The purpose of this study is to illuminate a point in the
aspect of literature history that Buddhist monks had been
positive in revealing ‘me’ from the early times compared to
the literature in Confucian scholars. What reveals self as
the narrative entity and hero is said to be Oriental tradition.
However, Buddhist monks didn’t hesitate comparatively to
clarify own past, inner world, and journey through travel
sketches, letters and others. The works belonging to it are
typical in the travel sketches by the monk Hyecho, letter
by the monk Uicheondaesa, Yusangi(遊山記) and letter by
the monk Cheonchaek, and the letter by the monk Seosan.
Among those things, the travel sketches by the monk
Hyecho and the monk Cheonchaek allow the hero to be in
the position of well reporting directly the strange world
as the narrator and simultaneously as the entity of travel.
Also, the letters by the Daegakguksa(national preceptor
with great enlightenment) and the monk Cheonchaek are
clarifying to other person based on self-experience about
how the person of first entering the Buddhist priesthood
reached the deep world of Buddhism and about what the
characteristics in Buddhism are. Finally, the monk Seosan
saw the world as a dream, and enjoyed expressing by
comparing to the existence of walking aimlessly in it. Given
arranging this, heros are shown to be entity in report,
transcendental, and sleep-walking. Through this, the
Buddhist literature is revealed to mobilize diverse sights
even in expressing ‘me’. Writing in this method of seeking
for self seems to be one of important characteristics in
Buddhist literature, which is distinguished from Confucian
literature, as well as being conformed to autobiography in a
modern sense.
The purpose of this study is to illuminate a point in the
aspect of literature history that Buddhist monks had been
positive in revealing ‘me’ from the early times compared to
the literature in Confucian scholars. What reveals self as
the narrative entity and hero is said to be Oriental tradition.
However, Buddhist monks didn’t hesitate comparatively to
clarify own past, inner world, and journey through travel
sketches, letters and others. The works belonging to it are
typical in the travel sketches by the monk Hyecho, letter
by the monk Uicheondaesa, Yusangi(遊山記) and letter by
the monk Cheonchaek, and the letter by the monk Seosan.
Among those things, the travel sketches by the monk
Hyecho and the monk Cheonchaek allow the hero to be in
the position of well reporting directly the strange world
as the narrator and simultaneously as the entity of travel.
Also, the letters by the Daegakguksa(national preceptor
with great enlightenment) and the monk Cheonchaek are
clarifying to other person based on self-experience about
how the person of first entering the Buddhist priesthood
reached the deep world of Buddhism and about what the
characteristics in Buddhism are. Finally, the monk Seosan
saw the world as a dream, and enjoyed expressing by
comparing to the existence of walking aimlessly in it. Given
arranging this, heros are shown to be entity in report,
transcendental, and sleep-walking. Through this, the
Buddhist literature is revealed to mobilize diverse sights
even in expressing ‘me’. Writing in this method of seeking
for self seems to be one of important characteristics in
Buddhist literature, which is distinguished from Confucian
literature, as well as being conformed to autobiography in a
modern sense.