14세기 고려불교와 白雲景閑

On a Study of Seon Monk Baekwoon Gyeonghan and Goryeo Seon Buddhism in the 14th Century

백운경한(白雲景閑, 1229~1374)은 태고보우, 나옹혜근과 함께 고려말을 대표하는 선승이나 그에 대한 연구나 관심은 보우, 혜근에 비해 상대적으로 적은 편이다. 경한이라는 인물보다 그가 편찬한 『불조직지심체요절』(이하 『직지』)이 유명하다. 『직지』에 대한 관심도 그 내용이나 역사적 또는 불교사적 의미보다 현존하는 최초의 금속활자본이라는 측면에 집중된 편이다. 경한은 13세기말 이후의 많은 고려승려들처럼 원에 유학을 다녀왔다. 그는 지공과 석옥청공에게서 전법을 받았는데, 유학은 그의 삶에서 중요한 계기가 되었다. 현재 확인되는 경한의 행적은 대개 유학 이후의 것인데, 그는 청규를 강조하는 동시에 간화선 뿐만 아니라 무심과 무념선 등 다양한 선풍을 수용하였다. 한편, 『직지』는 경한이 스승에게 직접 받은 책을 만년에 다시 증보하여 편찬했다는 점에서 경한의 문도들에게는 의미가 큰 책이었다. 사세송과는 별도로 임제의현 – 급암종신 – 석옥청공 – 백운경한으로 이어지는 법통의 상징이었다. 바로 이 점이 경한 입적 후 그의 문도들이 『직지』를 금속활자로 인쇄할 뿐만 아니라 다시 목판에 새겨 인출하는 등 『직지』의 인쇄와 유통에 적극적인 이유였다. 또한 『직지』에 수록된 몽산덕이의 법어 등은 원래 경한이 증보하면서 추가된 것으로 보인다는 점에서 주목된다.

Baekwoon Gyeonghan (白雲景閑, 1229-1374) is one of the leading Seon masters of the Late Goryeo period, along with Taego Bou(太古普愚) and Naong Hye-geun(懶翁惠勤), but despite his fame, he has received relatively little study or attention compared to Bou and Hye-geun. Rather, Gyeonghan’s compilation “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings”(『佛祖直指心體要節)』 is famous, and interest in “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings” is centered on the fact that it is the first metal typeface in existence. Like many Goryeo monks from the late 13th century onward, Gyeonghan studied in Yuan China. He received training from Zhikong(指空) and Shiwu Qing-gong(石屋淸珙), and it appears that studying abroad was an important event in his life, as it allowed him to become active in Goryeo Buddhist circles. Most of what we know of Gyeonghan’s activities post-date his study abroad, and while he emphasized the Qing-gong, he also embraced a variety of Seon Buddhism, including Ganhua Seon as well as No-mind and No-concept Seon. On the other hand, “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings” was a book of great significance to Gyeonghan’ s students because it was compiled by Gyeonghan himself in his later years as a reissue of his teacher’s book. Apart from “Sasesong”(辭世頌), “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings” was also a symbol of the dharma lineage that led to Linji Yixuan, Jian Zongxin, Shiwu Qing-gong, and Baekwoon Gyeonghan. This was the reason why, after Gyeonghan’s enrollment, his masters were active in the printing and distribution of “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings”, not only printing it in metal type, but also engraving it on wooden plates and printing it again. It is also noteworthy that the dharma words of Mengshan Deyi(蒙山德異) contained in “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings” were originally added by Gyeonghan as he expanded.