Toesujae Lee Byeong-gon’s Private Admiration for Dosan and His Scholarly Characteristics

Lee Byung-gon(李炳鯤), a successor of the scholarly tradition(家學) of the Yeoju Yi clan in Toero, Miryang, studied in accordance with the inherited family scholarship and the academic principles of Lee Hwang(李滉). As a member of the Nammyung School(南冥學派) of the Buk-in(北人) faction in the Yeongnam region, the Yeoju Yi clan of Toero in Miryang traditionally pursued the learning of virtuous scholars(高士). However, following the precedent set by their ancestor who transitioned the scholarly lineage to Jung Gu(鄭逑), they began to adopt Lee Hwang’s academic framework as their guiding principle. While striving to eliminate the heterodox elements—such as Taoist and Buddhist influences—that had permeated the scholarly practices of old masters, Lee chose not to engage in Yi Hwang’s study method centered on "speculation and debate(思辨과 議論)." Instead, he prioritized the learning style of Jo Sik(曺植), which emphasized "personal experience and practice(體驗과 實踐)." Lee followed in the scholarly footsteps of his uncle Lee Ik-gu(李翊九) and his older cousin Lee Byung-hui(李炳憙), and engaged in the private study and emulation of Lee Hwang(Toesan, 陶山). He further developed a refined method of Neo-Confucian learning(朱子學) based on experience and practice, passed down from Lee Hwang to Jung Gu, particularly emphasizing self-cultivation of mind and nature(心性修養). Drawing on the two key tenets of Confucian mind-nature cultivation—the “master of the mind(心의 主宰)” from his family tradition and Yi Hwang’s “quietude and reverent effort(主靜存心의 持敬工夫)”—Lee synthesized these with Jung Gu’s interpretation of the Chapter on Rectitude from Reverence(敬以直內章) in the Exposition of the Heart Sutra(心經發揮). Using this synthesis, he composed the “Essential Guide to Becoming a Sage(作聖要訣)”, which unified these ideas into a practical system of learning aimed at embodying moral virtues(學德) and sagehood(聖德) of Confucius in everyday life. Rather than relying on abstract theoretical discussions, Lee recorded the core of his teachings in the “Toesujae Diary(退修齋日記),” particularly in the sections written after he turned 50 in 1931, titled “Wisa-rok(爲思錄)” and “Wideuk-rok(爲得錄).” These entries offer a glimpse into the later years of his spiritual and moral cultivation. Considering all these aspects, Lee Byung-gon’s scholarship can be defined as that of a late-Joseon Neo-Confucian scholar from the Yeongnam region, belonging to the Buk-in lineage of the Nam-in faction, whose academic roots trace through Lee Hwang to Jung Gu, grounded in Confucian practice and self-cultivation.