earticle

영어

This paper examines Kyung-hung's thoughts and their historical meaning, based on his attitude toward citing the Lotus Sutra(法華經) in Muryangsu -kyungyunuisulmunchan(無量壽經連義述文贊) and Sammirokkyungso(三彌勒經疏). Kyung-hung considered the Lotus Sutra to be the Buddhist Scripture that portrayed the Pure Land as being reached by ascetic practices. In his view, the Lotus Sutra described the world as being embodied by the practice of the Bodhisattva purifying the land of the Pure Buddha.
It did not seem that, like Won-hyo(元曉) or Eui-jeok(義寂), Kyung-hung discussed the definition of 'One Vehicle'(一乘) or explained how the good root(善根) was established. Instead, Kyung-hung's idea was concerned with Eui-jeok’s ‘One Vehicle’ in that he emphasized the accomplishment of the land of Buddha in the progress of Shamatha-Vipasyana(止觀修行) and considered the 'One Vehicle' to be wisdom.
It is said that ancient Koreans were more interested in the life of this world than in that of the hereafter. There was a tendency to place emphasis on this world more than the next right after the unification of the Three Kingdoms(三國). Furthermore, Amita belief(阿彌陀信仰) or Avatamsaka thought(華嚴思想), of the middle era(中代) was strongly positive in regard to the land of the living. This historical context of ideation was connected to the thought to purify the land by Buddhist practice(淨佛國土思想) emphasized by Buddhist monks from Yogacara(唯識), including Eui-jeok, Kyung-hung and Hyun-il(玄一). Buddhist monks from Yogacara believed that practices could make the land pure and that the Pure Land would be the land of Buddha with eternal Buddha, as the Lotus Sutra said.
In the early middle era, the Lotus Sutra doctrine, which Buddhist monks from Yogacara had established, enforced the Shilla's Buddha-ksetra thoughts as the Pure Land doctrine did.