Intangible Culture ISSN:2799-3868(Print) 무형문화연구

This study examines the persistent gap between moral knowledge, moral judgment, and moral practice by analyzing the mental dynamics of the three poisons—greed, anger, and delusion—depicted in the parables of Baekyoo-Kyung. Rather than attributing this gap to deficiencies in moral reasoning or motivation, the study conceptualizes it as a pedagogical problem rooted in insufficient reflection on the internal mental conditions that shape the moral actions of a being. Although the 2022 Korean Moral Education Curriculum emphasizes the integration of cognition, emotion, and practice, current instructional approaches remain limited in addressing the concrete psychological processes—such as desire, emotional reactivity, and self-justification—that obstruct the enactment of moral judgment in everyday life. In response, this study argues that effective moral education should prioritize reflective inquiry into the workings of the mind that mediate moral knowledge and action. From this perspective, Baekyoo-Kyung, traditionally attributed to Sanghasena, offers a pedagogically valuable resource. Its parables portray ordinary moral failures rooted in the three poisons through familiar everyday situations, making the dynamics of moral breakdown accessible to learners. Building on this insight, thirteen parables are reconstructed as inquiry-based learning activities structured around a dual-question framework: awareness of mental processes and reflective personal application. This study demonstrates that moral education grounded in reflective engagement with mental dynamics can function as a practical framework for cultivating moral agency beyond normative instruction.