임진왜란은 수많은 전쟁영웅을 만들어냈다. 그 가운데 사명당은 가장 다채롭게 기억되고 있는 인물일 것이다. 하지만 거기에는 사실과 가까운 것, 다소 과장된 것, 그리고 턱없이 부풀려진 것이 뒤섞여 있다. 그런 점에서 사명당은 사실과 허구가 복잡하게 뒤얽혀 만들어낸 이미지, 또는 기억의 서사로 재구된 인물이라 할 수 있다. 여기서는 이런 사명당에 대한 사대부들의 기억이 어떻게 형성·변화되어 오늘날에 이르게 되었는지를 세심하게 살피고자 했다. 그 결과 임진왜란 참전을 전후로 한 사명당에 대한 기억은 淸高한 詩僧에서 慷慨한 僧將으로 변화했음을 확인할 수 있었다. 그의 행적을 볼 때, 그건 당연한 변화이다. 하지만 전란 참전 기간 동안 사명당을 바라보는 사대부의 시선이 단일하지 않고 매우 복잡했던 사실에 유의할 필요가 있다. 讚辭와 憐憫, 自愧와 貶毁의 경계를 수시로 넘나들고 있었던 것이다. 사명당은 그처럼 복잡한 시선이 뒤얽힌, 榮辱의 삶을 살았던 승려였다. 하지만 사명당의 사후, 그에 대한 기억은 또 다시 극과 극을 오가는 변화를 겪는다. 사명당이 입적한 합천 해인사의 승려들은 그의 전란 참여 행위를 도탄에 빠진 중생을 구제한 불교적 慈悲로 기억하고자 했지만, 사명당이 태어난 밀양지역 사족들은 국난 극복을 위한 유가적 忠義로 기억하고자 했다. 둘의 대립은 국가 전폭적인 지원을 받아 후자의 승리로 귀결되었다. 그리하여 弘濟庵에 모셔졌던 弘濟尊者라는 이미지는 희미해지고, 表忠祠에 모셔진 四溟聖師라는 이미지가 지금 우리에게 뚜렷이 남아 있게 되었다.
Imjin war yielded a multitude of war heroes of whom Samyeongdang would be the figure that was remembered most variedly. However the memory about him are intertwined : some were close to the fact, somewhat exaggerated, and wildly overblown. In that sense, Samyeongdang could be a reconstructed figure by those images that were formed by complication of fact and fiction or narrative of memories. I attempted here to examine closely how the memories of nobles about Samyeongdang were formed and changed and has come to what we know these days. As a result, I could make certain that the memories of Samyeongdang after the war have changed from a pure, noble literary monk to a righteous, brave monk warrior. That was a natural change seeing from his performance. However we should pay close attention to the fact that nobility's views on Samyeongdang during the war were not the only unified one but very complicated. In other words, the views frequently crossed between praise and sympathy, shame and defamation. Samyeongdang lived a life of honor and disgrace with such intricate perspectives. But after his demise, the memories of him went through another change from one extreme to another. The monks of Haeinsa temple where Samyeongdang passed away tended to remember his achievement as a monk warrior during the war as an act of buddhist mercy that saved people in pain and suffering. On the other hand, local confucian scholars in Milyang where Samyeongdang was born tended to remember his achievement as confucian faithfulness for overcoming national crisis. The confrontation between the two concluded in the victory of the latter owing to complete national support. Therefore, the image of Hongjejonnja, which means the follower of Buddha, in Hongjeam temple faded out but the image of Samyeongseongsa enshrined in Pyochungsa remained distinctly.
Imjin war yielded a multitude of war heroes of whom Samyeongdang would be the figure that was remembered most variedly. However the memory about him are intertwined : some were close to the fact, somewhat exaggerated, and wildly overblown. In that sense, Samyeongdang could be a reconstructed figure by those images that were formed by complication of fact and fiction or narrative of memories. I attempted here to examine closely how the memories of nobles about Samyeongdang were formed and changed and has come to what we know these days. As a result, I could make certain that the memories of Samyeongdang after the war have changed from a pure, noble literary monk to a righteous, brave monk warrior. That was a natural change seeing from his performance. However we should pay close attention to the fact that nobility's views on Samyeongdang during the war were not the only unified one but very complicated. In other words, the views frequently crossed between praise and sympathy, shame and defamation. Samyeongdang lived a life of honor and disgrace with such intricate perspectives. But after his demise, the memories of him went through another change from one extreme to another. The monks of Haeinsa temple where Samyeongdang passed away tended to remember his achievement as a monk warrior during the war as an act of buddhist mercy that saved people in pain and suffering. On the other hand, local confucian scholars in Milyang where Samyeongdang was born tended to remember his achievement as confucian faithfulness for overcoming national crisis. The confrontation between the two concluded in the victory of the latter owing to complete national support. Therefore, the image of Hongjejonnja, which means the follower of Buddha, in Hongjeam temple faded out but the image of Samyeongseongsa enshrined in Pyochungsa remained distinctly.
