天符經의 太一思想

The Taeil Thought of the Cheonbugyeong

천부경은 환국 시대 때부터 전해 내려온 인류 최초의 경전이고 최고의 가치를 지닌 최상의 경전이고 81자로 이루어진 가장 짧은 경전이고 가장 오래된 경전이다. 천부경은 한민족의 所依經典이었고 인류의 원형정신을 담고 있는 원형문화의 원전이며 유불선의 뿌리가 되는 경전이고 동서양의 종교, 철학, 과학 등의 근원이 되는 인류문화의 제일의 성전이다. 천부경에는 1이라는 숫자가 11번 나오는데 이는 太一思想과 직접 관련이 있다. 태일은 2가지 개념이 있는데 창조를 시작하는 태일과 천지와 하나 된 성숙된 인간으로서의 태일이 있다. 창조의 시작으로서의 태일을 동양고전에서는 道, 良氣, 元氣, 元神, 心, 律呂 등으로 표현하고 있는데 선천적, 창조적, 근원적, 과거적, 통체적, 자연적인 태일의 개념이고 천지와 하나 된 완성된 인간으로서의 태일은 인간 본성의 광명을 회복하는 것이므로 桓, 佺, 居發桓 등으로 나타내는데 후천적, 인간적, 개체적, 수행적, 결과적, 미래적인 태일이다. 천부경 상경의 一始無始一의 一, 天一·地一·人一의 一, 一積十鉅의 一, 無盡本의 本은 선천태일, 시원태일의 개념으로 道, 神, 元氣, 律呂 등으로 해석할 수 있다. 중경의 大三合六은 하늘 땅 인간이 합일하면 영원한 생명수인 6水의 水氣가 돈다는 뜻으로 태일인간이 되면 우주의 생명수가 내 몸에서 自化 한다는 뜻이다. 하경의 本心 本太陽昻明은 인간이 마음의 광명을 회복하여 태일인간이 되어야 한다는 것을 말해주고 있다. 人中天地一은 사람이 천지의 마음을 꿰뚫어 천지 부모와 하나 된 태일인간이 되라는 의미이다. 一終無終一은 ‘하나(one)에서 마친다’가 아니고 ‘하나가 되어서(oneness) 마친다’는 뜻으로 인간이 태일인간이 되는 것도 포함되지만 인류의 역사가 대통일의 세계로 전환된다는 의미가 강하다.

The Cheonbugyeong (天符經, The Scripture of Heavenly Talisman) is the first and foremost scripture of humanity, which has been transmitted from the Hwanguk era. It is not just a scripture of highest value, but also, consisting of eighty-one characters, the shortest and oldest one. The Cheonbugyeong is the fundamental scripture of the Korean people, for it contains the archetypal spirit of humanity. It is not only the basis for Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, but also the sacred scripture for entire human cultures by serving as a “foundation” of religion, philosophy, and science across the East and West. One can find the number One as many as eleven times in the entire text of the Cheonbugyeong, which is related to the Taeil Thought. The Taeil has two different concepts. While the first one is the Taeil as that which initiates creativity, the second one is the Taeil as the human being who attained spiritual maturity by becoming one with Heaven and Earth. Referred to as Dao (Way), Yang-gi (Benevolent Ki-energy), Won-gi (Primordial Ki-energy), Won-shin (Primordial Spirit), Shim (Mind), Yullyeo (Primordial Vibration), and so forth in the Eastern classics, the Taeil as that which initiates creativity is related to the concept of the Early Heaven, creativity, primordiality, past, totality, and spontaneity. In contrast, described as the Hwan (Brightness), Jeon (Completion), Geobalwhan (Greatness, Circle, One), the Taeil as the mature human being, who attained a union with Heaven and Earth, is connected to the concept of the Later Heaven, humanity, individuality, meditation, effect, and future. The Beginning Part of the Cheonbugyeong expounds the concept of the Early Heaven Taeil, otherwise known as the Primordial Taeil, explicating One in Ii-shi-mu-shi-il (One is the Beginning, which Begins from Nothingness), One in Cheon-Il (Heaven One), One in Ji-Il (Earth One), One in In-Il (Humanity One), One in Il-Jik-Ship-Geo (One accumulates into Ten the Magnificence), Origination in Mu-Jin-Bon (The Origination is Never Exhausted). The One and origination here can be interpreted as the Dao, Spirit, Primordial Energy, Yullyeo, and so on. Dae-Sam-Hap-Yuk (Great Three Unite into Six) in the Middle Part of the Cheonbugyeong purports that Heaven, Earth, and humanity are united as one, which give rise to the water energy or six-water, which is the water of eternal life. In other words, when one becomes the Taeil human, the cosmic water of life spontaneously rises in one’s own body. In the End Part of the Cheonbugyeong, Bon-Shim (The Basis of the Cosmos being the Mind), Bon-Tae-Yang-Ang-Myeong (Shining Radiantly like the Sun) explain that humans should become the Taeil human by recovering the radiant mind. In-Jung-Cheon-Ji-Il (Humanity, united with Heaven and Earth, attains the Ultimate Oneness) signifies that all human beings, fulfilling the purpose of Heaven and Earth, should become the Taeil humans. Il-Jong-Mu-Jong-Il (One is the End; in Nothingness ends One), which is the final passage of the Cheonbugyeong, does not mean everything ends at the One, but mean everything ends by attaining Oneness. This passage explains the significance of the attainment of the Taeil human, but more importantly, it means that humanity is to enter the epoch of great unification.