Korea Journal of Buddhist StudiesISSN:1598-0642(Print)불교학연구회

This paper examined the writing characteristics of Seokjeon Park Han-yeong, using “Seokrim Hanhwa,” which appeared serially in Dongmyeong, a magazine published in the 1920’s. Organized suitable to certain criteria, Buddhist discourse in “Seokrim Hanhwa” is characterized by a modernistic writing style. However, in the knowledge aspect, it is constructed consistent to the Buddhist thinking system of ‘Bul-i (不二, Non duality)’ without being buried in rhetoric admiring modernization. Though he was aware of the fact that the major style of modern writing was a mixed style of Korean and Chinese characters, he wrote poems in Chinese. Those poems have two layers: one is poems as expressions of ‘lyricism’ coming out of common sentiments of pre-modern intellectuals; the other is poems as media of ‘thinking’. In “Seokrim Hanhwa,” while treating syllogism, scientific civilization and ideals of the French Revolution - freedom, equality and philanthropy, he provided the place of discourse which cannot be explained in the Western philosophical frame. As such, he perceived modernity based on his own experiences and Buddhist world view. This will be the right attitude to realize the true meaning of civilization that embraces differences, escaping from the modernistic paradigm including the violent and colonialist way of thought that only western civilization claims modernity.