鮮初 斥佛論에 미친 韓愈의 영향에 대하여

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the influence of Han-you upon anti- Buddhism argument of Confucianists in the early Chosun dynasty. During the establishment of Chosun, Sung Confucianism became dominant ideology to rule the country. The SungyouEokbul(to revere confucianism and reject Buddhism) policy was one of its results. Though Choseon was established, it was hard to remove Buddhism which had been a state religion during former Dynasty. Confucianists especially in the early Choseon Dynasty needed a theory to exclude Buddhism because they had a sense of duty to build political system based on Sung Confucianism. This necessity encourages them to use Han-you's anti-Buddhism argument. Sejo, one of the kings in the early Chosun dynasty, emphasized reading Han-you's articles. He regarded Han-you's writings as important process in order to write Pyojeonmun(an article of suggestion written by subject to the king) or great sentences. Sejo, who was fond of Buddhism, appeared an unconventional attitude which encouraged his subjects to lecture Han-you's <Wondo> with <Lao-tse>, <Zhuangzi>, and <Byeongseo>. The intention of his behavior was probably to reveal some unreasonableness of Han-you's anti- Buddhism argument. Seongjong had a lot of interest in Han-you. His inclination was well indicated in that he sat questions about Han-you's banishment as subject of poem in gwageo sihem(civil service examination) and personally draw pictures about it on a folding screen which has twelve panel. I've judged that those attention of kings to Han-you were adequate reasons to attract interest of Confucianists toward Han-you. Han-you unfolds his theory of anti-Buddhism argument mainly in <Ganbulgolpyo> and <Wondo>. The core of his argument is started with the insistence that he cannot basically revere Buddhism because the religion of barbarians doesn't contain precepts from late kings. Using this perspective, it is reasonable that the Confucianists understand Buddhism as something that devastates their traditional grade of ranks of Gunshinbuja(sovereign and subject, father and son), prohibits Sangsaengsangyang(compatibility and encouragement), let people get an idle life, shorten persistence of the country. But there is little logical element to support this argument. Han-you himself also knew that it was hard to fight against Buddhism theoretically. Based on Han-you's opinion, the anti-Buddhism argument of Confucianists in the early Chosun dynasty made no rational progress. The reason why they followed his opinion seems to be their situation which was sympathetically identical with him. Han-you was to the man who felt keenly the responsibility to promote revival of Sung Confucianism as the Confucianists in the early Chosun dynasty were to the men who had a duty to protect Sung Confucianism as ruling system. That necessity enabled Han-you to affect them deeply through 600 years of time and space.