퇴계(退溪)의 자성(自省)의 편지가 오늘날 교사에게 주는 시사점

Implications of Toegye’s letter of self-reflection to today’s teachers

Toegye(退溪)’s 『Jaseongrok(自省錄)』 refers to a letter that discusses a beginner’s illness, diagnosis, treatment, and his own experience. Through a comprehensive analysis of Toegye’s 『Jaseongrok』 , this study explores the pedagogical teachings that can be conveyed to disciples. The letter delves into challenges that individuals face in their daily lives, such as impulsive behavior, hasty decision-making, a lack of a solid learning foundation, and an inclination to combine and rush recklessly. The author examines Toegye’s suggestions to his own students and reflects on how they can be applied to his own life. Next, the author tried to find the meaning of 『Jaseongrok』 from the viewpoint of practice and teacher. According to what the author has looked at, taking care of the mind correctly was the practice. And the teacher planted the ‘will’ to empty the bad things in the heart and carry out such activities to fill it with good things, so to tell them to have the good things together. As the protagonist of the world, a teacher is an autonomous being who has the mind of the universe, regards all things as his compatriots, and is a person who can help others do the same. In the end, through this, this study suggested that it is necessary to reexamine what 『Jaseongrok』 means to today’s teachers, examining that 『Jaseongrok』 is a collection of ascetic practices and also a self-reflection through which the teacher taught himself again. Through this study, it will be helpful to prepare the basis for 『Jaseongrok』 as a collection of letters and ascetic exercises and further clarify the reason and educational meaning of Jaseong(自省).