『論語』 ‘五十學易章’ 解釋의 檢討 ─특히 『正易』적 해석과 관련하여─

Abstract

This study roughly contemplates the line ‘Ohsiphakyeokjang (五十學易章)’ in Analects of Confucius with five references; 1) the interpretation by various Chinese schools of all time, 2) the interpretation by Dasan Jeong Yakyong, 3) the interpretation based on the philosophy of Book of Changes(周易) by various schools of all time, 4) the approach based on Book of Ultimate Changes(正易) by Haksan Lee Jeongho, 5) the interpretation by the author of this study. In Analects of Confucius, this chapter is the only one referring to the changes. It seems that Confucius already predicted the concept of the posterior world and implied the contents of Book of Ultimate Changes in Book of Changes. Based on the researching into the annotations of possibly considerable schools, the followings are the summarized points of the author in this study. First, in the phrase of ‘Gaasulnyeon(加我數年)’, the author regards the word ‘add(加)’ as the meaning of ‘borrow(假)’. Second, the author regards that the word ‘fifty(五十)’ is not just the number of age but the indication of the five Hwanggeuk(皇極, the ultimate principles of nature) and the ten Mugeuk(無極, the ultimate principles of nature). And then, the word ‘study(學)’ is regarded as the meaning that studying is to learn the old but not to create(述而不作). Also, the word ‘change(易)’ is interpreted as Book of Ultimate Changes. Third, the author regards the word ‘the significant fault(大過)’ as the major trigram of the past in Book of Changes. There might be the hardship of trivial faults despite the absence of troubles in the major trigram of the past. In the line ‘Ohsiphakyeokjang(五十學易章)’, the word ‘fifty(五十)’ does not simply indicate the age. It suggests the five Hwanggeuk(皇極, the ultimate principles of nature) and the ten Mugeuk(無極, the ultimate principles of nature). A supreme ultimate(一太極) was already suggested as ‘one(一)’ in the line that “There is no other theories because whole principles of nature are penetrated by one.(吾道一以貫之章)” Confucius seems to have had foresight as to the appearance of the diagram of eight trigrams in Book of Ultimate Changes and the advent of the ten Suyeok(十數易, the term indicating the posterior world) In the diagram of eight trigrams, it refers to ten Geon(乾, the heaven) and five Gon(坤, the earth) so, adding six Zi(子) included in the heaven and the earth, the idea of Chunjiyin(天地人, the heaven, the earth and the human). It is considered as that even though seeing what has to be seen and understanding what has to be understood, it is the very time but there is no instruction from the nature so by bringing the age of fifty, he expressed indirectly his idea. In addition, in the word ‘fifty(五十)’, the letter ‘five(五)’ indicates the earth and the letter ‘ten (十)’ indicates the heaven so the human being, represented by the word ‘one(一)’, seems already to be referred. That is, in the letters ‘five’ and ‘ten’, there is hidden the letter of ‘one’. Hence, it is possible to interpret the given line as the meaning that “If I could earn several years more and let myself say Book of Ultimate Changes,”Otherwise, in the phrase ‘Ohsiphakyeokjang(五十學易章)’ the letter ‘five’ could be Hwanggeuk suggesting the human-oriented idea. Furthermore, the letter ‘five’ in ‘fifty’ could be translated into ‘oneself (吾)'- the same pronunciation with the letter ‘five’. If so, the given line is possibly interpreted as “If I make descriptions of Book of Ultimate Changes, as I myself, Sipsu which is human-oriented and also indicates five Hwanggeuk,”