소태산의 평화사상

Abstract

This paper deals with conceptualization of peace of Jung-Bin Park, the Founding Master of Won-Buddhism. The author argues that the basis of Jung-Bin Park’s peace lies in the truth of Il-Won-Sang (One Circle Image), which is the content of his enlightenment. The first point is the nature of the truth of Il-Won-Sang which is the original source of all things in the universe, the mind-seal of all buddhas and sages, and the original nature of all sentient beings. In other words, all truth is symbolized by the truth of Il-Won-Sang. The second point is the nature of existence as being interfused and interconnected in all the phenomena in the world. It means that dualistic opposition is rejected in the world of non-duality which the Il-Won-Sang truth contains. The third point is the nature of being perfect, the state in which the Il-Won-Sang truth is presented concretely in reality. In other words, it means the peaceful world where all existence is realized as being perfect like buddhas, and at the same time, is revered by all beings so that conflicts have disappeared. These contents of his enlightenment became the ideological bases for organizing the Society for the Study of the Buddha-dharma, the previous organization of Won-Buddhism. Also, Jung-Bin Park, who observed the limit of modern civilization which were the causes of sufferings for humanity and society, wanted to suggest solutions through this Order. Understanding the key was the destruction of traditions and symptoms based on division, he put forth the slogan of, “With this Great Opening of matter, let there be a Great Opening of spirit”, to correct spiritual civilization. He aimed for peace building in a religious way. The peace ideology of Jung-Bin Park can be explained as the Middle Way and the Mean, mutual life-giving and harmony, tolerance and buddhist works of embracing without abandoning. The Middle Way is a perfect practice which comes from enlightenment. The Mean is commanding the nature which appears in the state of no-thought and non-attachment. In social realities it is presented as the character of democracy and public concern. Mutual life-giving and harmony means the ethical relation of absolute grace, based on the theory of social dependent origination, which we cannot live without. It can be said to confront structural violence. Tolerance and buddhist works of embracing without abandoning are the faith activities toward a truthful world. In other words, they can be seen as practices of salvation to embrace all living beings which comes from the mind of great compassion and great loving-kindness. This peace ideology of Jung-Bin Park, was passed down to his disciples and, also, leaders of the Order―Gyu Song, Dae-Geo Kim, Gwang-Jeong Lee and so on―and became principal guidelines in the Order. Gyu Song’s ideology of the Ethics of the Three fold Unity, Dae-Geo Kim’s three great principles for world peace, and Gwang-Jeong Lee’s 6 great ways of unification on Korean Peninsular are the main representatives. More profound studies are required so that these ideologies, based on Jung-Bin Park’s ideology of peace, can be settled into the world’s universal values and ethics.