벽암 각성의 생애와 사상 - 李景奭 撰 「華嚴寺 碧巖堂 覺性大師碑文」을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper examines the life and ideology of Byukam Gaksung (碧巖覺性, 1575~1660), a Seon Master and Buddhist instructor of Korea’s late Joseon dynasty. As a Buddhist monk, Byukam practiced under the tradition that promoted the unity of the meditative and doctrinal approaches. During a period that witnessed two wars—the Japanese (1592) and Chinese (1636) invasions—he engaged in an independent and active way of life. He participated in the wars, leading an army of monks, and engaged in the construction of the Namhan and Juksan fortresses. He was also instrumental in guarding the national archive in which were preserved the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. Byukam rebuilt many of the country’s Buddhist temples, and promoted the woodblock printing of Buddhist scriptures and the expression of Buddhist themes in painting. The range of his activities vividly illustrates his love for the nation and its people. In this way, he exemplified Buddhism’s determination, as an active religion, to protect the nation and its people, rather than its passivity, as a religion protected by the state. In this way, Byukam modeled an engaged, active Buddhist practice that protected the nation rather than simply receiving the nation’s protection. Of course, not all of his activities prioritized loyalty to the king, and nor did he indiscriminately comply with the king’s orders. Rather, his actions were those of an engaged Buddhist who sacrificed himself for the safety of the nation. Thus, Byukam exemplified how a Buddhist philosopher should think and live in an era of war. Gaksung declared his intentions to abandon or transcend precepts, meaning his intention to suspend his commitment to the religion’s precepts for the purpose of participating in the wars. In the aftermath of the wars, he rebuilt several Buddhist temples and fortresses, and developed his own philosophy. His activities asserted the presence of Buddhism in contemporary society and the presence of the Buddhist intellectual in the nation. Another noteworthy aspect of his achievements is his defiance of the religious oppression exercised by the government: at the time, the national religion was Confucianism, and Buddhism was suppressed. During the later years of the Joseon dynasty, there were two major lineages in Buddhism: one was that of Cheongheo and the other was that of Boohyoo. Pyeonyang Ungi (鞭羊彦機) inherited Cheongheo’s lineage while Byukam Gaksung inherited Boohyoo’s. During Byukam’s age, Boohyoo’s lineage was composed of seven denominations, including one that was under Byukam’s charge. Byukam maintained harmonious relationships with the other six denominations, and developed his own denomination into a group of 700 monks composed of eight sects. Although, during the late Joseon dynasty, Buddhism adopted a stance that favored the unity of the meditative and doctrinal approaches, Cheongheo’s lineage was somewhat more focused on Seon practices, adopting a stance that promoted entry into Seon after relinquishing doctrine. However, Boohyoo’s lineage adopted the traditions of Linji, and Taego, in terms of dharma doctrine, but also embraced Bojo’s tradition, in terms of Seon philosophy. Byukam preserved this overlapping structure, which helped him to achieve greater balance in uniting the meditative and doctrinal approaches.