple was the left storehouse.

Another book says that in the eighth year of Geonbok, a sinhae year, Namsan Fortress was built with a circumference of two thousand eight hundred and fifty paces. So it was first built in the reign of Queen Jindeok and only repaired at this time.

He also first built Busan Fortress, finishing it in three years, and built an iron fortress at Anbuk Habyeon.

He also wished to build walls around the capital and had already given the order to the officials.

At that time Dharma Master Uisang heard of it and sent a letter, saying,

"If the king's government and teaching are enlightened, then even if a line is drawn on the ground on a grassy hill and made a wall, the people will not dare cross it, and disaster can be washed away and blessing advanced.

If the government and teaching are truly not enlightened, then even with a long wall, calamity will not disappear."

At this the king stopped the work.

In the third year of Linde, a byeongin year, on the tenth day of the third month, a female slave of a certain house named Giri (吉伊) bore three sons at one birth.

In the first month of the third year of Zongzhang, a gyeongo year, a female slave of Ilsan, of the rank of geupgan, of Hangi Division bore four at one birth, one girl and three boys. The state gave two hundred seok of grain as a reward.

He also attacked Goguryeo, brought back the grandson of its king, and placed him in the rank of jingol.

One day the king summoned his half-brother Lord Chadeuk (車得公) and said, "I will make you chief minister, to govern the officials evenly and bring peace to all within the four seas."

The lord said, "If Your Majesty would make me chief minister, then I wish first to travel the country in secret, look at the people, and ask about the hardship and ease of their labor service, the weight of their taxes, and the honesty or corruption of the officials, and only then take up the post."

The king agreed.

The lord put on a dark robe, took up a lute, and left the capital in the guise of a lay devotee.

He passed through Aseulla Province〔The present Myeongju.〕, Usu Province〔The present Chunju.〕, and Bugwon Capital〔The present Chungju.〕, came to Mujin Province〔The present Haeyang.〕, and went all through the villages.

Angil (安吉), a clerk of the province, saw that he was no ordinary man, invited him into his house, and served him with all his heart.

When night came, Angil called his wife and two concubines and said, "Whoever attends this guest, the lay devotee, tonight, I will grow old with her to the end of my days."

Two of the wives said, "We would rather not live with you than sleep with a stranger."

One of the wives said, "If you promise that I may live with you all my life, I will obey."

And so it was.

The next morning, as the lay devotee was about to take his leave, he said, "I am a man of the capital. My house lies between the two temples of Hwangnyong and Hwangseong, and my name is Dano (端午).〔In common speech Dano is called 'carriage clothes'.〕

If you should come to the capital, I would be glad if you would seek out my house."

At last he returned to the capital and took his seat as chief minister.

By the system of the state, each year one clerk from an outer province was sent up to serve on guard at the various offices in the capital. This is the giin (其人) of today.

When Angil's turn came he went up to the capital and asked for the house of the lay devotee Dano between the two temples, but no one knew it.

Angil stood a long while at the roadside. An old man passing by heard his words, stood thinking for some time, and said,

"The one house between the two temples must be the palace. Dano is Lord Chadeuk. When he traveled the outer provinces in secret, it seems you formed a bond with him."

Angil told him the facts, and the old man said, "Go to the Gwijeong Gate on the west side of the palace, wait for a palace woman to come in or out, and tell her."

Angil did so and had it announced, "Angil of Mujin Province is at the gate."

The lord heard it, ran out, took him by the hand, and led him into the palace. He called out his wife and feasted with Angil, and the dishes set out came to fifty kinds.

He reported to the king and had the land below Mount Seongbu〔Also called Mount Seongsonho.〕 made the wooded field of the guard from Mujin Province. Cutting wood there was forbidden, and no one dared go near. Inside and outside the court, all envied him.

Below the mountain there are thirty furrows of field where three seok of seed are sown. It is said that in a year when this field does well, Mujin Province does well too, and when it does not, neither does the province.