허응당 보우와 쇼펜하우어 사상 비교 연구

초록

This study aims to compare and analyze the Zen philosophy of Heo Eungdang Bowu, a representative thinker of late Joseon Buddhist thought, and the philosophical ideas of Schopenhauer, who introduced Buddhism in a positive light to the West. The analysis seeks to identify the commonalities and differences between their thoughts. Both Bowu and Schopenhauer emphasize compassionate or altruistic actions as much as liberation from personal desires, indicating that true freedom from desire entails fostering compassion. Bowu’s concepts of Munyeom(無念, mindless) and Buli(不二, the oneness)—the core of his ideas on "Iljeong(一正)" and the unity of Seon and doctrinal teachings—align with Schopenhauer's philosophy of "will," which seeks to transcend personal desire and foster compassion, starting from the premise that the self and others are fundamentally one. Upon achieving the realization of Jatabuli(自他不二, the oneness of self and others), both thinkers suggest that one will naturally exhibit compassion, empathy, and sympathy toward others and all beings, resonating with Buddhist principles such as Jari-Ita(自利利他, self-benefit and benefit for others) and Dongche-Jabi(同體慈悲) (compassion arising from the sense of unity). However, a key difference lies in their fundamental views: while Bowu’s enlightenment is rooted in the denial of fixed entities, Schopenhauer’s concept of the “will” resides in the realm of an immutable, absolute objectivity.

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