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

This is a preliminary study for establishing the philosophy of Seung-rang's (僧朗) own. Go-gu-ryeo monk Seung-rang (450-530 C.E. circa) had great influence on the formation of East-Asian Buddhist Philosophy. Not only in the scriptures of Sān-lùn (三論) but also in those of Tiān-tái (天台), Chán (禪) and Huà-yán (華嚴), we can find strong influence of Seung-rang's teaching. But it is not so easy to figure out the whole philosophy of Seung-rang, because there remains no scriptures written by him. Throughout Jí-zàng (吉藏)'s works we can find strong influences of Seung-rang's teaching. Some of modern Korean scholars insisted that almost all of philosophies appeared in Sān-lùn treatises are derived from Seung-rang's teaching. On the other hand some of Japanese and Chinese scholars criticized that Jí-zàng's high evaluation on Seung-rang was a kind of fabrication. It would be not right to overestimate Seung-rang. But it would also be not right to underestimate him. To draw out the whole philosophy of Seung-rang, we should read carefully the treatises of Jí-zàng and Huì-jūn(慧均) and collect the sentences that express evidently the ideas of Seung-rang. Jí-zàng and Huì-jūn used various names to designate the advocators of Sān-lùn. Among the designations of Sān-lùn Masters, Shè-lǐng-da-shī (攝嶺大師), Shè-shān-dà-shī (攝山大師), Dà-lǎng-fà-shī (大朗法師), Lǎng-dà-shī (朗大師) and Dào-lǎng (道朗) mean Seung-rang. The ideas related with these designations can be included in Seung-rang's own philosophy and contributions. Some of these are as follows. ① Philosophy of non-attachment (無得) ② Not-offensiveness (無諍) toward the ideas of the other Buddhist sects ③ Interpretation of Sān-lùn with the framework of ‘Enlightenment of middle (中道)’ and ‘Teaching of illusion (假名)’ ④ Composition of 8 volumes of Hwa-eom-eui-so (󰡔華嚴義疏󰡕) ⑤ He did not lecture on Mahāparinirvāṇa-Sūtra or Saddharmapuṇḍarika-Sūtra. ⑥ He lectured and made comments on Madhyamaka-Śāstra. ⑦ He taught Zhōu-yóng (周顒) who was an able official of Qí (齊) Dynasty and taught Wǔ-dì (武帝) who was a Emperor of Liáng (粱) Dynasty.