양명의 수양론의 명상론적 의미

Abstract

This essay tries to explicate a meditation-theoretical meaning of Yangming(陽明)’s self-cultivation theory. By the word ‘meditation’, I understand the self-self-reflective operation of consciousness. From the viewpoint of the development of morality, people can be divided into four types: an uncultured man. a man of learning, a man of virtue, a sage. If we suppose that the 4 types of man have respectively a different mind, there can be 4 stages of mind. While explaining the process of learning Confucianism, Yangming suggests 4 stages of mind: 1) an avaricious mind without self-reflection, 2) an self-reflective mind without being able to remove avarice, 3) a self-reflective mind without avarice, 4) a non-self-reflective mind without avarice and anxiety. If we consider whether or not mind operates self-reflectively and preserves the heavenly principle, the 4 stages of mind are to be respectively characterized as non-self-reflective disability, self-reflective disability, self-reflective ability, non-self-reflective ability. The most people of us have the first or the second type of mind. For cultivating our mind to be the third or the fourth type of mind, it is helpful to know how the third and the fourth type of mind operate. In a letter to Lyukwonjeong (陸原靜), Yangming says that conscience(良知) is not blocked by joy, anger, anxiety, and fear, and that joy, anger, anxiety, and fear are not outside conscience. In my view, the former conscience designates ‘conscience as entity’, while the latter conscience designates ‘conscience as self-reflective consciousness.’ The operation of ‘conscience as self-reflective consciousness may be something that guarantees the self-reflective ability of mind. In the answer to a question of Suhyong (守衡), Yangming says that the righteousness of mind means that mind is away from both liking the good and disliking the bad. This answer suggests that the non-self-reflective ability of mind is realized when mind has no purposeful intention and no self-reflection. In the answer to a question of Lyukzing (陸澄), Yangming says that, during the process of Confucian meditation, mind can sometimes become pure as to the heavenly principle. This answer makes us aware that the culmination of Confucian meditation is the realization of a pure mind as to the heavenly principle. This pure mind as to the heavenly principle is ‘righteous mind’ that is characterized by ‘no-self-reflection.’ No-self-reflection has two kinds of meaning: no-operation of self-reflection and no-purposeful-intention. Wanggi (王畿) seems to think that no-operation of self-reflection is more important for sudden realization than no-purposeful-intention, while Dukhong (德洪) seems to think that no-purposeful- intention is more important for gradual self-cultivation than no-purposeful-intention. In my view, Yangming emphasizes that one can realize the mind with no-operation of self-reflection only through the process of meditation that actualizes the mind with no-purposeful-intention.