수양치료의 관점으로 본 퇴계심학: 교육의 결락지를 찾아서

Abstract

Unlike the West, there is a tradition of Self-Cultivation in the East. This is due to a cultural difference, only. In Confucian community, Self-Cultivation has a long history, dating back to Confucius and Mencius. Xiū of Confucius combined with Yăng of Mencius to create a single paradigm called Confucian Self-Cultivation. The tradition being passed down through generations, Chu Hsi builded the tradition in the philosophy of Mindfulness. Then, T’oegye completed the philosophical structure called Sage Learning, broadening its horizons with Learning of the Mind-and-Heart. According to the modern view, however, Confucian Self-Cultivation can be considered to have played a great role in curing human minds with Mindfulness and placing the ontological status of human beings in the ranks of Sage. In this way, when Confucian Self-Cultivation meets therapy from the West and becomes Self-Cultivation Therapy, it will enrich the meaningful network. In Neo-Confucian Learning of the Mind-and-Heart, the key propositions of theory of Self-Cultivation are as follows: First, humans manage and control human desire of Human Mind, which all humans have, through Mindfulness. Second, humans maintain and preserve principles of Human Nature, which all humans have, through Mindfulness. In case of interpreting these propositions in the view of the Greek therapeia from the West, they would be called Self-Cultivation Therapy. Humans cure their human desire through Self-Cultivation, and Mindfulness plays a role to serve the human mind free of charge in the process. In light of this view, in the philosophical way, Self-Cultivation is ontological care/attendance to exist through Mindfulness. This naturally happens to elevate the Human Mind. This process is a act and a program to practice Learning of the Mind-and-Heart. T’oegye Learning of the Mind-and-Heart through Mindfulness, in the modern view, is a potential field of educational discourse which can break new ground, called Self-Cultivation Therapy. To moderns, who live in this society without Mindfulness, T’oegye Learning of the Mind-and-Heart offers the crucial opportunity to meet with Mind of the Tao, which remains vague in Human Mind.