Ilgiyae Ch.6-2

Prajna(般若)

This Ilgiyae has no figure. Thus, the ancient telling said: "Non-being becomes 'right seeing' while being is 'false seeing', so it presents itself sometimes as truth and sometimes as falsity, and its clue cannot be known."¹⁾ That is, as there is no concrete figure it is right seeing to see it as non-being, while we come to see it through its figure that is expedient means, which is genuinely falsity. And since it has no figure it is sometimes true and sometimes false so that the opponent cannot get a clue of it. This is TAEKWONDO.

This Ilgiyae is, to be compared, like: "Even a step or/ Even a sudden turn/ With its meanings over all directions/ Like the forest of Taebaek mountain,/ The whole of which/ Contains infinite path ways."²⁾ It includes every way and leads to every direction. A man that has no idea of the forest, however, will be lost in it, while it is nothing but what it exactly is so that "Only the wise man can/ Go through every path passing the true one"³⁾ On the other hand, however, the forest of Taebaek mountain cannot a way. For it is neither a path way nor several ones. Therefore, the buddhists say "what is called "the Religion given by Buddha" is not, in fact Buddha-Religion."⁴⁾ Likewise the so-called Ilgiyae is not really one art. Thus, the Ilgiyae(one skillart) that is said is not really such, therefore it is just called "Ilgiyae."⁵⁾

Knowing TAEKWONDO and obtaining Ilgiyae you can do a same thing doing different things and intend nothing particular yet also pursuing pertinaciously your objective. "This has been extended conceptually to be regarded as doing of not doing(爲無爲) by Lao-tsu, as following one's heart's desire not overstepping the boudaries of the right(從心所欲 不踰矩) by Confucius, and Moksa(解脫) or Prajna(Vrajna, 般若) by Buddha."(Ch.6) That is to say, showing no particular intention, you can devote your sincere effort all the more, so that you achieve your objective in the manner that cannot be measured. This is also same as doing both of erasing and picturing yourself.⁶⁾

Thus, Lao Tzu said, "<Do> is empty(like a bowl). It may be used but its capacity is never exhausted"⁷⁾ and Confucius said, "it is impossible to leave <Do> but people don't cares it by themselves. This is why they come to have abuses to be excessive or deficient."⁸⁾ In addition to that it is not different from Buddhist's truth, "hence Tathagata said 'the whole realm of formulations is the Buddha-Religion'"⁹⁾, whereas also saying "all phenomena from the very first have of themselves constantly borne the marks of tranquil extinction."¹⁰⁾

To explain this for a moment, since <Do> is empty in its essence it follows the way of doing nothing and since its capacity is never exhausted it can rule everything by doing nothing. This is the reason why Tzu said, “By doing nothing along <Do>, all things will be in order.”¹¹⁾ On the other hand, as it is impossible for man to leave <Do> it is also possible to get ‘following one's heart's desire not overstepping the boudaries of the right’[從心所欲 不踰矩], which Confucius said of. And it is why common people cannot obtain it just because they don't care it. It means they come to be excessive or deficient. And, because the whole realm of formulations is the Buddha-Religion there is nothing that breaks principle and because it is always the marks of tranquil extinction it is to be realized through Prajna. Therefore, "as a rule, the <Do> of Prajna has nothing either to say it is or is not <Do>, or to say it is or is not ultimate. Fully empty so nothing is not silent, and wide open so nothing is closed to any direction. This is to know that the true entity has no figure so that it can be shaped by any kind of figure and that true brightness has nothing to be brighter so that it has nothing that is not bright."¹²⁾ It is the explanation of the Master Won Hyo.

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<footnotes>

1) 세 한얼 말씀 5. 세 나[三我]: 無爲正觀, 有作假觀, 或眞或妄, 莫知其機.
2) "Tightening a Black Bet On a White Uniform", Taebaek.
3) "Tightening a Black Bet On a White Uniform", Taebaek.
4) Diamond Sutra, 8. 所爲 佛法者 卽非佛法.
5) "I say that the whole realm of formulations is not really such, therefore it is just called "Realm of formulations." Diamond Sutra 17d: 所言一切法者 卽非一切法. 是故 名一切法.
6) "That I Clench My Fist", 2. 나를 지움과 나를 그림은 같은 것.
7) Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, 4. 爲也爲無爲則無不治.
8) The Doctrine of the Mean, 04-02 道不可離人自不察 是以有過不及之弊.
9) Diamond Sutra, 17d. 是故 如來設一切法皆是佛法.
10) 『法華經』, 구인사본 2편 Expedient Means 48. 諸法이 從本來하여 常自寂滅相이니. cited from: Trans. Burton Watson, Ths Lotus Sutra, Columbia University Press(1993), p37.
11) Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, 3. 爲也爲無爲則無不治.
12) 元曉, 大慧度經宗要, 韓佛 1-480 上: 夫波若爲至道也 無道非道無至不至 蕭焉無所不菽泰然無所不蕩 是知實相無相故無所不相 眞照無明故無不爲明.