본고에서는 서양철학과 한국불교 사이에 공통적으로 나타나는 유사한 사유구조를 현대철학에 담긴 ‘관계성’의 통찰에서 그 단서를 찾아본다. 니체 이전 서양의 고대 중세 근대 철학은 그 중심이 이데아, 신, 자아 중 어디에 있든 모두 실체 철학을 기반으로 하여 동일성을 추구해온 과정이라고 볼 수 있다. 그러나 니체 이후 현대철학은 불변의 본체보다는 변화의 과정을 ‘관계성’의 맥락에서 탐구하며, 과거에 실체로 여기던 것을 사건으로 간주하고, 동일성보다는 차이라는 개념에 더욱 주목한다. 이런 경향은 결국 ‘관계성 속에서 고유성 찾기’로 귀결되는데, 이런 경향은 원효에서는 연기성 속에서 성자신해(性自神解)적 본성 찾기로, 지눌에서는 연기(緣起)와 성기(性起)의 조화 혹은 화엄과 선의 결합으로, 만해에서는 법계연기 속에서 자유와 평등의 추구 등으로 나타난다. 다시 말해 원효가 연기적 관계성을 대사와 결정성으로 이해하고 이를 심성론화하여 인간의 본성을 일심의 성자신해에서 찾은 이래, 연기적 관계에 바탕하여 인간 본래의 고유성을 찾고자 하는 시도는 지눌에게선 법계연기와 성기의 조화를 통해 본래면목으로서 자성을 찾는 것으로, 만해에게선 법계연기 속에서 자유와 평등의 조화로 이어져왔다. 이처럼 원효의 일심론과 지눌의 선사상과 만해의 자유평등사상으로 이어지는 한국불교의 전개 양상은 불교식으로 표현하면 ‘화엄과 선의 조화’이고, 현대철학적으로 표현하면 ‘관계성 속에서 고유성 찾기’라고 볼 수 있다.

Ancient, mediaeval and early-modern Western philosophy can be regarded as a process of seeking identity based on the philosophical concept of ‘substance’, no matter whether that identity is centered on ‘the idea’, ‘God’, or ‘the self’. However, after Nietzsche, modern philosophy began to recognize and investigate ‘inter-relatedness’ as a process of change rather than as a property of permanent substance. Modern philosophy regarded substance as an ‘event’ and paid more attention to the concept of difference than to identity. Eventually this trend boiled down to ‘seeking authenticity in inter-relatedness’. In Buddhism, this trend appeared early-on in the ancient philosophy of great Korean Master Wonhyo (元曉, 617–686 CE), in his theory of an intuitive understanding of ‘self-nature’ (性自神解) attained through seeking ‘original nature’ (本性). In the mediaeval writings of Master Bojo Ji-nul (普照知訥, 1158-1210), this trend re-appeared in his harmonization of the concepts of Dependent Arising (緣起) and Nature Arising (性起), within his reconciliation of Seon (禪, Zen, Meditational) and Hwaeom (華嚴, Huayan, Flower-Garland) philosophies. In the early-modern thought of Master Manhae Han Yong-un (萬海 韓龍雲, 1879-1944), seeking freedom and equality in ‘Dependent Arising’ from the ‘Dharma-realm’ (法界緣起) is explained in terms of inter-relatedness; with ‘Dharma-realm’ defined as the dharmadhātu as the environmental cause of all phenomena, everything being dependent on everything else, therefore ‘one is in all and all in one’. In other words, Wonhyo's One Mind theory, Ji-nul's Seon thought and Maehae's concept of freedom and equality form the main features of Korean Buddhism. The development of Korean Buddhism can be defined as the ‘harmonization of Seon (禪) and Hwaeom (華嚴)’. Philosophically speaking in modern times, we define that it is based upon seeking authenticity in inter-relatedness. This means that the traditional development of Korean Buddhism has considerably accommodated this key trend of modern philosophy. Accordingly, further research on Korean Buddhist philosophy will contribute to solving the fundamental problems of modern Korean society by demonstrating individual authenticity through the preservation of regional characteristics amidst the complex, diversified network-system of comtemporary society.

Ancient, mediaeval and early-modern Western philosophy can be regarded as a process of seeking identity based on the philosophical concept of ‘substance’, no matter whether that identity is centered on ‘the idea’, ‘God’, or ‘the self’. However, after Nietzsche, modern philosophy began to recognize and investigate ‘inter-relatedness’ as a process of change rather than as a property of permanent substance. Modern philosophy regarded substance as an ‘event’ and paid more attention to the concept of difference than to identity. Eventually this trend boiled down to ‘seeking authenticity in inter-relatedness’. In Buddhism, this trend appeared early-on in the ancient philosophy of great Korean Master Wonhyo (元曉, 617–686 CE), in his theory of an intuitive understanding of ‘self-nature’ (性自神解) attained through seeking ‘original nature’ (本性). In the mediaeval writings of Master Bojo Ji-nul (普照知訥, 1158-1210), this trend re-appeared in his harmonization of the concepts of Dependent Arising (緣起) and Nature Arising (性起), within his reconciliation of Seon (禪, Zen, Meditational) and Hwaeom (華嚴, Huayan, Flower-Garland) philosophies. In the early-modern thought of Master Manhae Han Yong-un (萬海 韓龍雲, 1879-1944), seeking freedom and equality in ‘Dependent Arising’ from the ‘Dharma-realm’ (法界緣起) is explained in terms of inter-relatedness; with ‘Dharma-realm’ defined as the dharmadhātu as the environmental cause of all phenomena, everything being dependent on everything else, therefore ‘one is in all and all in one’. In other words, Wonhyo's One Mind theory, Ji-nul's Seon thought and Maehae's concept of freedom and equality form the main features of Korean Buddhism. The development of Korean Buddhism can be defined as the ‘harmonization of Seon (禪) and Hwaeom (華嚴)’. Philosophically speaking in modern times, we define that it is based upon seeking authenticity in inter-relatedness. This means that the traditional development of Korean Buddhism has considerably accommodated this key trend of modern philosophy. Accordingly, further research on Korean Buddhist philosophy will contribute to solving the fundamental problems of modern Korean society by demonstrating individual authenticity through the preservation of regional characteristics amidst the complex, diversified network-system of comtemporary society.

Logos, Dharma, Event, Difference, Dependent Arising, Human Nature, Inter-relatedness, Authenticity.