한국불교의 절 수행에 관한 고찰

Abstract

This paper aims to reveal the purpose and effect of the bow practice as one of the representative practices in Korean Buddhism, by By looking at the meaning, specific method and the history of the bow practice as well as the current status of it. Bow practice is to perform touching the ground with forehead, palms, knees and toes, generally 108 times, 1,080 times, and 3,000 times. It is an act of worship that lowers itself and honors others. You can practice the body and the mind at the same time and it has the advantage that anyone can easily do it anytime with a small space. In particular, the bow practice is to eliminate the illusion of ‘me’ through humble mind, and to melt the karma by making them repent. In the end, it can be said that it leads to enlightenment by allowing people to experience selflessness. The history of the bow practice can be said to be very old, because it is performed in all Buddhist rituals. The record of penitence practices in Korean Buddhism appears in the repentance ritual of Wonmyo Yosae to 53 statues of Buddha in Mandeoksa Temple in the Goryeo Dynasty. When Bongamsa community was formed in 1947, Seon master Seongcheol made the congregation bow 3,000 times and Buddhist monk Cheonggyeon in Beopwangjeongsa Temple organized the method of bow practice. The ultimate goal of bow practice as well as all Buddhist practices is to reach enlightenment. It has a great advantage in that it is based on the practice of the body related to health and well-being, which are of interest to modern people. But we have the tasks to organize the theoretical establishment and specific methodologies how to get to the enlightenment through bow practice.