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

Today, in circumstances where Korean society is suffering from diverse conflicts, including conflicts between regions, classes, theories, and generations, Korean Buddhism is presenting Wonhyo’s 元曉 (617–686) notion of harmonizing disputes 和諍 as the Buddhist solution for social conflicts. However, given that the disputes that Wonhyo was trying to harmonize were different views about Buddhist theories, it is questionable whether Wonhyo’s notion of harmonizing disputes can be effective in settling conflicts that exist in worldly society. Accordingly, in the Buddhist academic world some believe that the social adaptation of Wonhyo’s notion of harmonizing disputes is not possible, whereas others would more tentatively argue that it is not impossible. Reflecting this situation, this paper began by analyzing previous research on whether methods of harmonizing disputes were either adaptable or not adaptable to modern society. In order to know whether Wonhyo’s notion of harmonizing disputes is applicable to social problems, Wonhyo's ideas should first be understood, and then its concept, logic, and method can be examined. Based on this previous research and analysis of Wonhyo’s notion of harmonizing disputes, this paper presents the preconditions for the social realization of Wonhyo’s notion of harmonizing disputes. The first condition is to shed one’s egocentrism 我執 and accommodate the partial validity (of the other party). The second condition is to form an equal community of two approaches and one mind 二門一心, which means that by recognizing that each view of the two parties in dispute ultimately exists upon one unified base, an equal community can be formed. The third condition is an understanding of the essence of language expression, the exactness of language expression, and the correctness of this understanding. Both the speaker and a listener should recognize the limitations of language expression. The speaker should express exactly what he or she intends to say with language and the listener should not cling to the expressions of the speakers themselves, but instead understand what the speaker intends to express. The final precondition is the mediation of the dispute by one with their eyes open who follows the middle way 中道. Where parties cannot achieve harmony in their disputes, a third party (one with their eyes open) who can see the whole essence of the conflict needs to mediate without being biased or involved (middle-way mediation).