불성(佛性) 개념의 중국적 변용 과정

Abstract

This article focuses on Buddha-nature as a concept representing Buddhist thought in the process of negotiation between Buddhism and Confucianism in China, Buddha-nature, However, does not represent the original thought of Indian Buddhism. From the same point of view, this article focuses on human nature as a concept representing Confucian thought in the process of its negotiating with Buddhism, but there is also a question as to whether the concept of human nature represents original Confucian thought in China. Nevertheless, the two concepts are representative points of contact between Buddhism and Confucianism in China. In the history of East-Asian thought since the initial meeting of Buddhism and Confucianism, Buddha nature and human nature have been noteworthy as concepts representing their essential thoughts. Especially, noteworthy in the process of the contact and transformation between Buddhist and Confucian thoughts is the change in East-Asian understanding of the concept of Buddha nature. Chinese Buddhists have understood Buddha nature or tathāgatagarbha in conjunction with the theory of mind-consciousness (心識說), resulting into a kind of misunderstanding of the concept of Buddha nature or tathāgatagarbha. From another point of view, however, it might be considered that this misunderstanding has led to East-Asian active contact between the Chinese theory of the concept of human nature and Buddha nature or tathāgatagarbha, transforming the concept of Buddha-nature and tathāgatagarbha in the history of Chinese traditional thought. This article identified that, in the understanding of human nature, such as that shown in Li Ao (李翱, 772-841)'s book entitled On the Recovery of Human Nature (復性書), Chinese Confucianism has reflected one aspect of misunderstanding and erroneous entanglements with the Buddhist concept of Buddha nature [or tathāgatagarbha]. Further, as a result of the negotiation between human nature in traditional Confucianism and Buddha nature in Chinese Buddhism, this article purported to articulate that there have been transformations in East-Asian understanding of Confucian human nature as well as in Buddhist understanding of Buddha nature.