This ritual manual relates the procedures of a Water-and-Land ritual (suryukjae) held to propagate the Buddhist law (dharma) and offer food in an attempt to console the souls wandering around water and lands. There are diverse ritual manuals related to Water-and-Land rituals, and they amount to eight types. Among several ritual manual for Water-and-Land rituals, this book referred to as “Jungryemun” includes the most detailed and well-organized contents, allowing it to serve as a fundamental textual source for Water-and-Land rituals.
In the late Joseon period, Water-and-Land rituals were popularly held at individual temples in the Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do regions. This led to the publication of various editions of Jungryemun. Currently, thirty-six editions remain. The colophon at the end of the volume informs us that this manual was published at Gamnosa Temple on Jirisan Mountain in Namwon, Jeolla-do Province in 1636 (the ninth year of the Chongzhen era).