A Study on the Circulation of Sacred Objects in Modern Society: Focusing on Buddhas Relics

It is worth noting that a large number of Buddhas relics of Southeast Asian countries are brought into Korean society under the names of 'gift-giving or donation. So, the main issue of this article is why the groups/individuals who provide as well as receive Buddhas relics make use of the term gift-giving, which designates a specific mode of exchange. Firstly, some local and international factors are mentioned which make Korean temples keener to acquire Buddhas relics. Secondly, related theories on gift or gift-giving are introduced, and multiple meanings/mechanisms of gift-giving or gift-exchanging were discussed by giving specific examples. Thirdly, focusing on Buddhas relics themselves, the following issues are addressed; which relics are movable/alienable and which are not, and whether the status or value of a certain Buddhas relic is intrinsic. For that, this author set up a value-hierarchy/level of Buddhas relics hypothetically. Lastly, it is stressed that every sacred object could be a commodity in the course of its transfer, depending on the specific socio-cultural context the object meets.이 논문은 2015년 대한민국 교육부와 한국연구재단의 지원을 받아 수행된 연구임(NRF-2015S1A5B5A07044123