연기의 구성주의 철학적 재구성

Abstract

This paper argues that the main doctrine of Buddhism, Pratītyasamutpāda(緣起), also known as ‘interdependent co-arising’ is not reducible to some other philosophical concepts that exist already. In a dialogue between Buddha and his pupil Ananda in the Maha-nidana Sutta(大緣方便經), the doctrine Pratītyasamutpāda only can be interpreted solely from its root of own definition. This Dialogue in the Maha-nidana Sutta is in its contents equivalent with the two key strategic utterances of Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka-kārikā(中論頌, 4.8, 4.9). In the same context we can criticize the conventional interpretations of Pratītyasamutpāda with concepts of causal, temporal and logical relations. From a logical point of view, we can show that the idea of Pratītyasamutpāda is totally equivalent with the act of partitioning upon the idea of entity or a whole, which is like building a boundary within the whole. It is logically impossible to say that the boundary exists realistically as the junction of these two side parts, which is the result from the act of partitioning. There is no boundary between any two objects in the world and perhaps the concept relies on arbitrary and man-made illusions. Therefore the concept of a boundary is internally contradictory and does not stand in a realistic background. Through the constructive philosophical understanding of Twelve-fold causal nexus(十二緣起), it becomes clear that the buddhistic view of the world is about understanding how to see it in a holistic perspective. As a result, we can apply this holistic ontology of Buddhism and the fundamental structure of Pratītyasamutpāda to many areas of philosophy, religion and sciences.