『권념요록』 왕생담에 나타난 조선 왕실 여성의 관상염불수행

Abstract

This study clarifies that the purpose for writing Gwonnyeom yorok(Essential Document of Advising Yeombul; 勸念要錄) was belief in the concept of rebirth in the nine grades of the Pure Land. This text encouraged devotees to receive and keep the sutra as recorded in the Longshu zengguang jingtuwen (龍舒增光淨土文). I was able to confirm this based on a restored version of the introduction to Gwonnyeom yorok, and by correcting and supplementing the part of the book that mentioned Tale of Wang-nang’s Resurrection (Wangnang banhon jeon; 王郞返魂傳). In Heoeung Bou’s Gwonnyeom yorok, the preface, stories of rebirth in paradise, and practice methods were all influenced by Longshe zengguang jingtuwen (龍舒增光淨土文), specifically from the concepts of the rewards of yeombul practice, the recommendation to receive and keep the sutra, and the communion of minds of the Buddha and practitioners. The purpose of writing Gwonnyeom yorok was to utilize the preface in the Repentance Ritual to Amitabha Buddha (Yenyeom mitadoryang chambeop; 禮念彌陀道場懺法), and the concept of saving lives. A typical story of rebirth that meets the purpose of writing is shown by the way rebirth happened in Tale of Wang-nang’s Resurrection, which reveals the types of rebirth people aspired to when Bou was alive. Rebirth stories in the Wangsaeng-dam section of Gwonnyeom yorok accept both the Buddhist classification of status and birth stories listed in the Wangsaeng-jeollok section of Repentance Ritual to Amitabha Buddha, but the section’s new interpretation is possible. Wangsaeng-dam does not follow the Wangsaeng-jeollok system, but changes to the system of “three kinds of pure acts,” which is the basis of the Contemplation Sutra (觀無量壽經). When Bou was still alive, this change was meant to resolve conflicts with Confucianism which emphasized filial piety. Therefore, we can say that Bou wrote Gwonnyeom yorokbased on his own understanding, not following the classification of other literature. The content of the Wangsaeng-dam section was viewed as a system that praises “pure acts.” One iconic rebirth story is Tale of Wang-nang’s Resurrection, a story based on Korean sentiment. And the fact that its protagonist, Wangnang, is female indicates that the book’s target audience is women. The practice the book discusses is “Gwansang Yeombul,” a practice where the minds of devotees commune with the minds of buddhas and bodhisattvas by chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name while visualizing images of buddhas and bodhisattvas. Considering the relationship between Bou and Queen Consort Munjeong, we can safely assume that Gwonnyeom yorok was meant to encourage Joseon’s royal women to practice “pure acts” at the Pure Acts Temple (Jeongeobwon). In order to show that one can be reborn in the nine grades of the Pure Land by practicing Gwansang Yeombul, Bou propagated yeombul practice and wrote Gwonnyeom yorok.