Yi T’oegye (1501-1570) on self-transcendence: A neo-Confucian and interreligious dialogue

Yi T’oegye (李退溪 1501–1570) was an eminent Neo-Confucian thinker who established an influential school of philosophy and scholarship in Korea. T’oegye was also a great spiritual master, although he basically followed a Confucian lifestyle of public service, teaching disciples, and compiling volumes of work. We need to pay more attention to the spiritual depth of Korean Confucianism by discussing T’oegye’s religious thought. This article presents T’oegye’s interpretation of Confucian self-transcendence, as well as its modern implication for comparative religion. By focusing on his practice of spiritual cultivation, the article discusses how he developed what I consider to be a religious system of ethics and spirituality in light of the Zhu Xi tradition. I include several key examples, such as Heaven’s Principle, moral evil, and transcending oneself. I shall interpret T’oegye’s major works by using a textual approach, while considering some modern sources. The second section explores the topic in the context of interreligious dialogue. Since today’s pluralistic world of religions naturally encourages cooperation and innovation, I propose a Confucian-based mode of interreligious thinking by assimilating T’oegye’s experience and insights. This will allow us to discuss the key ongoing issues regarding “the ultimate reality” or “the transcendent.” I conclude that the Neo-Confucian vision which I see through my dialogue with T’oegye and modern scholars engages a self-transcending way of wisdom, i.e., a trans-forming relationship among the world’s spiritual traditions. A dialogue between T’oegye’s spirituality and the converging core of world religions can enhance the global enterprise of comparative religion. I hope to shed some light on Confucian studies and interreligious dialogue through this article, which is based on a paper I presented at the conference, “Korean Confucianism in the Global Context: In Honor of Tu Weiming’s Contributions.