Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

The essay is focused upon comparatively studying "Three Non-being" in Dan-jing and Lao-zhuang. The former's is called "Wu-nian", "Wu-xiang", "Wu-zhu", and the latter's "Wu-wu", "Wu-qing", "Wu-dai". In fact, in its unfolding process, Chinese Buddhism has been closely connected and developed with the traditional thoughts of China, especially with Confucianism and Taoism. Particularly,among the Buddhistic schools, the school of Prajña is much more related with the thought of Lao-zhuang. Given the premise that Dan-jing is radically appeared as a Buddhistic theory based upon the school of Prajña, we can more clearly understand that Dan-jing has some profound relationship with the thought of Lao-zhuang. Therefore, as I argue in the essay, it is so natural that Dan-jing's "Three Non-being" and Lao-zhuang's should have some similarities. Between them there is a kind of identical property that "Wu-nian" is equivalent to "Wu-qing", "Wu-xiang" to "Wu-wu", and "Wu-zhu" to "Wu-dai". In the former, "Wu-nian" is said to attain at the ideal state of emancipation through the "Prajña-samadhi". In the latter, it is said that, through "Wu-qing", man can restore his own nature of original substance, where the Way of "the absence of non-existence" is universally existent, and, thus, he can "leisurely stroll in the field". "Wu-xiang" is referred to as a reality for all kinds of laws, whereas "Wu-wu" as the originally substantial attribute of the Way. "Wu-zhu" ultimately is "Non-bondage", while "Wu-dai" results in the ultimate stage of"leisurely strolling in the field", in which does not have any bondage of dependence and conditions in this world. As a result, it seems to me, Dan-jing's "Three Non-being" and Lao-zhuang's all have a double character, that is, both the methods of self-cultivation and the ideal state of emancipation. It can be regarded as one of similarities between them, too. Dan-jing's Chan and Lao-zhuang's thought, however, are respectively their different systems. Chan Buddhism, of course, has been inherently connected with the traditional thought of China, but, nevertheless, it also originates from the Buddhistic thinking-way of India. Thus, in Chinese Buddhism, from the beginning of the Applied Buddhism, some Buddhists have made a series of criticisms on Lao-zhuang's thought, supporting the Indian thinking-way.