<법화경>에 나타난 ‘백호대광(白毫大光)’의 상징성 고찰

Abstract

The light from the body of Buddha is the representative language which symbolizes the "Truth" that Buddhist sutras say. Especially the light from the Buddha’s ūrṇakośa of eyebrows is called the light of the ūrṇakośa. The light of the Buddha's ūrņakośa appeared in the early sutras and its symbolization was emphasized on Mahayana sutras. The representative sutra is the Lotus sutra (Skt. Saddharma-puṇḍarīka-sūtra). In the Lotus sutra, the first scene of the introduction starts with the light from the Buddha's ūrņakośa which shines over the eighteen thousand worlds. The light of the buddha's ūrṇakośa is the white light symbolizing the marvelous dharma of the One Vehicle of the Lotus sutra. This light accepts all the things without discrimination and is perfect and endless. Also it is the light symbolizing the buddha's equal and great wisdom. Therefore, the light shining over the world in the introduction of the Lotus sutra means the compassion of Buddha which tries to let all the sentient beings become buddhas in the future saying the one taste of dharmas without discrimination. The Śākyamuni Buddha of the Lotus sutra says that he succeeded the dharmas of Candra-surya-pradipa and the Buddha of Supremely Pervading before the accountable kalpa-asaṃkhyeya and attained buddhahood before a long, limitless kalpa. And also he mentioned that he just shows Nirvāṇa as an expedient, there is no other Nirvāṇa. It speaks the presence of Buddha transcending times. Moreover, the scene where multiple buddhas of Śākyamuni Buddha from all over the worlds see and gather at the assembly at Grdhrakuta Mountain shows the nature of undiscriminated dharma. It means the universality of dharma containing both this land and that land. This happens by the Buddha's ūrṇakośa. Therefore the Buddha's ūrṇakośa can be said that only the Lotus sutra has the symbol system symbolizing the presence of Buddha and the universality of dharma.