영가 현각의 공사상 고찰 -『證道歌』를 중심으로-

Abstract

The Cheng tao ko(證道家) is a song written by Yong jia xuan jue(永嘉玄覺) that expressed the author’s stage of realization, which leads a practitioner to the invocation of reality of Middle Way[中道] by way of discerning non-duality of Dharma. The author argues the denial of phenomenon but maintains the invocation of Self Nature[自性] as it comprises all activity and Six practices of Bodhisattva that put emphasis on practicing Middle Way of dependent rising of emptiness which defends her or himself from degenerating to the extreme of false view. The background of the idea of emptiness expressed by Cheng tao ko draws from accepting the conception of impermanence and no-self of early Buddhism that were expanded to the conception of no-self in Madhyamaka, which the idea is based on the idea of emptiness in Perfect Wisdom Sutra and resulted in the background of Three Insights in One Thought(一心三觀) in mo he zhi guan(摩訶止觀) that is composed of Emptiness[空], Virtual Reality[假] and Middle View[中]. It is Huineng(慧能) who is a master in the lineage of Josa Seon[祖師禪] to interpret the emptiness as a practice of Provisional Existence of True Emptiness[眞空妙有] that consists of Freedom from Thought[無念], Impermanence[無常], No-abiding[無住]. The point of emptiness thought in Cheng tao ko is presented likewise as it is said, “the void, phantom body is the Dharma-body”, that is to say, Dharma Body of Vairocana Buddha permanently stays in the state of emptiness regardless of showing Emanation Body, which the emptiness is expressed by Middle Way free from extremes of Existence and Non-Existence. Also the manifestation of the nature of mind comes by way of refraining from Discriminating Thought(揀擇心) and responding to an activation of Middle Way from moment to moment. The thought of emptiness in Cheng tao ko is based on the idea of Buddha Nature that every sentient beings possess the true nature of Buddha expressed by the life of Middle Way to realize the Immediate Emptiness[中道] free from the ignorance of false view and to do acts of charity for sentient beings.