만공월면의 비구니 참선교육과 그 의의

Abstract

This paper is a study on the Ven. Mangong Wolmyeon's Seon-education for bhikkhunis and its significance, he laid a cornerstone of the Korean tradition of Ganhwaseon. Ven. Mangong asked for the bhikkhuni Seon practitioners to keep their tiger-like eyes[虎示見] seeing through the truth of that period. His supervision was given from time to time in a form of Dhamma Debate(擧揚) which was a kind of active discussion about Dhamma between the master and the practitioners. He grafted onto the Ganhwaseon discipline three elements of Great Faith(大信心: deep belief in the truth), Great Indignation(大憤心: indignation for oneself who can’t attain mastery) and Great Doubt(大疑心: deep question for disciplines). In other words, he passed down the spirit of Great Doubt & Enlightenment. He was longing for the bhikkhunis to keep the tradition of Seon practice and to succeed the identity of Joseon Buddhism as integrity of national value. That was the reason why he handed down the poetic writings & praising to the bhikkhunis which stimulated their devotion of learning, and inquired them into the development of Seon practice. On the other hand their Spirit succeeded the right disciplines and wisdom of Buddha, they rejected the Japanese style buddhism or Japanese colonialism against the Joseon Buddhism, which became integrated the Spirit of the Times. Like this, Ven. Mangong had shown the real attitude of Seon meditation by overcoming the hell in mind and by setting up the heaven in mind. In order that the Mind Heaven[唯心淨土] may turn into the Real Paradise[現實極樂], Ven. Mangong was the very master of high virtue of Korean Buddhism who implanted philosophical and religious spirit of the Times for all the registered Bhikkhus & Bhikkhunis.