최승호의 산문과 노장사상의 상관성

Abstract

Seungho Choi exposes the grim reality in which man-made violence toward the nature is justified under the name of development by proposing the alternatives toward Laotzian “nothingness (無)” in several places of his writings. This paper investigates some of the works of Seungho Choi by exploring the Laotzian nothingness, knowledge or reflection･ to reach the status of nothingness, and attempts to ultimately obtain 道. Seungho Choi published several meditation books. Among them, 『Meditation on evening primrose』 and 『Lion with golden hair』 demonstrate the author’s internal awareness to accuse human violence and aggression against the nature and explore the path for co-existence with the nature through life and death , reflection and void. The belief of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu to “leave the nature as it is”, which is based on the approach of existence (有) and nothingness (無) is utilized by Seungho Choi to achieve co-existence with the nature. Choi constantly attempts at knowledge (知) and enlightenment with the focal concentration on “the nature as it is without action (無爲)”. His efforts to explore the path toward reconciliation and co-existence with the Mother Nature through investigating the two contrasting elements such as actuality and nothingness, illusion and reality, existence and annihilation in order to enable and derive the ultimate enlightenment can be seen in several places in his works. Chuang Tzu has said that self-discipline one’s nature (性) will lead to one’s natural virtue (德) and ultimately achieve the concordance with how it was in the beginning (泰初). Seungho Choi’s language delivers the admiration for and the desire to return to the nature as well as self-reflection on the destruction of the nature. It is indeed meaningful to shine a light on Choi’s pursuit to seek co-existence with the nature through Laotzian “nothingness” against the materialistic and indiscriminate development of the nature.