A study for the Buddhist meaning of ‘The Travel for Searching Happiness’

Abstract

This study is the first study that aims to analyze the Buddhist meaning of ‘The Travel for Searching Happiness.’ Although in the folktale ‘the transcendental who manages the blessing’ and ‘the designation of the transcendental world as the destination of travel’, etc. strongly represent Buddhist features, the interpretation of the Buddhist perspective has only partially existed. The motive for the traveling is interpreted not as ‘penury’ but as ‘a state of suffering’, that is, not obtained even when trying hard to get something. As the characters whom the protagonist met while traveling are united into one, ‘the idea of equality’ of Buddhism and ‘yeon-gi-beop’ could be found. Regardless of class, gender, or age, all beings are experiencing the suffering, and the travel of the protagonist is interpreted as experiencing the whole world. ‘Chintamani’ is interpreted not as ‘property’ but as implementing that the protagonist became ‘a different level of existence.’ In addition, the meaning of the travel is understood as ‘go-jib’ being ‘myeol-do’, and the protagonist becoming from ‘beom-bu-jung-saeng’ to a ‘bosal.’ Also, as the protagonist conveys the Buddha s lessons to others in the state of absence of ego and solves everyone s suffering , the true meaning of bok(blessing) is interpreted as ‘mu-wi-bok’ from Geumganggyeong