분황 원효 『중변분별론소』의 중심 내용과 주요 특징

초록

This paper explores the main contents and key features of Wonhyo's Commentaries on Madhyānta Vibhāga, with a focus on the partially remaining contents of Volume 3. Maitreya and Vasubandhu have articulated the Mahayana Buddhism's stance on the ‘middle way’ as opposed to ‘biased opinions’ through the Madhyānta Vibhāga Bhāșya. Paramârtha and Xuanzang have conveyed their interpretations of the Middle way through Chinese translations of this text. Bunhwang Wonhyo (617-686) authored the Commentaries on Madhyānta Vibhāga, extensively citing Mahayana and Hinayana scriptures to argue for the ‘middle way’ against ‘biased opinions’, thereby redefining the true essence of Buddha's Middle way. The extant third volume of Commentaries on Madhyānta Vibhāga includes comprehensive explanations traditionally categorized within Mahayana Buddhism's method of practice as the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment or thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, often referred to as the method of Hinayana practice For this purpose, Wonhyo based his commentary on Paramârtha's translation while also referencing Xuanzang's translation to enhance his commentary. Furthermore, he also provided commentary on Xuanzang's version. While commenting on the old translation of Madhyānta Vibhāga’s thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, he opted not to use terms such as the four bases of mindfulness, four kinds of correct endeavor, four supernormal powers, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and the Eightfold Holy Path. Instead, he utilized terms from the new translation, Bian zhongbian lun, for the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, including four foundations of mindfulness, four kinds of correct elimination, four bases of supernormal power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and Eight factors of enlightenment. Through various Mahayana and Hinayana treatises, he argued that the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, namely the four bases/foundations of mindfulness, four kinds of correct endeavor/ elimination, four supernormal powers/bases of supernormal power, five faculties, five powers, seven categories/factors of enlightenment, and the Eightfold Holy Path/Eight factors of enlightenment, are indeed central doctrines within the practice of Mahayana Buddhism. Wonhyo considered the four bases of mindfulness/four foundations of mindfulness as a manifestation (akara) that generates wisdom, corresponding to the 10th stage among the 17 stages of arhat (śrāvakas), the stage completed by hearing. He interpreted the four kinds of correct elimination/correct endeavor as concepts expounded with the intention of smoothly motivating and facilitating the cultivation of practice. As part of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment's practice, the four bases/foundations of mindfulness prepare one for the stage of untainted cognition and the stage of seeing the path, among the four roots of goodness, before the stage of warmth. The four kinds of correct endeavor/elimination pertain to the stage of warmth, the four supernormal powers/bases of supernormal power to the stage of pinnacle, five faculties to the stage of forbearance, five powers to the stage of highest worldly wisdom, and the seven factors of enlightenment to the stage of seeing the path. The Eightfold Holy Path/Eight factors of enlightenment are assimilated from the stage of seeing the path to the stage of path of cultivation. This perspective can be considered uniquely Wonhyo's. In his commentary on Madhyānta Vibhāga, Wonhyo aimed to redefine the original concept of the Middle way by distinguishing it from ‘biased opinions’. He sought to reaffirm the true meaning of Buddha's Middle way as delineated by Maitreya and Vasubandhu through the distinction between ‘correct view’ (middle) and ‘biased view’ (extreme). By referencing a wide range of Mahayana and Hinayana scriptures to differentiate between ‘biased opinions’, Wonhyo ultimately harmonized the correct and biased paths, paving the way of the ‘middle way’ for a liberated life.

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