A Buddhist Critique of Neo-Confucianism in Seventeenth-Century Choson Korea

Abstract

Unbong Taeji's Treatise on the Nature of the Mind was composed during an interesting period of Korean history when Buddhism was suppressed under the political and ideological dominance of Neo-Confucianism. The treatise, nonetheless, entered the mainstream NeoConfucian discourse and espoused the superiority of the Buddhist system of thought over Neo-Confucianism. It was done by skillfully reformulating the Confucian debate on the Limitless and the Supreme Ultimate into a Buddhist debate of the One Mind and inherent enlightenment of the human mind, the main doctrine of the Awakening of Mahayana Faith. Furthermore, Unbong enlisted the One Nature-Numerous Natures debate to emphasize the importance of individual natures within the oneness of inherent nature. From the works of Unbong, there is a strong sense that there were movements among monks who were intent on proving the superiority of Buddhism over Neo-Confucianism, at least as a system of thought that more accurately represented reality. Within the greater socio-political context, Unbong's arguments represented Buddhism as a tradition that was able to stand its hermeneutical ground against Neo-Confucianism. It was a display of self-confidence amongst the monks in their Buddhist tradition of thought in the latter half of the Choson period.