Intangible Culture ISSN:2799-3868(Print) 무형문화연구

This study examines the thought of Master Seosan Hyujeong (休靜, 1520-1604) as a ‘dual structure’ composed of two pillars: Seon-Gyo Unity (禪敎一致, unity of Seon and doctrinal Buddhism) and the Harmonization of Three Teachings (三敎合一, unity of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism). The research aims to elucidate how these two philosophical frameworks organically interconnect to form an integrated system for the survival and development of Buddhism during the mid-Joseon period. To this end, textual analysis was conducted focusing on Hyujeong’s major works, including Seonga Gwigam (禪家龜鑑, Mirror for the Seon School), Seongyo Seok (禪敎釋, Explanation of Seon and Doctrine), and Samga Gwigam (三家龜鑑, Mirror for the Three Schools), interpreting them within their contemporary historical and social contexts. The findings reveal that Hyujeong’s Seon-Gyo Unity thought constitutes a practical methodology pursuing Seon enlightenment built upon a doctrinal foundation through the systematic practice theory of sagyo-ipseon (捨敎入禪, abandoning doctrine to enter Seon). Hyujeong proposed that while Seon and doctrine ultimately converge in ‘one mind’ (ilsim, 一心), they maintain a methodological hierarchy of ‘Seon as primary, doctrine as secondary’ (seonju-gyojong, 禪主敎從), thereby resolving sectarian conflicts within Buddhism. The Harmonization of Three Teachings served as a philosophical strategy to secure Buddhism’s legitimacy in Joseon society, where Neo-Confucianism was the dominant ideology. Hyujeong integrated the core teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism through the common reality of ‘mind’ or ‘one thing’ (ilmul, 一物). His staged approach to practice—"Confucianism plants the root, Daoism cultivates the root, and Buddhism extracts the root"—represents an original perspective that reconceptualizes the three teachings as progressive stages of spiritual deepening rather than parallel systems. The essence of the dual structure highlighted in this research lies in the logical connection between Seon-Gyo Unity and the Harmonization of Three Teachings. If Seon-Gyo Unity represents the logic of integrating Seon and doctrine within Buddhism through ‘one mind,’ then the Harmonization of Three Teachings extends this integrative logic to philosophical traditions outside Buddhism, demonstrating a consistent logical structure of expansion from intension to extension. Both frameworks exhibit an expedient means (upāya) dual structure while maintaining open and dynamic characteristics. Hyujeong’s dual structure holds significant importance in Korean Buddhist history. First, it reestablished the identity of Joseon Buddhism by mitigating internal sectarian conflicts and presenting an integrated practice system. Second, it provided a philosophical foundation for securing Buddhism’s social legitimacy in a Neo-Confucian centered society. Third, by integrating transcendental practice with worldly engagement, it became the ideological foundation for the righteous monk army (uiseung-gun) during the Japanese invasions of Korea. Hyujeong’s thought of Seon-Gyo Unity and the Harmonization of Three Teachings was a sophisticated ideological system meticulously constructed for Buddhism’s survival and development in the specific historical context of 16th-century Joseon, representing an integrated philosophy based on profound philosophical insight beyond mere eclecticism.