Origin of Maitreya 미륵彌勒신앙의 기원:

미륵 신앙은 시대와 장소가 밝혀진 한국 고유신앙(兜率)의 면모가 불교에 잠겨 있다.  개천절을 맞아  “외세에서 벗어나 새로운 나라를 세워 홍익인간 이념을 펼수 있는 기회가 왔다는 즐거움에 신라 사람들이 부르던 회소곡”에 뿌리를 두고 있다.   September 17, 2020  모솔.

Maitreya (彌勒) came from Silla Dosol lyric  

The Maitreya-nātha (彌勒, 미륵 Miruek by Korean)  faith is related with mythical Hwanung (桓雄) of Korea. He came down with three thousand followers 雄率徒三千, set the capital in the Ah-sa-Dal阿斯達 to provide ideal government.^[1]  The Miruek faith is related with joyful Sky Open Day. The names; Miruek, Silla, and Gaya had appeared in the south of the Great Wall. Miruek is a compound ideographs meaning “the leader [彌: 弓，爾] of nomadic Eurasian [勒; 絡也] people with a large bow.” Gaya means the town of righteous people.

Chen Shou described this sacred event of the tribal states in Manchuria, such as Yeonggo (迎鼓) of Buyeo; Mucheon (舞天; dance for the heavenly god) of Yaemaek, Dongmaeng (東盟) of Goguryeo, So-do (蘇塗), with other PSMCs Yeonggo (鈴鼓), and so on.

The first folk song of Silla is Dosol lyric (兜率歌) emerged during the very early period of the Silla Dynasty, along with the song of Hoiso (會蘇曲), literally “meet the resurrected person” and dances^[2]. Dosol lyric emerged during the time of the leader Liu Xuan (劉聖公; d.25), who restored Han Dynasty after the fall of Xin Dynasty AD 23.^[3]

It was the era of the third king, Yuri (儒理尼師今: r. 24–57) of Silla, in the capital region of Old Joseon territory around the Tianjin vicinity. Buddhism arrived in the Luoyang (洛陽, 長安) through the land in 67. Buddhism did not arrive at the time Silla enjoyed Dosol lyric. All those ideograms related with Mireuk faith (彌勒 信仰)were in use in the Yemaek territory already. The phrase 兜率天孫, literally descendants of Heavenly God, found in the engraving related to the Balhae Gogh family and continental Baekjae.^[4] The governor general dispatched from Buyeo to the Wae was called大率檢察.

According to Wikipedia; Maitreya-nātha (ca. 270-350 CE) is a name whose use was pioneered by Buddhist scholars Erich Frauwallner, Giuseppe Tucci, and Hakuju Ui to distinguish one of the three founders of the Yogacara school of Buddhist philosophy, along with Asanga and Vasubandhu. Some scholars believe this Maitreya to be a historical person in India. The traditions themselves have held that it is referring to Maitreya, the future buddha.  

Miruek (彌勒) is a new word derived from the Korean Legend. Buddhist adapeted Gojoseon culture.

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[1]. 三國遺事 :下視三危太伯可以弘益人間。乃授天符印三箇。降於太伯山頂.

[2].三國史記: 隣國百姓，聞而來者衆矣。民俗歡康，始製兜率歌。此，歌樂之始也。

[3].三國遺事:真身受供月明師兜率歌. 即得天眼見兜率天眾來儀之相. 仍賜六姓始作兜率歌.

[4]. 隸釋 : 天下碑録: 漢執金吾高襃碑在雍丘縣南五十里善鄉墓下漢太尉髙峻碑在雍丘縣.