노장(老莊) 생사관(生死觀) 속 죽음이해에 대한 교육적 시사

Educational Implications on Understanding Death from the View of Life and Death in Lao-Zhuang

The purpose of this paper is to find educational implications on death understanding through Laozi and Zhuangzi’s views on life and death. Laozi regarded this world as one in which ‘Dao(道, the way)’ and ‘De(德, virtue)’ are intertwined in a dual relationship. It is presented by expressing it as ‘existence and non-existence give birth to each other(有無相生)’ or ‘all things arise together(萬物竝作)’. Laozi thought that life and death come into existence together, relying on each other according to the dual relationship and inaction-nature(let it be, 無爲自然). Therefore, life is nature and death is nature. If you use the method of not doing anything, emptying, reducing, being quiet, and being simple, it becomes possible to ‘return to the root(復歸於根)’ which is the ultimate destination of life and death, and become like a newborn baby(赤子) or a log(樸). It was suggested that people could live long and return to nature. In Zhuangzi, it is a world in which Dao and De act as the basic elements, in addition to these the element of energy, qi(氣) is involved. Change is possible through qi, and when change occurs, all things become one(萬物一體) and death and life become one(死生一體). Since death and life are one, there is no need to rejoice in birth or mourn death. When that happens, you will be mentally liberated, free from restraint, and eventually gain the pivot of Dao(道樞, center of circle) and overcome both death and life. The specific way to overcome it is to wander around comfortably(逍遙遊), clear your mind(心齋), and sit down and forget about it(坐忘). The common overcoming methods suggested by Laozi and Zhuangzi are ‘emptiness(虛)’. The perspectives and methods presented by Laozi and Zhuangzi show a way to overcome the fear of death along with a perspective from which we can understand death.