백용성스님 국역 『조선글 화엄경』 연구

Abstract

Baek Yongseonng translated several Buddhist sutras, including Hua-yen Sutra, into Korean. The motivation of his translation might be surmised as follows: his deep religious belief in Buddhism and sense of crisis due to the flood of other religions; useless of the Buddhist Sutras written Classical Chinese; emerge of new generation who read and write in Hangeul; national sentiment; and devotion to propagate Buddhism. The translation and publication of Joseongeul Hwaum-gyeong left footmark in the history of Korean Buddhist Sutras. It is the first translation of Hua-yen Sutra. He translated the prose and original odes in the sutra but left out the repeated odes in order to avoid redundant and tedious reading. Most proper nouns and even some general nouns are elucidated. New Buddhist terminologies are introduced. The first draft of the translation was completed in two years. Several months later the entire translation was published in twelve volumes after careful proofreading. They were published by three different publishers, including one Christian publishing company, for the swift publication. Several years later the second translation was made in order to make up the mistakes on the first translation. The second translation was in huge volume with fourteen thousand words, but was not published. Joseongeul Hwaeomgyeong, the first translation of Hua-yen Sutra into Korean, became an initial explosive for translation of Buddhist sutras into Korean, and big contribution for the Hua-yen study in Korea.