This study focuses on the formation and development of Taegak kuksa(national precepter) Uichon's(1055-1101) Buddhism by analyzing his life, activities and writings. His various Buddhism rituals strengthened a sovereign power at his times and helped a ...
This study focuses on the formation and development of Taegak kuksa(national precepter) Uichon's(1055-1101) Buddhism by analyzing his life, activities and writings. His various Buddhism rituals strengthened a sovereign power at his times and helped a reformation of politics. The investigation is based on historical approach to have a systematical understanding of Uichon's buddhism and to evaluate the historical meaning of his life.
Uichon, the fourth son of king Munjong, was born in 1055, and in 11 years old became Buddhist monk under the instruction of Nanwon, a monk of Hwaom sect in Youngtong-sa temple. Uichon's Hwaom do ctrine was based on that of Jinggwan(a famous Chinese monk). Uichon interchanged his buddhism with Jungwon before going to Song, a chinese dynasty at those times and understood the doctrine of Hwaem. With this learning, he could critically accommodate Hwaom and Ch'ontae doctrine in Song.
He went to Song on the invitation of Jungwon first to interchange his thoughts with buddhist monks from various sect, second to collect buddist scriptures and commentaries. Uichon enriched his thought and experience by seeing the political reality of Song Dynasty. It resulted in the reformation of his own country by his proposal of money circulation-mintage(鑄錢論) system at the time of king Sukjong(肅宗). When he was in Song, Uichon interchanged his idea with more than 30 Buddhist monks from various sect like Hwaom(華嚴宗), Ch'ontae(天台宗) and Son(禪宗). Almost all the buddhists who interchanged th eir thoughts with Uichon in Song were orthdox in each of their sect.
Uichon interchanged with the people like accompanying bureaucracy local ministers-Emperor's envoys, who had deep understanding in scholarship and Buddhism study in Song. Among them, there were Yanggul(楊傑), Pojongmaeng(蒲宗孟), Yeohyegyeong(呂惠卿), the bur eaucracy of the New Law Party(新法黨), who were acquainted with Jungwon of Hwaem sect and Jonggan(從諫) of Ch'ontae sect. Staying in Song for 14 months, Uichon was interested in Song's developed civilization, in social system and especially in the reformation of law lead by New Law Party. Back from Song, he helped king Sukjong lead a reformation for the people by making a proposal such as monetary system.
He published the Buddhist Scriptures of the various schools which were from several countries, Song, liao(邊,), Japan etc. such as Wonjingmunryu in 1088, KyochangCh'onglog in 1090 , He also carved print ing blocks and published lost Buddhism commentareis.
After returning home, he tried to establish the Ch'ontae sect at the time of the king Sonjong(宣宗) and it was realized by the help of Inye, the Queen Mother(仁睿太后) and Sir Kyelimgong(鷄林公). The heyday of Uichon's Ch'ontae sect was closely related to two things, to start the construction of Gukchong-sa temple(國淸寺) in 1089 and to perform the ritual in a way of Ch'ontae sect in 1090 by Inye, the Queen Mother. Yet Ch'ontae sect had not yet fully established at the time Sunjong. After the failure of his trial to establish Ch'ontae sect, based on Hwaem sect, in February, 1094, he moved to Hongwon-sa(洪圓寺) temple and to Haein-sa temple(海印寺) to retire.
What remains until now among his writings is only the 'Taegak kuksa-Munjip』(大覺國師文集). Though one can see a part of his writings, 『Wonjongmunryu』, 『Kyochang Ch'onglogd』 , 『sokwonsarim』 , more detailed scripts are needed to read his thought well.
'Taegak kuksa-Munjip』(大覺國師文集) is composed of 3 books, Heaven, Earth and Man. Later, it was published with two parts, Munjip and oejip(外集), written by Hyegwan(慧觀), the Buddhist monk of Beobsong-sa temple(法性寺). Hyegwan classified the existing collection of works following the publishing policy from disciples of Hwaem sect. He also made a clean copy of Panhabon(板下本). There are a lot of omissions in the collection of his works. The loss might be occurred after the year 1137(the 15th year of Injong) because one can see the record about the gravestone of Youngtong-sa temple(靈通寺) and of Sonbong-sa temple(僊鳳寺) in the Oejip(外集) volume13.
Wonjong-munryu(圓宗文類) was edited between 1086 and 1090 (before editing the Sinp'yon-Chechong Kyochang Ch'onglog). Wonjong-munryu was an easy guide book for the students who start to learn to learn Hwaem sect. The name, Wonjong-munryu, came from the king. It consists of 22 volumes but only three volumes, the lst, the 14th and the 22nd, currently have been handed down.
The commentaries in Wonjong-munryu consisted of Beopjang(法藏) 14 cases, chinggwan(澄觀) 7 cases, Jongmil(宗密) 3 cases and Jium(智儼) 3 cases. They were mostly the collection of the writings from the famous Chinese priests, for example Beopjang, Jinggwan, Jongmil and Jiom, in Hwaom sect(華嚴宗). The study abroad in Song enlarged Uichon's understanding of Hwaem, from Jinggwan-Hwaom to Beopjang-Hwaom after. With this understanding, he set up a Hwaom Kyohak(敎學) in the Koryo dynasty.
The Sinpyon-Chechong Kyochang Chonglog, in which the popular Buddhism commentaries lists were put together. The Kyochang Chonglog put the commentaries of Hwaem sect doctrine in the front part of Sutra(經), vinaya(律), Abhidharma(論). The objective of publishing Kyochang Chonglog is first to control Buddism Scriptures and Commentaries which is related to the centralization of power by arranging them systematically, second to interpret them according to the political and social purpose, as well as to bloom Dharma's talk.
Uichon's thought was divided into Hwaem sect's and Ch'ontae sect's. He urged these two sect be unified so as to achieve a harmony between the sutra oriented teaching and spiritual awakening through meditation. In his kyopan, the classification of Sutra and teachings, he put Sutra and teachings first in 5 classification(五敎判). He revealed that there are Wongyo(圓敎) in common between Ch'ontae and Hwaem. This theory reorganized the basic logic in the buddhism of Koryo dynasty.
Uichon's classification of Sutra and teachings has close relationship with the three parties, Jiom, Beopjang, Jinggwan. The tendency of Uichon's thought take it's ground on the harmony of both Hwaem & Ch'ontae's. He excluded the Hwaem logic of Kyunyo because of the ideal gap in their logic and in the understanding about classification of Sutra and teachings.
Uichon accommodated a large part of the Beopjang-classification of Sutra and teachings and developed Hwaem Ekayana thought (Hwaem One vehicle Doctrine, 華嚴一乘思想) with this thought.
His recognition about Kwanmun(觀門) was related to the<Kyungsu Kwanhak(經授觀學)>. He considered Kwanbeob as a idea to learn to. Uichon's Kwanbeob looked out the idea of Kwanbeob in the Hwaom's thought. Uichon's ultimate Kwanbeob is to meditate on Dharma of the theory of dependent origination appearing in Present(綠起現前). He studied Kyogwan(The doctrinal teaching-Vidarsana, 敎觀) based on the Hwaem sect till his death of a Buddhist priest. He adhere to Kyogwan- Kyumsu thought(敎觀兼修思想), which emphasizes meditating and studying Buddhism Sutra.
Uichon interchanged with Nambyung(南屛), Sanghyun(尙賢) and Junsik (遵式) clique of Sanga, one of the Ch'ontae sect. Especially he handed down Jonggan(從諫) of Nambyung(南屛) clique. and Jonggan emphasized the practice of Son. Partly Wonjung(元淨), member of Jun sik clique, emphasized the thought of the pure land. Uichon was connected with the orthodox Ch'ontae sect Sanga in China. Uichon was proud that he succeeded to the orthodox Avatamska Sutra(華嚴經) in China, which had been handed down from Beopjang. Uichon's Ch'ontae Kyogwan(The doctrinal teaching-Vidarsana, 天台敎觀) was handed down from Jonggan(從諫) of the Sanga, discriminated from Sanoe(山外派) in respect of acknowledging various things in reality, Tathata.
Uichon intended to unify various buddhism sect, Ch'ontae·Son·Beobsang sect, etc, in result of comprehension of the buddhism world in the middle Koryo dynasty. However, he didn't intend to vanish all sect. He reorganized the buddhism world by unifying Son sect and Ch'ontae sect to enfeeble the hereditary aristocratic. He aimed to intensify royal authority at the same time. Moreover, what is important in the national buddhist ritual in Koryo dynasty is to invoke a blessing and to keep off a calamity. Therefore, the buddhism was protected for those reasons from a national point of view.
Uichon accepted a new idea from the Hwaem priest, Jungwon(淨源) in the new law party(新法黨) in Song dynasty as a measure of strengthening his country. In fact, his new idea shed light on the controversy over the mintage(鑄錢) in the middle Koryo dynasty at the time of king Sukjong. Following this point, Uichon had an intention to make a drastic reformation of the high lineage aristocracy. At the same time, he would like to strengthen royal authority.
Uichon's political reformation and the InwangSutra(仁王經) belief were closely associated with one another. Examples are as follows-① the road ahead upholding of Inwangsutra, ② performing InwangDoryang(仁王道場) rituals 20 times, ③ The InwangSutra and its notes in the Tripitaka in the early KoryoDynasty and 『Sinpyon-Chechong Kyochang Chonglog』 and so on.
Then they were a concrete revelation of Inwang Sutra belief in the Middle Koryo Dynasty and a measure of strengthening royal authority. Exchanging idea with Jungwon(淨源), a man of new law party in Song dynasty, Uichon was affected by Jungwon's new idea and accommodated the Inwang Sutra belief. As it shows, Uichon's realization of InwangDoryang is a regular ritual to be held once every three years. It was a banseung(飯僧), large, scale continuous national buddism ritual at the same time. Due to the contents of InwangSutra which state supeiority of the king and peace and order of country, that could be recognized as a method of centralization of government's power.
Uichon's disciple was composed of Hwaem sect and Ch'ontae sect. He made his thought advanced with his own disciple. There is a line age in Uichon's Hwaem sect', <Uichon-Nakjin(樂眞)-Jingom(澄儼)-Kyeeung(戒膺)-Hwaem(廓心)>. On the other hand, there is a lineage in Ch'ontae sect disciple, <Uichon-Ikjong(翼宗)-Kyowoong(敎雄), Kyeeung(戒膺)> which can be seen on the stela in Seonbong-sa temple. There is also a lineage of Ikjong(翼宗) disciple, <Uichon(義天)-Ikjong(翼宗)-Kyowoong(敎雄)-Deokso(德素)> but it is indistinct because there is no clear record about their relationship.
Uichon's Youngtong-sa temple monument was established by Hwaem sect disciple, and Seonbong-sa temple monument by Jiktu-Mundo(direct entering disciple). The Hwaem sect disciple of Uichon is similar to Samga(三家)- Jiom, Beopjang, Jinggwan - kind of discples in the Hwaem sect. In aspect of Uichon's thought, in my judgment, Hwaksim's Wonjongmunryu-jiphae(圓宗文類集解) was succeeded to Uichon's Wonjongmunryu which included his idea and the idea of Hwaom. Beopjang and Jinggwan played a important role in developing Uichon's disciple of Hwaem sect.
The Omun(五門) disciple, one of the Uichon's Ch'ontae disciples, with a basic interpretation of Ch'ontae disciple, it was a Beop-an sect(法眼宗). That has the idea of consistency in the Son and Kyo sect. Uichon made the buddhism world reorganized in the middle Koryo dynasty by the participating of Son(禪) sect's monk in Beop-an sect when he established Ch'ontae sect. The Beop-an sect thought was close to that of Ch'ontae's.
Searches were made by reorganizing the lifetime of Uichon. With studying chronical process to his Buddhism, I found that his idea had been enriched after many changes. This study also analyzed his motivation and aim of publishing 『Wonjong-Munryu』, 『Kyochang-Ch'onglog』, 『Sokwon-sarim』and studied the contents of those books.
Uichon expanded the temple by blending various Buddhist tenets like Hwaem and Ch'ontae into one embodying Son Buddhism. As a result of this, his Buddhism played an important role as a political and social ideology in his times by Buddhism rituals.