근대 불교잡지의 영이담 ― [불교] ‘不思議’란 소재 이야기를 중심으로 ―

Abstract

The miracle tales have been transmitted for a long time as the type of story that minutely reveal the nature of Buddhism for religion. And there are not usually much differences among the miracle tales transmitted in Each era in terms of the structural characteristics that is constructed of ‘act of charity-miracle-(devotion)’ and the meaning of inspiration to religious beliefs, with the exception of the details. But there is a shade of difference in the significances of miracle tales in Each era along the special nature of Buddhist history. I tried to search structural meaning of the miracle tales in modern times from this point of view in this study. For that, first I examine the structural meaning of miracle tale in previous period, and to find out the distinctive points from it of the miracle tales in modern times. As the result of discussion, miracle tales were correlated to establishment and making state religion of Buddhism in ancient times, to the states of Buddhism rejection in the Chosŏn Period. Next, I analyzed the tales of Buddhist image advent and the tales of Goddess of Mercy curing a disease in Buddhist magazine at modern times and examined the structural meaning of the miracle tales in modern times. as the result of discussion, It is confirmed that the miracle tales in modern times carried over the meaning of inspiration to religious beliefs they have by nature, but they have different significances by the special nature of Buddhist history and scientific discourse. That is to say, the miracle tales were applied to the revival of Buddhism by inspiring to religious beliefs and concentrating the masses of Buddhism, and to confront against the outside forces rejecting Buddhism placed under the control of scientific discourse.