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Aspects and meanings of secular severance in Joseon Taoist figures

  • The Research of the Korean Classic
  • 2021, (53), pp.93-123
  • DOI : 10.20516/classic.2021.53.93
  • Publisher : The Research Of The Korean Classic
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature > Korean Literature > Korean classic prose
  • Received : April 15, 2021
  • Accepted : May 10, 2021
  • Published : May 31, 2021

Kim, Sooyoun 1

1서울여자대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study explores the meaning of the “Rise of Taoist Figure Stories” in the late Joseon Dynasty. To this end, the creation purpose and composition of the Taoist Figure Stories in early China were first examined, and the Joseon Taoist Figure Stories were then considered from the perspective of its literary historical succession. In particular, the meaning of “social disconnection and communication” of the Taoist Character Stories was derived, focusing on the aspects and meanings of secular disconnection and secular regression seen by the figures. The purpose of creation, which is confirmed in the Liexianzhuan, Shenxianzhuan, and Heo Gyun’s Taoist Figures Stories, is to confirm the historicality of Taoist figures. Specifically, the content is composed of “Birth-training-doing bizarre deed-getting Immortality”. This is re- described in the structure of “secular-severance-return-severance”, and the content is “subordinate to the world-being cut off by the world-being voluntarily returning to the world-being perfected by spontaneous disconnection from the world” In addition, the structure of “secular-severance-return-severance” is “discovery of other qualities contrary to the Confucian order-existential transformation through becoming a Taoist person-confirmation of the existence of a Taoist character, and communication with the world of the converted being- becoming a complete human.” Taoist figures are people who pursue a new way of life that is different from the neo-Confucian order. They communicate with the people and expand their presence. In HeoGera, it was a social request to prove the existence of Taoist figures, and in the later generations, it was the task of the Taoist Figures Stories to discover them in the anonymity of the people.

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