증명삼화상(證明三和尙)의 형성 배경과 불교적 위상

Abstract

Jigong 指空, Naong 懶翁, and Muhak 無學 were called the Three Masters (Sam hwasang 三和尙) since the early Joseon period. Revered as Three Saints (samseong 三聖), they became the object of worship at Samseonggak 三聖閣, or the Shrine of the Three Saints. After the 18th century, they came to be revered as the Three Verification Masters (Jeungmyeong sam hwasang 證明三和尙). In the Seogmun uibeom 釋門儀範 compiled in the early modern times, the three masters were praised as the Verification Teachers of the Dharma (Jeungmyeong beopsa 證明法師). The Verification Teachers of the Dharma is a term used for the object of the highest worship, and the term was used for figures as sacred as the actual body of the Buddhas. Despite such importance of the three masters, the origin and the development of the concept of Three Verification Masters have not been much studied. This paper newly suggests that the concept of the Three Masters and the Worship of the Patriarchs (Josa yecham 祖師禮懺) were established based on the two writings, the Buljo jeonsim seocheon jongpa jiyo 佛祖傳心西天宗派旨要 and the Jagisan bomun 仔虁刪補文. Also, this paper found that the worship of the three masters was festablished during the time of the monk Cheongheo 淸虛 and then handed down to his disciples, as evidenced by writings of his disciples. For example, Bojo 普照, Jigong 指空, Naong 懶翁, and Muhak 無學 were included in the “Worship of the Patriarchs” (祖師禮懺) section in the Seolseon ui 說禪儀 written by Haean 海眼, a disciple of Cheongheo. In it, Haean wrote that the patriarch worship should follow the examples from the great old monks’ era. Cheongheo’s disciple Seolmae 雪梅, also included Bojo and the Three Masters in his writing entitled, Seonmun josa yecham jakbeob 禪門祖師禮懺作法, which explains rituals for worshiping patriarchs of the Seon school. As for the Cheonji myeongyang suryukjaeui beomeum sanbojib 天地冥陽水陸齋儀梵音刪補集, the masters Bojo, Jigong, Naong, and Muhak were included in its “Worship of the Patriarchs” (祖師禮懺) section, while even Taego Bou 太古普愚, the first patriarch of Haedong, was excluded in “Worship of the Patriarchs”. This paper suggests that it was due the influence of the teachings left by Cheongheo. With this historical background, the concept of the Three Verification Masters was established and widlely spread. They were revered by the disciples of Buhyu 浮休 who continued the customs and traditions from Bojo, and thereby revered in the Imje School. At the same time, the veneration for the Three Verification Masters goes beyond the boundary of the Imje School, and they also have an important religious existence until today in the Jogye School which pursues harmony and integration.