대승불교 서원(誓願, praṇidhāna) 의식의 초기 불교적 모습에 대한 일고찰

Abstract

In the Mahāyāna-Buddhism, it is taught that there are various pāramitās. There are ten pāramitās listed, but for our purposes, we are going to understand the praṇidhāna-pāramitā. In general the ten pāramitās may be divided into two groups, one of which is belonging to the prajñā-pāramitā, and the other to jñāna-pāramitā. The first group includes the six pāramitās and they are dāna(alma-giving), śīla(morality), kṣānti(forbearance), vīrya(exertion), dhyāna(meditation) and prajñā-pāramitā(perfection of wisdom). The prajñā-pāramitā suttas are preaching of these pāramitās. The second group includes another four pāramitās which are upāya(approach), praṇidhāna, bala(power) and jñāna-pāramitā(perfection of ultimate knowledge). we will focus on the praṇidhāna of these pāramitās. In the Early Buddhism, it is taught that there are ten pāramitās, too. But there is no praṇidhāna-pāramitā at these Early Buddhist pāramitās. Instead, we think that the adhiṭṭhāna-pāramitā is in place of the praṇidhāna of the Mahāyāna-Buddhism. This pāramitā is appeared several times at the Early Buddhist scriptures, the Buddhavaṃsa and the Cariyāpiṭaka[Khuddaka-nikāya vol 7.]. We also find other aspects of the praṇidhāna at the Early Buddhist scriptures, and one of the more important ones is the ariya-pariyesana of the Pāsarāsi Sutta[Majjhima-nikāya 26th sutta]. We do not have time now to discuss all the various levels of the meaning of the ariya-pariyesana, but suffice it to say that the most basic significance of the ariya-pariyesana is the avoidance of the unwholesome aims and the ardent longings of the sacred aims. The ariya-pariyesana is exemplified in the life of the Buddha by his own aims of leaving home and wandering about as a recluse. There are many other important elements in the meaning of the praṇidhāna. But if we can begin to see and understand the two elements of the adhiṭṭhāna-pāramitā and the ariya-pariyesana; if we can begin to appreciate the values and qualities that are exemplified in the life of Buddha, we will have gained greater insight into the real significance of the mind of praṇidhāna of the Early Buddhism.