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성혼(成渾 1535-1598)은 일생 폐질(廢疾)과 무고(誣告), 그리고 임진년 발발한 왜란(倭亂)의 세가지 환란을 겪었다. 그의 질병은 한 때 왔다간 것이 아니다. 그것은 그에게서 사회적 의욕을 앗아가버릴 만큼의 고질(痼疾)이었다. 그는 질병으로 인하여 항시 죽음을 의식하고 살았다. 그의 시대는 토붕(土崩)으로 표현되는, 모든 질서가 무너진 때였다. 그에게 가해진 탄핵과 무고는 1583년 49세 이후 시작되어 사후에까지 이어졌고 혹독했다. 왜란은 그의 나이 58세에서 64세까지 생애 마지막 7년간에 있었다. 그는 이 삼중고를 잘 이겨냈고, 조선 유학이 배출한 14 현인 가운데 하나가 되었다. 그는 문생들을 양육했고, 저술도 하였으며, 매우 강도 높고 깊이 있는 학술토론을 벌였고, 많은 상소문을 작성하여 제출했다. 전쟁 기간에는 풍찬노숙하며 정승 반열에서 왕을 모시고 국정을 도왔다. 부난(赴難), 곧 공동체에 어려움이 있으면 몸을 돌보지 않고 달려가 도왔다. 이해를 불문하고 해야할 말은 하였다. 그러면서 그는 푸닥거리같은 것이 정도를 해치지 못한다고 믿었고, 사람이 메는 가마는 타지 않겠다는 마음의 자세를 가졌다. “환란이 주어지면 환란에서의 도리를 행한다....군자는 어느 상황에서든지 쓰이지 못함이 없다”고 하였듯이 성혼은 주어진 상황에서의 도리를 다하려 하였다. 그는 소행(素行), 곧 환란이 주어지면 그 환란의 처지에서 해야할 일을 한 사람이었다.
Sung Hon(1535-1598) experienced three hardships in his life: a chronic illness, false accusations, and the Japanese Invasion during the years 1592-1598. A constant presence in his life, Sung Hon’s chronic illness kept him from achieving his social goals. Because of his disease, the thought of death never left him. The age he lived inisreferred to as “the earth’s collapse”[土崩], a phrase which indicates the collapse of social order during that time. The false accusations from his political enemies started in the year 1583 and followed him to his death. The Japanese Invasion of Korea occurred during the last 7 years of his life, when he was 58-64. Having overcome these hardships, Sung Hon became one of the 14 sages turned out by the Shrine of Sungkyunkwan during the Chosun Dynasty. Thus, one way to understand Neo-Confucianism during the Chosun Dynasty is through the study of Sung Hon’s three hardships. Throughout his life, he mentored many students, wrote works which are well-reputed by scholars, engaged in intensive, meaningful academic debates with his friend Yi I, and made several public appeals to King Sunjo. During the war, he assisted and served King Sunjo as minister and secretary. Whenever there was a problem, he rushed to the scene of crisis without hesitation. Furthermore, he said what was necessary, giving no thought as to whether it was in his personal benefit to do so. He believed that evil was no match for good, and he resolved to never ride on a palanquin if it was carried by other humans. The Book of Chungyong states, “When one is placed in crisis, one must perform his duty from there...the mark of a superior person is that one can always find a use for him, no matter the time or the place." Likewise, Sung Hon responded to crisis by doing that which needed to be done. He can be called a superior person who sought to do good no matter how difficult a position in which he was placed.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
SungHon, Chronic illness, Rushing to the scene of Disaster, Talking about the Peace, Su-shing(素行), in crisis, one must perform his duty from there.”
