박한영의 불교사 강의와 한국 불교사 이해: 『각종강요』와 『불교사람요』

초록

Bak Hanyeong (朴漢永, 1870-1948) was one of the leading scholar-monks of modern Korean Buddhism. He inherited Baekpa Geungseon's (白坡亘璇, 1767-1852) lineage that sparked a Seon debate in the nineteenth century and, along with Han Yongun (韓龍雲, 1879-1944), participated in the movement to establish Imje jong as an autonomous Buddhist order. He also took the initiative to popularize Buddhism by publishing the Buddhist magazine titled Haedong bulbo (海東佛報), and continued to nurture his students at the top Buddhist institution in Seoul, Jungang Hangnim, which became Bulgyo jeonsu hakkyo and, further later, Jungang Bulgyo jeonmun hakkyo. He was also a leading figure in Buddhist circles during turbulent times, serving as the first head of the Joseon Bulgyo jungang chongmuwon immediately after liberation. This article examines Bak's understanding of Buddhist history and his perception of Korean Buddhist history. It first summarizes the life and activities of Bak, who worked to popularize Buddhism and revitalize monastic education. It also introduces the results and methodologies of modern Buddhist studies introduced in the early 1910s and examines the extent to which they were reflected in Bak's Gakjong gangyo (各宗綱要) of 1918, a lecture note from his time at Jungang hangnim, and Bulgyosa ramyo (佛敎史攬要), a summary of the history of Buddhism. The article then investigates Bak's tendencies in understanding Korean Buddhist history as found in “Joseon ui jongpa” (Buddhist schools of Korea), which comprises a significant portion of the surviving Gakjong gangyo, and shows that he made claims that differ from those made today, regarding such issues as the introduction of Sŏn. From this vantage point, we can see that Bak joined the scholarly trend of the time that looked at the whole picture of Korean Buddhist history through the modern methodological lens beginning in the early twentieth century. His reputation and stature in the academic community can be gauged from the fact that Japanese scholars, including Takahashi Toru, sought his advice and assistance in the study of Korean Buddhism, and a review of the Gakjong gangyo and the Bulgyosa ramyo proves that this was not accidental. Furthermore, it can also be guessed that his understanding of Korean Buddhism gradually became a common view as it gained popular acceptance and spread through many of his magazine articles and years of lectures at Buddhist institutions.

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