한국불교사의 호국 사례와 호국불교 인식

Abstract

Examined in this article, are cases in which Buddhist people or values played a pivotal role in the security of the country, or in which Buddhism was deemed crucial in protecting or saving it. Also examined are the people's views of the “Buddhist role” in the issue of defending the country, which slightly differed from time period to time period, as from Shilla to Goryeo, or from the early half of the Joseon period to the latter. All their unique characteristics seem to have been reflecting the aspects of all the respective time periods. First, regarding the Shilla dynasty period, in which an ancient form of a religious philosophy (with Buddhist colors and tone) to 'save-the-country' emerged for the first time, relevant sources are examined to reveal three important aspects: A) The "Buddhist Land" concept and all the Buddhist temples which were designated as crucial monasteries for their roles in saving the country, B) Buddhist Ceremonial gatherings and ritual codes related to the Saving-the-Country philosophy, and no other than C) the Saving-the-Country religion. Next, regarding the period of Goryeo, which was a Buddhist country, many aspects including the Buddhist monks' participation in the war efforts, the dynastic Buddhist rituals and events that were overseen by the state and the government, the merging of Buddhism and the Save-the-Country religion, and the people's hope for overcoming dynastic crises through the creation of Grand Collections of Buddhist Sutras, are all examined. Then regarding the early half of the Joseon dynasty, examined are both the continuation as well as changes that happened to not only Buddhist traditions but also ‘Saving-the-country’ sentiments, while the Buddhist army members' fight against the Japanese troops during the war in the 1590s is examined for the Joseon's latter half. It seems that Buddhism was able to survive the Joseon period by prioritizing the values of the era, which were loyalty and justice. The concept of “Guarding-the-Country Buddhism” was created during the modern period, in the wartime mobilization phase of the Japanese occupation period, and also during the promotion of state-generated Nationalism throughout the country after the liberation in 1945. Yet the Buddhist tradition of contributing to the safety and welfare of the society had always been an important part of the Korean Buddhist history. Surely, the actual meaning and characteristics they had changed by the passage of time, so an appropriate understanding of Buddhism and the part it played in service of the country, would only be possible by taking that point into account.