혜초 天竺行의 목적과 歸路에 관한 연구

Abstract

Overall this study will consist of the following three aspects. The first is to clarify the background and purpose of Hyecho's pilgrimage to Cheonchuk. The second aspect is about various efforts to find the way back to the Tang Dynasty. The third aspect is about the religious activities in the Tang Dynasty. The basic critical mind of this study is that the contents and stories submerged on the back side are closer to the truth appearance of Hyecho and 『WangOcheonchukgukjeon』 than the outwardly revealed contents of the above three aspects. The contents that stimulated my intellectual curiosity in Hyecho and his book, 『WangOcheonchukgukjeon』 can be summarized into four categories as follows. The first were several unfamiliar terms that appeared repeatedly in this writing. The unfamiliar terms he used were terms that were not used by Buddhists or intellectuals in China at the time. It would be reasonable to see this as the influence of the language habits Hyecho learned while studying in Silla before going to study abroad. So, if I review the references and usage of these terms, I thought I could expose information about his growth process in Silla. Second, there is always verses with five words to each line in the dramatic scene in 『Wang Ocheonchukgukjeon』. Analyzing the contents of these verses with five words to each line and the circumstances in which the verses were written, it can be seen that the purpose of his trip was not simply to visit the 8 Great Stupas. It can detect easily that his real mission doesn't appear on the surface. This mission was received from his mentor, Geumgangji, Tripitaka. Third, Hyecho attempted to complete the mission given by the teacher hastily moving the esoteric scriptures collected by a Chinese monk who died in the field, and carefully transferred to China. Paradoxically, it can be said that his various efforts to find his way back enriched the contents of 『WangOcheonchukgukjeon』. Fourth, after Hyecho was handed down to Geumgangji Tripitaka for 8 years, the translated scripture is likely one of the scriptures he brought, and should be viewed as the teacher's consideration for his contributions. The above facts are the conclusions obtained through the analysis of his poem in 『WangOcheonchukgukjeon』, the journey to visit a Chinese monk, and the record of the search for a return trip.