상카라와 에크하르트의 공(空) 사상 비교연구 (A Comparative Study of The ‘Emptiness’ Between Śankara and Eckhart)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국종교학회
· 수록지 정보 : 종교연구 / 75권 / 4호 / 81 ~ 116페이지
· 저자명 : 이명권

초록

This thesis attempts to analyze the general similarities among the differences of Indian Śankara and German Meister Eckhart’s mystical thought. By means of this comparison, we can understand the nature of mysticism itself more comprehensible. Even though there is a big distance of the time and space, 9th century in the East and 14th in the West, both are to the same extent expressions and inward hidden similarity in a way to find the Reality. But we must not insist that mysticism is ‘one and the same’, because there are many different levels of mystical experiences about the concept of ‘emptiness(空)’. The interpretation of the ‘emptiness’ could be divided in many views of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Śankara and Eckhart’ thought.
In this paper, I have dealt with the thought of two Eastern and Western great scholars, especially focused on the concept such as ‘unified with Reality’ through the ‘emptiness’, ‘detachment’, ‘breakthrough’. For this article, I have used the two levels of thought system of Eckhart and Śankara. With special reference to the types represented by Śankara, I have suggested the two concepts of ‘Saguna Brahman’ and ‘Nirguna Brahman’ on the one hand, and of ‘God’ and ‘Deity’ by Eckhart for comparing each other based on the ‘emptiness’ and ‘breakthrough’. With this two points of view expressed above, we affirm that there are similar structure in Eastern and Western mysticism, particularly in inner relationship of human spirituality.
These two men correspond in the position which they have and have thought the ideas as theologian and philosopher. Both, of course, have roots in their great traditions, but they reinterpret the tradition as a new point of ‘the oneness’ such as the ‘advaita vedanta’ thought of Śankara and the concept of ‘undivided, non-multiple Being’ for Eckhart. This concept of ‘Being’ is for Eckhart, God, as for Śankara the ‘Sat’ is the Brahman. Like this above, the two concepts of these two men can be compared in parallel. There are further similarities between two scholars in the relationship which they suggest; ‘the higher and lower Brahman’ of Śankara and ‘the personal God and the supra-personal Godhead’ of Eckhart. The highest Godhead is, like the Brahman, the absolute ‘One’ which is not only beyond being, but the ‘supra being’. As in the case of Brahman, ‘the Godhead’ is beyond the contrast of subject and object.
The main idea of these two men of East and West is to achieve the ultimate state of Being and to become a state of ‘unified with the Oneness’ through the practicing of ‘detachment’ or ‘emptiness’, ‘breakthrough’ etc. All this achievement could be realized only by the mystical and intellectual intuition based on the world view of ‘non-multiple Being’ and ‘advaita vedānta’.

영어초록

This thesis attempts to analyze the general similarities among the differences of Indian Śankara and German Meister Eckhart’s mystical thought. By means of this comparison, we can understand the nature of mysticism itself more comprehensible. Even though there is a big distance of the time and space, 9th century in the East and 14th in the West, both are to the same extent expressions and inward hidden similarity in a way to find the Reality. But we must not insist that mysticism is ‘one and the same’, because there are many different levels of mystical experiences about the concept of ‘emptiness(空)’. The interpretation of the ‘emptiness’ could be divided in many views of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Śankara and Eckhart’ thought.
In this paper, I have dealt with the thought of two Eastern and Western great scholars, especially focused on the concept such as ‘unified with Reality’ through the ‘emptiness’, ‘detachment’, ‘breakthrough’. For this article, I have used the two levels of thought system of Eckhart and Śankara. With special reference to the types represented by Śankara, I have suggested the two concepts of ‘Saguna Brahman’ and ‘Nirguna Brahman’ on the one hand, and of ‘God’ and ‘Deity’ by Eckhart for comparing each other based on the ‘emptiness’ and ‘breakthrough’. With this two points of view expressed above, we affirm that there are similar structure in Eastern and Western mysticism, particularly in inner relationship of human spirituality.
These two men correspond in the position which they have and have thought the ideas as theologian and philosopher. Both, of course, have roots in their great traditions, but they reinterpret the tradition as a new point of ‘the oneness’ such as the ‘advaita vedanta’ thought of Śankara and the concept of ‘undivided, non-multiple Being’ for Eckhart. This concept of ‘Being’ is for Eckhart, God, as for Śankara the ‘Sat’ is the Brahman. Like this above, the two concepts of these two men can be compared in parallel. There are further similarities between two scholars in the relationship which they suggest; ‘the higher and lower Brahman’ of Śankara and ‘the personal God and the supra-personal Godhead’ of Eckhart. The highest Godhead is, like the Brahman, the absolute ‘One’ which is not only beyond being, but the ‘supra being’. As in the case of Brahman, ‘the Godhead’ is beyond the contrast of subject and object.
The main idea of these two men of East and West is to achieve the ultimate state of Being and to become a state of ‘unified with the Oneness’ through the practicing of ‘detachment’ or ‘emptiness’, ‘breakthrough’ etc. All this achievement could be realized only by the mystical and intellectual intuition based on the world view of ‘non-multiple Being’ and ‘advaita vedānta’.

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