초기 중국불교에 나타난 여성의 문해력 - 『比丘尼傳』을 중심으로 - (Female Literacy in Early Chinese Buddhism - Focused on Biqiuni zhuan -)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국불교학회
· 수록지 정보 : 한국불교학 / 79호 / 99 ~ 130페이지
· 저자명 : 손진

초록

중국을 비롯한 동아시아의 전통 문화뿐 아니라 전근대사회에서는 시대와지역을 막론하고 여성의 문자 생활, 여성의 교육은 노골적으로 폄하되었고 여성이 교육을 받는 것에 대해서 부정적인 의견이 피력되었다. 중국의 전통사회에서 이러한 여성적 삶의 특징을 고려해볼 때, 보창이 기록한『비구니전』은 다음과 같은 점을 시사한다.
첫째, 357년에서 519년 사이에 활약했던 주로 사회적인 엘리트 출신의 비구니들 65명에 대한 전기에서 보듯이 중국의 비구니 승가는 초기에 주로 사회적인 주도 계층에서 시작되었다. 둘째, 종교수행자로서 필요한 교육과 활동은 초기 중국불교의 비구니에게 이론적으로는 비구들만큼이나 개방되어 있었다. 불교 의례나 수행에 있어서 비구니들을 배제할 수는 없었던 것으로 보이며, 이는당시의 비구니들이 갖는 문해력을 기반으로 한다. 셋째, 『비구니전』에 수록된80% 이상의 비구니들이 문헌을 활용할 수 있었다는 사실은 초기 중국 불교 안에서뿐만 아니라 당시의 중국 사회에서 여성인 비구니들이 자신의 재능을 개발하고 활용하는 데 있어서 자유와 기회를 누릴 수 있었다는 점을 보여준다.
그러므로 5~6세기의 여성들이 중국에서 어떤 문자 생활을 영위했는지를 여러 각도에서 조망할 수 있게 해준다는 점에서『비구니전』은 큰 의미를 갖는다. 이를 통해 가정에서 비공식적으로 이루어지는 교육 이외에 여성들의 교육이 이루어진 ‘공간’으로서 불교 사원에 대해서도 고찰해 볼 수 있을 것이다.

영어초록

Similar to other societies, women in traditional Chinese society have been disadvantaged in terms of education. This has not only affected individual women, but has also had an impact on women′s relationships with the realms of thought and history. For a significant period of time, only a few women from certain classes were educated; a number of talented women had to make every endeavor to prove, to themselves and to others, that they also had the ability to think independently for themselves.
The characteristics of women′s lives and education in traditional Chinese society, as suggested in historical documents and other literature, differ slightly depending on the time period. In general, however, their lives were limited to the home, isolated from the decision-making processes in society, and educated only in preparation for their domestic duties.
These characteristics of women′s lives in traditional Chinese society clearly suggest the form that women′s education took at the time. From ancient to modern times, women’s education was limited to the homemaking skills required for family life and the virtues needed to maintain the patriarchal family system.
As such, the fact that women′s intellectual and affective development was basically sought only as a means to cultivate homemaking skills and womanly virtues in traditional societies is common throughout East Asian traditional societies in different eras. Women′s education allowed women to develop their abilities only insofar as they were related to homemaking, which was perceived to have socially inferior value, and not to develop their intellectual abilities related to the pursuit of theoretical knowledge.
What is more, women were made to think of themselves as subjects with relatively inferior abilities. This caused them to consider their subordination to, and dependence on, men as a matter of fact, and thus did not offer them an opportunity to grow as autonomous subjects.
From this perspective, in the end, traditional women′s education in East Asia reproduced and reinforced women′s subordinate position. It was far from the kind of education that could enable women to develop their human consciousness as independent individuals who seek self-awareness, dignity, freedom, and happiness.
Bhikkhuni temples that women (that is, bhikkhunis) created, handed down, and developed for themselves nevertheless served as places where women learned to write and were able to study in traditional Chinese society. The educational functions of bhikkhuni temples indicate that women had the power to provide themselves with systematic education. This demonstrates the power of women who can create and take charge of influence culture.

참고자료

· 없음