19세기 후반 서울지역 신앙결사 활동과 그 의미

A Study on the Activities and the Meanings of Religious Associations at Seoul in the Late 19th Century : With Reference to Buddhist and Daoist Associations

19세기 후반 서울지역을 중심으로 불교 거사들은 淨願社, 妙蓮社, 甘露社, 無相壇이라는 신앙 결사를 일으켰다. 묘련사는 불교 거사들을 중심으로 성립한 道佛융합적 성격을 지닌 염불결사이다. 결사를 주도했던 인물들은 최성환, 유성종, 정극경 등 中人이나 무인층의 개혁적 성향의 인물들이었다. 이들은 묘련사 이후 도교와 불교 두 측면에서 활동을 전개하였다. 하나는 1876년 무렵 시작된 무상단의 善書의 간행이며, 다른 하나는 1882년 감로사의 佛書 간행이다. 무상단은 1877년에 조선 최초로 성립된 도교 난단이다. 무상단은 중국으로부터 三聖帝君신앙을 도입하였고, 조선의 도사들에 의해 鸞書들이 독자적으로 편찬되었다. 약 10년간 30여 종이 넘는 선서가 간행·보급되면서 이 시기 조선에서 삼성제군신앙이 크게 유행하게 된다. 선서의 보급으로 삼교통합 사상과 민중 주체적 사상이 확대되면서, 선서는 19세기 후반에 일어난 민족 종교의 성립에 영향을 주었다.

Around Seoul in the late 19th century, Buddhist Upāsakas (male lay devotees of Buddhism) formed religious formations, including Jeongwonsa (淨願社), Myoryeonsa (妙蓮社), Gamrosa (甘露社), and Musangdan (無相壇). Myoryeonsa is a religious association for buddha-smṛti (reciting the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas), formed mainly by Buddhist Upāsakas in 1872, showing a syncretism of Buddhism and Daoism. Its formation was led by reform-minded elites belonging to the middle class or military class of Joseon dynasty. Since its formation, the Upāsakas’ activities developed in two directions, one being signified by the publication of Daoist faith Books, called Seonseo (善書), recommending the practice of good virtues, initiated by Musangdan in around 1876, the other being signified by the publication of Buddhist Books, initiated by Gamrosa in 1882. In 1877, Musangdan was established as the first Daoist Randan (鸞壇, a sacred place for receiving revelations from divinities) in Joseon dynasty. The Upāsakas of Myoryeonsa participated in it as Daoist practitioners (道士), introducing the faith in Sam Sung Je Gun (三聖帝君) from China and publishing independently revelatory works called Ranseo (鸞書, books written by revelation from God) by Daoist practitioners of Joseon dynasty. For about 10 years, over 30 kinds of Seonseo were published and circulated, which led to the wide spread of the faith in Sam Sung Je Gun in Joseon at that time. Through the circulation of Seonseo, the idea of the syncretism of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, together with the idea of the populace as the active agent in this world, was developed expansively, which exerted a strong influence on the rise of nationalist religions in the late 19th century.