동진 시기 사문예경논쟁을 통해 본 봉불사대부의 불교 인식

Abstract

The issue of 'Monks Ought to Revere the King' was first raised during the reign of Emperor Chengdi (成帝) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 340. Yu Bing (庾冰) initiated this issue, and He Chong (何充) and others submitted a memorial opposing this view. Later, Yu Bing issued an edict to counter their objections. This debate, known as the 'Monks Ought to Revere the King' (沙門拜俗) controversy, ultimately concluded with a compromise: the manner of obeisance would depend on the venue of the audience with the king. Approximately 60 years later, during the reign of Emperor Andi (安帝) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 402, the issue resurfaced when Huan Xuan (桓玄) reopened the discussion. He engaged in extended correspondence with figures such as Wang Mi (王謐) and Huiyuan (慧遠), continuing the debate. The dispute finally culminated in Huiyuan's treatise, 'Shamen Bujing Wangzhe Lun' (沙門不敬王者論), which established the principle that 'Monks Ought Not Revere the King.' What is particularly noteworthy here is that figures such as He Chong and Wang Mi, as Scholar-officials supporting Buddhism, approached this issue not from the perspective of 'respecting the king' (敬王), but rather from the standpoint of 'protecting the Dharma' (護法). During the previous debate, He Chong defended the non-observance of obeisance by monks by emphasizing Buddhism’s utility to the state. Later debate, Wang Mi articulated his support for the monks' non-observance of obeisance by discussing the doctrinal essence (宗致) of Buddhism. This defense of monk Ought to Revere the King is based on their contemporary understanding of Buddhism, reflecting the broader perception of Buddhism among these Scholar-officials. The evolution between these two positions within the time frame of the Eastern Jin period serves as evidence of the intellectual development of these Scholar-officials towards a deeper theoretical exploration of Buddhist principles.