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

Previous research on the kanhwasŏn 看話禪 practice has only considered the Yiqing(疑情) raising concerning the hwadu 話頭. This paper distinguishes and examines two kinds of Yiqing raising: the subjective(主體的) and the intentional(意圖的) one. Subjective Yiqing raising is concerned with the awareness of fundamental problems Such as life and death, and characterized by life’s defiled nature(煩惱性). Intentional Yiqing raising is concerned with hwadus and characterized by its pure nature(淸淨性). The reason for distinguishing between the two kinds of Yiqing raising is the need to analyze the psychological phenomena of practice and understand its course from a subjective view point. These two types of Yiqing raising may be in a relation of opposition, conflict or amalgation(融合). While opposition and conflict are states of disharmony, the state of unity is one of mutual harmonization. The awakening of Master Pojo Chinul(普照知訥, 1158-1210) may be understood as two stepped. The first step, before he knew kanhwasŏn doctrine, was an awakening relying upon(依) subjective Yiqing raising. The second step, after the Master encountered kanhwasŏn doctrine, was an awakening concerning(對) subjective Yiqing raising. The awakening relying upon subjective doubt raising took place at the level of both the meditative(禪門) and the scriptural(敎門). The awakening concerning subjective Yiqing raising was an awakening to the nature of subjective Yiqing raising and a liberation from it, achieved as he was reading the Record of Master Taehye Chonggo(大慧宗杲, 1089-1163). The encounter of subjective and intentional Yiqing raising experienced by Chinul is the characteristic of his kanhwasŏn. This means that Chinul acknowledged the value of an awakening achieved through subjective Yiqing raising. Chinul has also demonstrated that intentional Yiqing raising about the hwadu allows the objectivization of subjective Yiqing raising and, ultimately, the overcoming of Yiqing raising itself.