비구니 본공의 선풍진작과 법맥상승 (Bhikkhunī Bon-Gong's Contribution to the Rise of the Meditation Trend and the Succession of Dharma)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국선학회
· 수록지 정보 : 禪學(선학) / 23호 / 7 ~ 42페이지
· 저자명 : 하춘생

초록

격동의 근ㆍ현대기를 살면서 교단안팎에서 자타공인 ‘비구니 선사’로 불린 本空은 현대를 살아가고 있는 후학들의 가슴속에 깊이 각인된 인물이다. ‘本空’은 당대의 선승 滿空이 내린 법호다. 출가의 본의는 물론 구도자가 지향해야 할 궁극적인 목표를 한마디로 갈음하고 있는 ‘本空’은 곧 선의 정곡을 의미하기도 한다.
본공은 한소식을 접하는 悟道와 함께 만공으로부터 법인가를 받고 入寂할 때까지 제방선원에서의 화두참구와 비구니 선풍진작에 앞장서는 등 ‘시대의 참 선객’으로 유명하다. 그의 구법행각은 오로지 ‘하나(一)’를 관하는 경지를 터득하는 일이었고, 용맹정진 화두참구에 든 그의 現身은 절구통 수좌의 면목을 그대로 보여주었다. 見性을 향한 그의 처절한 수선행각에 당대의 비구선승들이 앞다퉈 탐을 내며 速成開悟를 促하였고, 스스로는 비구선승들과의 끊임없는 구법교류를 통해 자신의 경지를 점검받는 일에 결코 경솔하지 않았다.
본공의 생애는 크게 세 시기로 나누어 볼 수 있다. 제1기 出家因緣期(1907~1925)는 출생부터 시절인연을 만나 출가를 결행하기까지의 19년간이고, 제2기 修行悟道期(1925~1935)는 출가이후 만공을 만나 禪門에 입문하면서 깨달음을 이루고 만공으로부터 법호를 수지하게 되는 10여 년간의 구도기간을 말한다. 제3기 保任決擇期(1935~1965)는 오도이후 法悅을 누리며 제방선원에서 수선정진하다가 입적하기까지 30여 년간의 시기다. 당대 비구선승들과의 교류를 통해 수행의 정도를 점검하거나 경지를 내보인 행보는 수행오도기와 보림결택기에 두루 이루어졌다.
본공이 근대기 활로를 개척했던 비구니 전통승풍은 그의 발자취를 따르고 있는 후학들의 문도결집으로 더욱 빛을 발하고 있다. 십바라밀의 실천을 지향하듯 열 명의 상좌가 法流를 계승했고, 그 열 명에서 200여 명의 법손이 출현해 오늘날 ‘봉래문중’을 형성한 가운데 비구니승가의 위상강화에 큰 몫을 하고 있는 현실이 그렇다.
본고는 비구니 선승 본공의 구법행각과 同시대를 살았던 비구선승들과의 교류관계 등을 살펴 그가 터득한 惺惺寂寂한 경지와 그로부터 말미암은 문중형성과 법맥상승 관계를 고찰하는데 기본취지를 두었다.

영어초록

Bhikkhunī Bon-Gong, who was acknowledged as the “Meditation-master" throughout her life during the turbulent period of the modern and present era, is an individual who has been deeply incised in the heart of her students that are living in this present time. Her Dharma-protector "Bon-Gong," which was given by the legendary meditation-master Man-Gong, indicates what the ultimate purpose of life ought to be for those who have decided to dedicate their lives to become a devout practitioner as well as what the notion of initiation should entail, penetratingly manifesting the essence of meditation.
One of Bon-Gong's characteristics that puts her on a such prominent position is her unceasing effort for the investigation of critical phrase and spreading the trend of meditation among bhikkhunīs ; and this was the aspect that entitled her as "the true practitioner of the time." Her practice to acquire Dharma was solely the attainment of the state of perceiving "one," and her dauntless concentration for the examination of critical phrase was itself an evidence and demonstration of what is called "mortar seating." Bon-Gong's fashion in pursuing her style of practice, which was in no way unsuitable for being described as compelling and even desperate, inspired all the prominent Bhikkhu meditation monks of the time to spur themselves toward enlightenment in the diligent and urging manner. On the personal level, Bon-Gong never showed even the slightest amount of arrogance in examining her level of practice through ceaseless linguistic interactions with the meditation practitioners of Bhikkhu.
Broadly, the life of Bon-Gong can be segmented into three different periods ;The first period of renunciation(1907-1925), being the nineteen-year-period between Bon-Gong's birth and initiation, the second period of austerities and enlightenment(1925-1935), being the ten-year-period of practice after the initiation during which she entered the spiritual path and gained understanding through her encounter with Man-Gong and carried on his teachings which sprung from his wisdom mind, and the third period of preservation and examination(1935-1965), being the thirty-year-period during which she devoted herself into the meditational practice until she entered into complete extiction. Her unique way of inspecting her level of practice and manifesting her spiritual powers through active interactions with the Bhikkhu meditation monks of the time was executed all throughout austerities, enlightenment, preservation and examination.
Now, Bhikkhunī tradition cultivated by Bon-Gong is illuminating even more by the collective and zealous effort of her students in the modern period ; the wave of Dharma was succeeded through ten successors as if implicating the pursuit for the practice of Ten Pāramitā, which gave birth to two hundred students of Dharma forming "Bong-Rae-Mun-Jung," sustaining the veneration of meditation family of Bhikkhunīs.
The basic intent for this paper is to investigate the state of enlightenment that Bon-Gong had attained as well as its correlation with the rise of the formation of the lineage and the succession of Dharma, through a close examination of Bon-Gong's way of practice and her interrelation with the male meditation monastics of the time.

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