『老子』와 養生術 (Laozi and Macrobiotic Hygiene)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 서울대학교 철학사상연구소
· 수록지 정보 : 철학사상 / 31호 / 63 ~ 112페이지
· 저자명 : 이성구

초록

本稿는 우선 고답적 사변철학의 완성자라는 시각에서 老子 개인에 접근하기보다는, 전통적 관념을 여전히 간직하고 있는 집단의 대표자로서의 老子에 초점을 맞추어 그에 대한 설화와 그의 姓名에 담겨진 의미를 밝혀 봄으로써 老聃이란 고명명사가 아니라 養生集團의 長老에 대한 호칭이었음을 밝혔고, 아울러 楊朱一派의 思想 및 존재양태와의 비교검토를 통해 老子集團의 존재를 우회적이나마 확인할 수 있었다.老莊思想에서의 道는 우주의 궁극적․근원적 實在로 정의되지만 『老子』의 道는 呪術的 양생수련의 과정에서 배태된 개념으로서 무한한 생명력과 에너지를 지닌 宇宙創造 以前의 混沌을 표상하는 어휘였다. 그리고 『老子』의 養生術이란 수련의 주체가 그 混沌의 단계로 回歸하여 混沌과 合一함으로써 그 생명력을 자신의 몸에 가득 채우는 呪術的 수련기법이었으며, 그것은 구체적으로는 丹田呼吸 또는 胎息을 통한 精氣=德의 획득이었다. 이렇게 呪術的 生命力을 획득하는 것은 바로 道의 體得이었고, 道의 體得者인 聖人은 그 生命力으로 惡鬼와 위험을 퇴치함으로써 “沒身不殆”할 수 있었다. 또한 『老子』의 養生術은 現世離脫을 지향하는 神仙術과는 달리 現象界를 중시하는 현실적 養生術이었고, 兩者의 이러한 차이는 老子의 西游說話에서도 간접적으로 확인되었다.
呪術的 養生術은 보다 현실적이고 세속적인 處世術로 추이하는데, 이러한 個人的 處世觀은 그대로 『老子』의 政治論으로 전환된다. 『老子』에는 독자적이고 본격적인 정치사상은 극히 빈약한데 이는 그것이 哲學書이기 때문이기도 하지만 무엇보다도 『老子』가 養生術을 지향하였기 때문이다. 종래 일부 학자들에 의해 전제지배나 우민정책의 증거로 거론되었던 내용들도 사실은 이상적인 眞樸한 인간성의 제시였고, 『老子』의 反文明主義를 반영하는 것이었다. 『老子』의 思想이 申不害의 術로 자연스럽게 계승된 것도 『老子』 사상의 근간이 養生術이었던 것과 밀접한 관련을 갖는다.

영어초록

Traditionally Laozi has been regarded as an exceptional case in philosophical schools of the Warring States period since his achievements have been interpreted as metaphysics. This is essentially different from the dominant political science of that period that is the pursuit of learning for governance. As a result, the attempts to understand him as an author of distinguished writings in connection with contemporary philosophical schools and communal lives have been considerably ignored. However, most of Laozi scholars now recognize that it has been completed through the work of many hands. The facts that his works were handed down from generation to generation and that there were many revisions on them can be an adequate reason to connect Laozi to scholarly groups.
On this theoretical basis, the notion of the ‘Laozi group’ is assumed as a means to approach Laodan (老聃) and his community. Moreover, this study comes to the conclusion that the name ‘Laodan’ is not a pronoun standing for longevity and authority for occult arts but a very suitable title for the leader of a Laozi community that concentrated on rules for healthy living. Furthermore it has been confirmed in this research that plural Laodans may be possible. Laozi was a representative of a community for macrobiotic regimen with its own definite speculation of occult arts and conventions, rather than a consummator of transcendental philosophy. This kind of view of him makes it possible to see macrobiotic regimen, the archetype as well as core of Laozi, from the perspective of occult art, not from reasonableness. Furthermore, the substance of the Laozi community could also be identified indirectly through comparison with the ideas and mode of existence of Yangzhu School.
In the thoughts of Lao‐Zhuang, Tao is defined as an ultimate and fundamental reality of the cosmos. However, the Tao of Laozi was a term formed in the course of occult arts of macrobiotic regimen, and it represented chaos with infinite vitality and energy before the creation of the cosmos. The Laozi regimen was an occult art aiming to fulfill each person’s body with that vitality and energy by making subjects return to and become united with chaos. More concretely, its goal was the achievement of virtue ‐that is, the spirit and energy of chaos earned by hypogastric or embryonic breathing. The acquirement of vitality through occult arts was considered as the master of Tao and as ensuring wholesomeness until death by exterminating evil spirits and perils. The macrobiotic regimen of Laozi was a very realistic one, which put much importance on the physical world, while that of Taoist hermits pointed to emancipation from this world. This difference between the two communities was indirectly ascertained in Laozi’s narrative of ‘Journey to the West.’
An Occult macrobiotic regimen has been assumed to be more secular and realistic, and its individualistic conduct of life is entirely converted to the political theory of Laozi. Since Laozi were essentially philosophical writings, it is very difficult to find an original and serious political thought in them. But the more fundamental reason is that Laozi aimed to establish rules for healthy living. The details in Laozi presented as proof of despotism and obscurantist policy by some scholars in the past were in fact an appeal to idealistic and sincere human nature and a reflection of anti‐civilization. The idea of Laozi had naturally been absorbed into techniques (術) of Shen Buhai (申不害), and this historical current was also closely connected with the fact that the root of thought of Laozi was grounded in the search for macrobiotic hygiene.

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