인간은 누구나 자연으로의 回歸와 名利를 추구하는 현실 安住의 矛盾된 개념이 意識속에 內在해 있다. 인간이 世慾을 버리기는 쉽지 않지만 超然히 마음을 비우고 歸去來의 삶을 실천한 사람은 전설 속의 許由, 춘추시대 吳나라의 季札, 後漢 光武帝의 벗 嚴子陵, 東晉의 陶淵明, 우리나라의 元天錫(1330～?), 南道振(1674～1735), 李夏坤(1677～1724) 같은 분들이 있다.
麗末 三隱의 한 분인 吉冶隱도 高麗의 滅亡이라는 時代狀況에서 隱逸의 삶을 선택한 분이다. 冶隱의 文學이나 思想, 節義 등에 관해서는 이미 여러분의 論稿가 나와 있고, 야은의 思想的·節義的 측면을 살피면서 文學的 특성을 살핀 論議의 방향도 크게 다르지는 않다.
本稿의 목적은 麗末三隱에 대한 再檢討와, 冶隱의 文學에 나타난 삶과 隱逸의 정신적 배경을 살피는 데 있다. 아울러 새로 발견된 冶隱 詩稿를 소개하는 것도 이 논문의 목적 중 하나다. 論旨를 전개하면서 그때그때 先行硏究의 성과를 살피되 이미 잘 알려진 내용은 再論하지 않고, 本稿에 꼭 필요한 부분들만 살피겠다.
Whoever and whenever we are, we desire fame and wealth during our life time. Though, in the same time, we also yearn for simple living in nature. And these two conflicting ideas always stay together in our mind. When we look over the history, we can find that there were many who voluntarily retired to their home to pursuit their principles. But, on the other hand, there were many as well who inevitably chose a life in retreat, expecting to be appointed by their king again.
Gil-jae (Ya-eun) was one of ‘Sam-eun [三隱]’ at the end of the Goryeo dynasty. In the midst of the fall of Goryeo, he resigned from the government office and retreated to the country. There are many previous studies on his literature, principles and integrity, and most of studies read and analyzed his literary works with his principles and integrity.
This study re-examines the ‘Sam-eun’ of the Goryeo dynasty, and explores the moral background of Ya-eun’s life and retreat. In addition, this study aims to introduce his newly discovered verse, ‘Joo-hwa [走和].’ Even though there are some critical point of views over Ya-eun, he was a man who thoroughly practiced a life based on a Confucian doctrine. His compassion and selflessness, which appeared on ‘Bang-byel [放鼈詩]’, the verse which was written when he was a boy, tell us his principle in life, and it was his nature and his hope for the Confucian school, what his ‘Joo-hwa’ and ‘Post San-ga-seo [後山家序]’ manifest. While developing the ideas above-mentioned, the earlier studies on Ya-eun will be visited at times if necessary.
Through examining the discourse upon ‘Sam-eun’ and the theoretical background of Ya-eun’s life, as well as his newly discovered verse ‘Joo-hwa’ and his literature, this study draws conclusions as below:
1. According to the record appeared in Sam-gang-hang-sil-do [三綱行實圖] and Goryeo-sa: The Family of King Gong-yang [高麗史-恭讓王世家], his resignation was not in 1390 but in the winter of 1389, around the fifth of December in the lunar calender, just after King Gong-yang ascended the throne. In addition, according to Dong-gam-jeol-yo [東鑑節要], vol. 4: King Gong-yang and Goryeo-sa: The Biography of Jeong, Mong-ju [高麗史-鄭夢周列傳], the time of his returning home was corrected as past the fourth of April in 1392, after the Po-eun’s death for integrity.
2. According to Yang-chon-jib [陽村集], vol. 20: The Postscript to the Poetry Collection of Gil-jae, it is probable that there is an unknown collection of Ya-eun’s works, which has not been discovered yet.
3. Ya-eun’s retreat was the consequence of his loyalty to the declining Goryeo and of his compassion and selflessness, which were inherent in his mind.
4. We can infer that the ‘Joo-hwa’ verse was created in late autumn of 1390, the second year of King Gong-yang.
5. Ya-eun lived up to the teaching of ‘Wei Ling-kung’ in the Confucian Analects, “When good government prevails in his State, he is to be found in office. When bad government prevails, he can roll his principles up, and keep them in his breast.” and set an example for a man of virtue, as a man of loyalty and uprightness.
