보각국사(普覺國師) 일연(一然)의 사상(思想) 일고(一考)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to suggest a new understanding of the thought of Bogakguksa Iryeon (1206–1289), an eminent monk in the late Goryeo Dynasty. The efforts to clarify his thought are important because of the historical value of the Samguk Yusa (『三國遺事』 Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms). When we have a good understanding of Iryeon's thought, we can get a proper understanding and interpretation of the Samguk Yusa. To this end, I reviewed his work, The Joongpyun Jodong-owi (『重編曹洞五位』), along with the Buddhist scriptures and manuscripts cited in the Samguk Yusa, treatises and commentaries, and I also investigated an epitaph containing Iryeon's life and ideas. Especially, in his writing Joongpyun Jodong-owi, Ven. Iryeon transferred his merit to other living beings for their benefit through the practices of Mahayana bodhisattvas (大乘菩薩行) in which they use various expedients to enlighten sentient beings (異類中行) on the basis of the Caodong (曹洞) School’s “theory of five stages (五位說)". We can see that Iryeon was a thinker based on Budha Seon (莖草禪), who repays the master's grace for the edification of sentient beings even if he died as a cow in the next life. This ideological tendency is also reflected in the Samguk Yusa, where he cites Buddhist scriptures and treaties and commentaries rather than Seon texts and difficult doctrines. The contents of the book are also written in a popular way, including narrative descriptions of easy and fun faith. The so-called the Mahayana (大乘, the Greater Vehicle, or the Bodhisattva Vehicle) is the realization of the ideal of 'Deliver others first, even if you don't deliver yourself (自未得道 先度他)'. The Mahayana's Bodhisattva establishes vows of deliverance and transfers his own accumulated merit of virtuous roots to all sentient beings. Il-yeon was a thinker based on the Buddha Seon (莖草禪), who sublimated and dedicated his/her practices of Mahayana Bodhisattvas as Seon Master to all beings.