다산이 승려에게 준 증언첩(贈言帖)과 교학 방식

초록

This study introduces five different “words of advice notebooks” (chŭng’ŏnch’ŏp) written by Tasan Chŏng Yag-yong (1762-1836) in educating his Buddhist monk disciples, and provides a summary of the pedagogical methods he employed in the task. Oddly, these writings by Tasan have been omitted from currently available collected works volumes; yet the light they shed on Tasan’s pedagogical program makes them invaluable historical sources. As part of Tasan’s program of personalized education tailored to each pupil’s needs, he would create and present to his students individual notebooks full of his words of advice for them. Taking into considering each student’s personality and particular situation, Tasan would offer individualized advice as to the best method of study and, at times, kind advice and encouragement designed to help his disciples master their circumstances and have faith and interest in their studies. As he was writing for monks, Tasan’s vocabulary in these notebooks drew heavily on Buddhist terms and expressions. The contents of these advice notebooks clearly reveal the activities and characteristics of their recipients, as well as the unique directions in which Tasan sought to lead them. Tasan made use of largely four different forms in crafting his words of advice to his monastic disciples: allegories (uŏn), hymns (kyesong), aphorisms (ch’ŏng’ŏn), and koan (sŏnmuntap). The first form, allegories (uŏn), drew morals or hidden meanings out of true stories of everyday life. They relied on fresh, unique metaphors to bring about new realizations in his pupils. The second, hymns (kyesong), mobilized the metaphors in literature or Buddhist scripture to coax out latents enlightenment. The third form, aphorisms (ch’ŏng’ŏn), used compact, memorable, and original thoughts to induce contemplation and awakening. In particular, Tasan used this form to stress that Confucian study and Buddhist study were not fundamentally different, and even to level some criticism at Buddhism. Finally, the koan (sŏnmuntap) form’s deceptively easy, yet devilishly difficult queries befuddled their recipients. Together, these writings reveal a new side of Tasan, as a man well versed in Buddhism, who employed a diverse array of communication strategies – ranging from everyday parables to delectable humor; from biting satire to allegorical thought – in advising his monastic pupils. In his words of advice, Tasan displayed not just his deep understanding of Buddhism, but also his consideration toward his monastic disciples, working hard to make his words relatable and relevant, and thus put them at ease with his teachings. It is in fact in this way that these writings reveal just how profoundly learned Tasan was in Buddhism. As these “words of advice” materials have thus far remained utterly unexplored in research on Tasan, this paper aims–in introducing and cataloguing these sources – to make a substantial contribution to opening a new frontier in the field.

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