李珥의 佛敎認識에 대한 硏究成果와 課題

Abstract

Yi I(李珥, 1536~1584) was known as a Confucian scholar of the Chosun Dynasty in the 16th Century. It has been judged that he did not blindly received Neo-Confucianism but was the scholarly collector who achieving into integration of Neo-Confucianism of Chosun Dynasty by establishing the scholar system originally. Buddhism stimulated him to form and establish his thought as well. The majority of existing studies on Yi I’s understanding about Buddhism, were focused on 3 categories in relation to his view of Buddhism. Among categories, the questions were raised whether he was friendly to Buddhism or not, whether he criticized Buddhism or not, and whether he was influenced on one's own formation of scholarship by Buddhism or not. The dominant tendency of the academic cycle was dichotomy - Yi I was favorable to Buddhism(好佛), or not(排佛). His Buddhist view have multifaceted and wide spectrum of characteristics. On the one hand, he entered the Buddhist world, because of his adverse circumstances in privacy and his searching of morality(道). On the other hand, he returned to secular life, because his search for the teaching of an previous sages clashed against the Buddhist teaching. Moreover, he submitted a memorial to the throne in order to punish Bowoo(普雨) and abolish public monk examination(僧科). Contrastively, he had a longing for the Practice of Zen(禪修行) in Buddhist world. On the ground of Neo-Confucianism, however he estimated critically a causationism(因果論) or a discussion of ‘weal and woe(禍福論)’ in Buddhism, he identified Neo-Confucianism’ Liqi(理氣) with Doctrine of Buddhism(理事). Investigations into Yi I’s understanding of Buddhism had pregnant with an important meaning on history of the Chosun Dynasty Thoughts. Under the circumstance that both Neo-Confucianism’s valuable system was spread into the whole Country and at the same time the central government tried to repress the Buddhism after the founding of Chosun Dynasty, Yi I’s cognizance of Buddhism showed us the whole picture of the intelligentsia’s thought and scholarship that fused into mutual relation between the Neo-Confucianism and Buddhism in the middle of Chosun Dynasty.