자기희생에 대한 초기 불교의 태도 = Self-Sacrifice and Self-immolation in Theravāda Buddhism: A Study Based on Pāli Canon and Its Commentaries

국문 초록 (Abstract)

자기희생은 자발적으로 삶을 끊거나 몸의 일부를 바치는 행위들을 포함하는 고행을 가리킨다. 『자따까(Jātaka)』와 『아바다나(Avādana)』와 같은 인도불교의 내러티브 장르는 자기희생을 사신(捨身)의 영웅적 사례로 언급하고 있다. 동아시아 국가들과 베트남에서는 여러 형태의 자기희생들 가운데 박해에 항의하거나 붓다에게 예배하기 위해서 분신이 가장 일상적으로 행해져왔다. 자기희생은 최근에 테라와다 불교권에서도 드물게 발생해왔기 때문에 대승 불교권에만 한정되지 않는다. 이 논문에서 필자는 빨리 성전과 그 주석서들에 입각하여 자기희생에 대한 초기 불교적 관점을 논의한다. 첫째, 자살과 마찬가지로 자기희생은 인간의 삶을 최대한 활용하기도 전에 그러한 기회를 스스로 저버리는 것이다. 둘째, 자기희생은 사람에게 극도의 신체적 통증을 일으키고 그를 죽음에 빠뜨릴 수 있기 때문에 고행에 포함되어야 한다. 잘 알려져 있듯이, 붓다는 고행을 실천하는 것이 해탈에 필수적인 요건이라고 간주하지 않았다. 셋째, 자기희생은 비존재에 대한 갈애(vibhava-taṇhā)의 부추김을 받거나 유신견(有身見, sakkāya-diṭṭhi) 또는 자아에 대한 견해(atta-diṭṭhi)에 뿌리를 두고 있는 행동이다. 넷째, 자기희생은 모든 중생에 대한 자애(mettā)의 근원으로서 높은 평가를 받는 자기사랑(attā-piya)이나 자기애(atta-kāma)에 위반되는 행동이다. 그러므로 자기희생은 붓다의 가르침과 합치하지 않으며, 그러한 의미에서 절대로 영웅적이거나 고귀한 행동으로 인정될 수 없다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Self-immolation refers to ascetic practices that include the voluntary termination of life or the offering of parts of the body. Indian Buddhist narrative genres of Jātaka and Avādana refer to such practices as Bodhisattva’s heroic examples of abandoning the body. In East Asian countries and Vietnam, auto-cremation has been most commonly practiced among many forms of self-immolation to protest against persecution, or to pay homage to the Buddha. This act is not confined to Mahāyāna Buddhist world. There have been cases, if not many, of this striking forms of self-immolation in Theravāda Buddhist world these days. With this paper, I discuss Buddhist perspectives on self-immolation on the basis of Pāli canon and its commentaries. Firstly, as in the case of suicide, self-immolation cuts short his or her opportunity to attain liberation, before having made proper use of human life to its fullest potential. Secondly, self-immolation should be included in self-modification or asceticism because it causes extreme physical pains and even leads to death. As is well known, the Buddha does not consider the undertaking of austerities as a necessary prerequisites for liberation. Thirdly, self-immolation is an act motivated or urged by craving for non-existence (vibhava-taṇhā) and is rooted in personality-belief (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) or ego-belief (atta-diṭṭhi). Self-immolation is against self-love (attā-piya) or self-affection (atta-kāma) which is highly appreciated as a source for loving-kindness (mettā) towards other beings. Thus, I can safely say that self-immolation is not in keeping with the original teaching of the Buddha and that self-immolation cannot be recognized as heroic or noble by no means.

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