원효의 『본업경소』에 나타난 보살계위에 관한 연구

Abstract

This article attempted to examine the Bodhisattva stages told in the Pusa-yingluo-benye-jing (菩薩瓔珞本業經, Sutra on Primary Activities of Bodhisattva) through Wonhyo (617-686)’s commentary on the sutra entitled the Bon-eop-gyeong-so (本業經疏). The Pusa-yingluo-benye-jing (菩薩瓔珞本業經) is the sutra that tells the Bodhisattva stages focusing on the Bodhisattva’s primary activities, comparing them to precious stones. Compared to the fact that the Huayan-jing (華嚴經, Flower Ornament Sutra) and many other Mahayana sutras list the forty-two stage path of the Bodhisattva, it establishes the fifty-two stage path by placing the ten stages of faith (十信) before the stages of ten abodes (十住). The sutra classifies the Bodhisattva stages into six kinds of the germ nature (種性) and tells each Bodhisattva’s primary activity and practice according to the classified six kinds of nature. Two kinds of Dharma body are ornamented and protected by the Bodhisattva’s precious stones of merit. The Bodhisattva attains nirvana because of his/her practice of merit. The starting point on the Bodhisattva’s stages is faith. When a normal person first raises the spirit of faith, the person is called a Bodhisattva. And we can see the familiar doctrine that one becomes the Buddha right at the stage of having fulfilled one’s practice of the stage of the faith. Faith has been emphasized ever since early Buddhism and has become the foundation of the Bodhisattva’s practice in Mahayana Buddhism. Wonhyo says that anyone who preaches the Dharma following this faith can attain the true Dharma. He sees this faith as a firm faith or the faith of having made up one’s mind not to doubt the Tathagata. After having fulfilled this faith, the Bodhisattva enters the stages of the three kinds of worthies (三賢位) of Ten Abodes (十住), Ten Practices (十⾏), and Ten Dedications (十迴向), and ascends to the status of enlightenment after Ten Stages (十地). In this process, Wonhyo emphasizes the middle path of the twofold truth, which refers to the Truth of Existence (有諦), the Truth of Emptiness (無諦), and the Cardinal Truth of the Middle Way (中道第一義諦). He asserts that the Bodhisattva can attain enlightenment through the middle path of the twofold truth.