《維摩詰經》=Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra; 李奎報=Lee Gyu-bo; 諸法性空=the nature of all the things is emptiness; 世間與出世間=being in the mundane and being out of the mundane; 心淨則佛土淨=if the heart is peaceful and quiet, the Buddha land is peaceful and quiet
The first person who was concerned with the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra and studied it in Korean history is Wonhyo (617-686). His thought of “Free from Care” that seeks the truth of surpassing difference and the unconstrained “person without any care could get rid of life-and-death from one way”, basically coincides with the spirit of straightening out “being in the mundane” and “being out of the mundane” to finally seek “Non Duality.” In the Goryeo dynasty, the person who was mostly devoted to publicize the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra was Taegak National Preceptor Uichon (大覺國師義天) and Bojo National Preceptor Jinul (普照國師知訥). Although his ardent love for the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra was not as great as that of the literati in the Tang or Song dynasties, Lee Gyu-bo, as a representational literatus in the Goryeo dynasty, accepted the viewpoint of the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra to a certain extent. Lee Gyu-bo’s Zen poems also possess the implication that is closely related to Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. Three characters could be summarized as follows. Firstly, the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra reflects Mahāyāna’s Dharmatā that “being in the mundane” is like a mirage and the conception that all the Buddhist doctrines are constant. Some of Lee Gyu-bo’s Zen poems also vividly demonstrate the truth that the nature of all things and living creatures is emptiness. Secondly, the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra has outstandingly developed Mahāyāna’s spirit of “being in the mundane” and straightened out “being in the mundane” and “being out of the mundane”. Lee Gyu-bo represented these equality views and also tried to straighten out “being in the mundane” and “being out of the mundane” in his poems. Thirdly, Lee Gyu-bo himself seemed to be aware of the truth that “being in the mundane” is the same as “being out of the mundane”, and “if the heart is peaceful and quiet, the Buddha land is peaceful and quiet.” The thought of a “peaceful and quiet heart”, which is emphasized in the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, has been reflected in his poems, too. It could be argued that Lee Gyu-bo used the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra’s main thought and allusions freely in his poems. It not only enriches the poems’ content, but also deepens the poems’ thought. The Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra’s popularity in Goryeo dynasty can also be seen here.
