여말선초 불교와 유교의 사생관과 조상의례

Abstract

As change of ancestral rituals reflects social, intellectual, and religious changes, the change of ancestral rituals in the late Goryeo and the early Joseon shows the process of transition into the confucianist society. It is because the intellectual and religious foundation of the society changed from Buddhism to Confucianism in those days that the ancestral rituals also changed from the Buddhist to Confucianist one. For it was not easy for confucianism as a thought to settle down in a rapidly changing society, the new high officials would have tried to disseminate Confucianism as a family ethics by putting into practice ancestral rituals as a religious practice. Thus, it is worthwhile studying the ancestral rituals for examining the aspects of intellectual and religious changes in the late Goryeo and the early Joseon. This paper, by virtue of focusing on Jeong Mong-ju who attempted to change ancestral rituals in the late Goryeo and the early Joseon, investigates the political and social background of the intention to change ancestral rituals into Confucianist one. Having looked into the Buddhist and Confucianist views on life and death which are reflected in ancestor rituals, the paper observes the notion of ‘Hyo(孝)’ which was an important issue in the change of ancestral rituals. On the basis of these understandings, this paper scrutinizes how Jeong Mong-ju has contributed to the change of ancestral rituals in the late Goryeo and the early Joseon by showing a model of Confucianist ancestral rituals based on Jujagarye(朱子家禮), and points out the aspect that ancestral rituals by then have been changed by ethical and political as well as religious intentions. Lastly, the paper takes a view point of ritualization in understanding that Jeong Mong-ju was introduced as an exemplary model who built a cottage and spent three years for mourning in time of transition when the change of ancestral rituals took place from the upper to the lower society.