보은담(報恩譚)의 새로운 이해와 교육

Abstract

This paper is aimed at looking into the educational direction on the basis of a new understanding of favor-returning stories. There are two points in discussion; one is to switch the sight of favor from a favor-requiter-centeredness to a favor-doer-centeredness; the other is to treat more than a story in which a simple ‘exchange’ or ‘transaction’ of getting repaid immediately after doing favor. First, when we turn our eye from favor-repaying to favor-doing, it makes it possible for us to reduce the harmful effect of overly stressing the obligation in human relations and to build up our autonomy. There exist diverse patterns of favor-repaying stories in which a favor-doer actually hides his/her identity when doing favor, and also when repaying favor, the very person involved in doing favor avoids being repaid directly, through which one can go beyond his/her own narrow sight of understanding a favor-repaying story as an ‘exchange’ or ‘transaction.’Second, as a result of examining the favor-doing stories, in many cases,favor-doers are in severe destitution or dire straits, or once lived in luxury,but only to get into difficulty. This means they go through the process of displaying their sympathy toward the people or animals that are faced with a difficult situation once they are trapped in a harsh environment. It’s quite proper to consider such contents in educating favor-doing stories; in other words, instructors are supposed to remind students that there is profundity going over the form of ‘repaying’ in favor-repaying by rejecting a story of an immediate favor-repaying is made, and to get students not perceive the act of getting repaid as an ‘exchange’ or ‘transaction’ by introducing a story of a favor-doer’s setting a certain limit even in case he/he gets repaid for doing favor immediately. In addition, instructors are supposed to awaken students to the reason why a favor-doer becomes a beneficiary at the moment of doing favor through a favor-returning story in which the favor-doer improved his/her own unfortunate destiny.