초기불교의 관점에서 본 퇴옹성철의 중도관

Abstract

Toeong Seongcheol(1912∼1993) is a representative practitioner of modern Korean Buddhism. Unlike other monks in his contemporary era, Seongcheol had his own unique Buddhist studies system. The Buddhist studies system he established is called Toeong Seongcheol’s view of Buddhism. Although it is not a book written by Seongcheol himself, Baekilbeopmun (1992), which was published as a book by releasing a tape of his teachings, is very important. Baekilbeopmun (Sermon of One Hundred Days) is considered highly significant because the book reveals the teaching system of entire Buddhism with a systematizing norm called “Middle Path (Majjhimā paṭipadā).” Seongcheol argues in Baekilbeopmun that the ideas and doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism do not violate historical Buddha’s teachings. In Baekilbeopmun, the concepts of Buddhism established in later generations such as buddhatā (佛性), dhammatā (法性), tathatā (眞如), and dhamma-dhātu (法界) are extended to the meaning of Majjhimā paṭipadā. Seongcheol's intention was to revive the identity of Korean Buddhism, which has inherited the tradition of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Seongcheol said in Baekilbeopmun that Buddhism is the realization of dhammatā (法性), and Buddhism started there. In other words, it concludes that “Buddha-sāsana must be awakened, and to awaken it is to awaken the oneself nature of all laws.” This is the Buddhist view of Seongcheol. He understands that “dhammatā” is “paṭiccasamuppāda” itself. Based on his understanding that dhammatā is paṭiccasamuppāda itself, he penetrates into a system of thought from Early Buddhism to Zen Buddhism. That one ideological system is the school board called “Majjhimā paṭipadā.” Since Seongcheol systematized the entire Buddhist religion with the term “Majjhimā paṭipadā”, we call Seongcheol's Buddhist view “Middle Path Thought.” Based on the Dhammacakkapavattana-sutta (轉法輪經), Seongcheol believes that “Buddha has a right enlightenment in the middle path,” and interprets it as a teleology, not a methodology. It seems that what he interpreted in this way was to interpret the doctrine of Mahāyāna Buddhism established in later generations, that is, dhammatā (法性) or tathatā (眞如). His emphasis on the middle path of leaving both sides seems to have something to do with the situation of the times. In the late 1960s, when the pertussis law was established, it was a chaotic time when there was severe internal conflict due to the aftereffects of purification. At this time, it is presumed that Seongcheol emphasized the middle way for the harmony of asceticism with the middle theory that left the extremes.