연기법과 역사유물론 - 외부성의 사유에서 평등성의 사유로 -

Abstract

This paper studies the interface and intersection between Buddhism and Marxism. To this end, first, I compare Buddhism’s dependent causality (pratītyasamutpāda) and Marxism’s historicalmaterialism from the perspective of thinking methods. I note that both ideas have a common thinking method which could be named ‘thinking based on outsideness,’ which is deeply related to each idea’s criticismof substantialism and metaphysics. ‘Reasoning based on outsideness’ implies a unique concept of causality different from that of analytical causality. Second, both ideas are similar in that equality is dealt with. However, Marxism deals with class equality on the level of possibility by negating existing inequality, while Buddhism deals with ontological equality of all living beings and even that of all beings on the level of virtuality by means of Buddha-nature theory. Communism as a possible world contrasts with reality in that communism does not exist in the real world. On the other hand, Buddha-nature as the virtual contrasts with actual world, because Buddha-nature exists in reality, even though it is not actualized. Buddhist Sangha community, which is based on no-ownership and donation, can be understood as a practical model and a plan of avant-garde aiming to actualize the existential equality. This provides an important reference point for attempts trying to transform movements deferring the present life for the future into movements changing present life directly.