범산 김법린의 사상과 활동

Abstract

Dr. Beop-Lin Kim (1899-1964) is one of the representative intellectuals who have led the modern Korean Buddhism. His Buddhist pen name is Beom San. At the outset of the modern Korean Buddhism, while Dr. Sung Wook Paek went to Germany to study Buddhist philosophy, Beom San went to the Sorbonne to study philosophy. After graduating from the Sorbonne, Beom San returned home and produced great achievements especially in the Buddhistic enlightenment, education, and administration of the Buddhist Order. In addition, Beom San was an eminent patriot fought for his fatherland under the rule of Japanese imperialism. After the establishment of a new government, he played an active role in many fields such as politics, society, culture and so forth as an excellent leader. His life and thought were closely connected with the environment, condition and value of the times which he had undergone. But it was Yong Woon Han(or Manhae) who had greatly influenced on his thought and the way of life. We could confirm those traces of Manhae’s influences in his various life. We could also infer those traces from his following diverse activities such as his participation in the Samil Independence Movement, his leading role for 卍 Group of an underground organization, his studying abroad, his life as a married Buddhist priest, the Buddhist Youth Movement, the Buddhist Reform Movement, and so on. Therefore Manhae was his everlasting mentor, and Beom San was an excellent disciple worth taking over Manhae’s spirit. Beom San’s thought which was greatly affected by his mentor Manhae is able to be generally summarized as ‘Modernization and Innovation of Buddhist thought’. It seems to be taken shape as both ①the populace Buddhist thought and ②the actual participation of Buddhism. The former points to the construction of Buddhist thought both for the public and taking breath in the public, while the latter means the actual participation of Buddhism for the society on the populace Buddhist thought living in the sprit of the time. Above all things Beom San regarded the actual participation of Buddhism for the society very highly and also he showed us it as the embodiment of his life. Even if it would be the inner Buddhist activities, it stands for the correlation to the public and the society. Accordingly the actual participation of Buddhism represents the extensive enlargement of Buddhism and Beom San put it in practice in his own life. In short, Beom San wanted to achieve the modernization and innovation of the new Buddhist thought through both the populace Buddhist thought and the actual participation of Buddhism. By the way, the achievements and activities on modernization and innovation of Buddhist thought of Beom San are remarkably various and cover wide areas not only within the Buddhist Order but in the outside fields beyond Buddhism. His achievements and activities may be summarized as ①modern activities of Buddhist Intellectuals and the traction role of the Buddhist Order, ②the enlightenment and education for the development of Buddhism, and running a university, ③political, social, cultural participation and contribution, and so on. His inner and outside activities were his own fierce process of life and the results for the realization of his own Buddhist thought. Here we could reconsider his actual participation in the outside activities beyond Buddhism on condition that Beom San was a married Buddhist priest. Even if he was a married Buddhist priest, the above fact that his life was a severe one may be interpreted in various ways from the individual viewpoint. In conclusion, whether he was a married Buddhist priest or not, even if he might face any difficult situation in political, social, cultural areas, and what not, a true believer in Buddhism would do well to do his best in the actual participation of Buddhism. Because our everyday life should be the way to enlightenment, no matter where we are and whatever we do. If we had a self-awareness and consciousness as a real Buddhist, the discrimination between inner and outer world would not be such a desirable thing. Therefore, the actual participation of a Buddhist with self-awareness and consciousness would become an extensive enlargement of Buddhist activities and so it would result in the development of Buddhism even in any situation and an area. Both modernization and innovation of the Buddhist thought, and the various actual participation as to the outer world beyond Buddhism of Beom San would prove the above fact. Judging from this point of view, his thought and activities would be greatly stimulating in today’s Korean Buddhist realities.