불교 수행득도 설화의 존재양상과 법문의 생성

Abstract

This paper aims to excavate the Korean Folktales of Buddha’s miracles and Buddhist practice and enlightenment, and explicate their meanings, which would result in helping the virtuous monks utilize to their teachings. Korean Oral Buddhist Folktales are particularly suitable materials in that they expose ordinary people’s viewpoint and understanding on Buddhism and its practice. The first type of folktales represents the stories in which Buddha performs miracles in response to the ordinary people’s prayers. These stories would help the people indirectly experience Buddha’s miraculous power, strengthening their belief. These stories, however, lack in the elements of Zen meditation. Another type represents the stories in which ordinary person either becomes or encounters Buddha. These stories connect the process of becoming or discovering Buddha to everyday virtues and attitudes. They help keep Buddhist belief and practice from being separated from people’s everyday life. However those stories are limited in that they still cling to the idea of discrimination. The other type of folktales shows people’s realization of the values and effects of Zen practice and Koan by showing the process of attaining Nirvana through them. These stories emphasize the fact that people’s greed is a decisive obstacle to their enlightenment. These stories destroy the common notion of relationship between monk and his disciple, in that greedy monks get reincarnated in serpents; their disciples save their teachers and help them attainenlightenment. The monks’ shocking self-denial could be an important cornerstone to advance to the truth of self-annihilation. This type of stories foregrounds the parts of 'looking back’ and ‘going back’ that separate the monk from his disciple. These stories point out that the monk who looks back and goes back can not escape from the desire and obsession of everyday life. One of the most widely spread Korean legends, <Legend of Jangja Mot>, and <The Gospel According to Luke> exhibit similar but contrasting lesson. Their comparison would lead to an interesting discussion in Buddhist teachings. Folktales of Buddhist enlightenment and practice could be the most useful material of teaching Buddhism in that they impart the people hope of enlightenment and freedom if they sincerely practice the Buddhist teachings.