義湘大師의 敎育論 -“미래의 자기가 현재의 자기를 교육한다”-

Abstract

This paper discuss the Venerable monk Uisang's educational idea and it's contemporary meanings. Uisang is an educator and educational thinker of Silla. In this paper I took the unique argument that "the future I educate present I" as the subject of exploration. The ideas of Uisang are based on the idea of Huayan(華嚴), and the theory that Huayan thought explain human beings, world, and education on the basis of four universe of Buddhists(四種法界). The starting point for Uisang's theory of education is time philosophy. We are usually describing time with three conceptions of time, that is the past, present and future. But Uisang extend this concept to infinity, like the nine states, ten stages of existence. At the same time, this infinite time brought together into moments. We consider the past, present, and future to exist separately. But Uisang say there is a future in the past, and there is a past in the future. The past, present, and future are not separate. The past, present, and future are separated by concept, but what exists is not the past, present, or future, but the present moment. Here Uisang insist "the future I educates present I". Uisang's word 'I' is not a dualistic 'I'(subject/object, I/you). 'I' can appear in a wide variety of shapes, depending on the conditions and circumstances. Sometimes I become a beast, sometimes I become a Buddha. My imperfect figure is the beast, and my ideal is the Buddha. Man can be changed from an imperfect state to an ideal human being by his(her) thoughts and efforts. This is the educational message of Uisang. Uisang's educational idea is a new interpretation of time, and another discourse on future education.