한국 천태종의 염불수행 전통과 그 계승

Abstract

The Cheontae order of Korea was established by Uicheon(義天, 1055~1101) the master of great enlightenment in the Goryeo Dynasty, and was restored by Wonmyo-ryose(圓妙了世, 1163~1245) who initiated the white lotus movement. But it had lost its name when it was unified with the Zen order due to the anti-Buddhist policy in the early Joseon Dynasty. However, the spirit of chanting Buddhism of the Cheontae order managed to passed down to the generation up until the chanting Buddhism got popularized in the late Joseon Dynasty, and was the master Sangwol(上月, 1911~1974) of today was inherited in it. This study aims to elucidate the fact that the Cheontae spirit from Goryeo Dynasty is connected to today's Avalokitesvara prayer of the Cheontae order. During the Goryeo Dynasty, the chanting Buddhism was adopted as a training method of the Cheontae order. Even though the spirit chanting Buddhism was decayed when the Cheontae order were in collision with the main political power after the period of Yuan intervention, the spirit was handed down to Buam-mugi(浮菴無寄) in the late Goryeo Dynasty. However, the Cheontae order had lost its existence when it was unified with the Zen order due to the anti-Buddhist policy of the Confucianist Joseon Dynasty. But the chanting Buddhism of the Cheontae order could still pass down to generation in the Buddhist society, and it was popularized in the late Joseon Dynasty. The chanting Buddhism of the late Joseon Dynasty has been regarded as a general training method in the Buddhist society up until the modern times, and as the master Sangwol restored the Cheontae order, it became the training method of the order. This means that the chanting Buddhism which was regarded as the training method of Cheontae order ever since the Goryeo Dynasty period has been revived. But the master Sangwol has changed it into the Avalokitesvara prayer to match the reality of the times. Thus its possible to say that his training method has inherited the tradition of chanting Buddhism of the Cheontae order of the Goryeo Dynasty and also changed it more realistic.