印度佛教歷史興衰質變之關鍵

The Keys to the Rise, Decline and Transformation of Indian Buddhism

釋徹入(Che-Ru Shi)

《哲學與文化》 33卷12期 (2006/12) Pp. 3-28

https://doi.org/10.7065/MRPC.200612.0003

摘要

在佛教的傳播過程中，只有傳持教法的人對於教法的認知差異與主張側重之表象，並沒有所謂的佛法「思想演變」，因為「法的本質」若有所改變或思想內涵已經不同，就不能再稱它為佛法，因為已經不是究竟法了。因此，真正的佛教史，只是佛陀的教法在世問住持存在的流傳過程與興衰現象之歷史，並無所謂的「思想演變史」。因為「法的實際」具有「普遍性、恆常性、唯一性」的特質，並無所謂的思想本質之演變現象，而只有諸家傳持者對教法理解的正訛深淺廣狹的差別；因此，對「佛教史」一語的正確界定，只能局限在世問人為操作之「事相的現象面」上，而不能指涉「法性的本質面」。其中，「事相的現象面」主要是各家學說的人為之「教法之傳承與施設，流傳文獻的記錄與解說，法義證解的正確與錯誤」，故在現存各家對佛教史的主張解說中，可能早已隱含了許多受限於時空因緣所無法避免的錯誤存在。
「佛法」是釋迦牟尼佛成就佛道後，依其內證自覺聖智所開演出來的法教，乃闡述宇宙萬有本源及生命的真相，並說明如何成說此一目標的聖知識，故真正的佛法是「遍法界、亙三世、適用一切眾生」而無變異的。雖然，佛教在人間流傳時，由於諸方師弟相承對於「法」的內涵，依其根性偏好差異、體證層次、慧解程度之不同，故對於法的結集乃至同一經論文字章句所表述出來的內涵，便各有側重而不盡相同，因此成立了各宗各派，原本和合一味之如來藏法義與佛教教團便逐漸分裂，導致佛教組織與教義表象之多元性發展。
由於佛教的產生與成立，是佛陀對於宇宙人生的真理之智覺完成後的教示，故它的香生之初、成立之始，法義就已經圓滿，思想就已經確立，理論就已經完備，是非就已經定案；是故它並不是佛陀的成長過程之記錄，也不是釋迦牟尼佛一生的思想發展演變過程之記載，更不是某種宗教思想理論的發展過程或是其部份。若站在全人類精神心靈發展的宏觀立場而論，則佛教的思想內涵可以說是人類心靈能力的終極內容。佛陀的正覺內涵，在印度宗教心靈的發展層次上，是最圓熟的狀態，在人類精神心靈的發展過程，也達到了最圓滿的顛峰。因此，佛教並不是世界上任何宗教或哲學的一部份，也不是宗教思想發展過程的中途站，反而是人類所有宗教、心靈、哲學思想的最終依歸。

關鍵字

如來藏 ； 阿賴耶識 ； 真如 ； 空性 ； 涅槃 ； 第一義諦 ； 無為

並列摘要

During the circulation of Buddhism, there are merely the differences among Buddhist preachers in their understandings and emphases about dharma but never the so-called ”changes in the thought” of Buddha-dharma, for it should not be called ”Buddha-dharma” as soon as any changes occur to the ”nature of dharma” or the ”content of dharma” because this is no longer the ultimate dharma.
In consequence, the ”history of Buddhism” is indeed a history of the circulation process as well as the rise and decline of Buddha-dharma; there is never a so-called ”history of the evolution of Buddhist thought.” The ”reality of dharma” is ”universal, consistent, one and only;” there isn't any of the so-called evolution in the nature of Buddhist thought but simply different preachers' right or wrong and broad or narrow understandings about dharma instead. As a result, to define it correctly, the ”history of Buddhism” is confined to the manmade “phenomenal aspect of things” rather than the ”essential aspect of dharma;” the ”phenomenal aspect of things” refers largely to the manmade ”handing-down and constitution of dharma, records of documents, and right/wrong explications about the meanings of dharma” by all the different doctrines. Thus, the claims made by these different doctrines about the history of Buddhism might have implicated many mistakes that are unavoidable due to the limits of time and place.
As the teachings developed by Sakyamuni after he reached buddha-mãrga, ”Buddha-dharma” is the explication about the origin of all creatures in the universe and the truth of life as well as the explanation about the holy knowledge of how to achieve such a goal. Hence, the true Buddha-dharma is unchanged ”over the entire dharma, throughout the past, present and future, and in all living creatures,” even though Buddhist preachers formed various sects and cults during the spread of Buddhism due to the different emphases in their interpretations about the texts of dharma (as a result of the differences in their preferences, experiences and understandings), and both the meanings of Tathagatagarbha and the Buddhist communities that had been originally united gradually split up and caused the pluralistic development of the Buddhist organizations and dogma presentments.
The birth and founding of Buddhism is Buddha's teachings after he comprehended the truth about the universe and life, As early as it was born and founded, the meanings of Buddhism were already well rounded, its thoughts already established, its theories completed, and its rights or wrongs decided, so the history of Buddhism is neither a record of Buddha's growth, nor a chronicle of the evolution of Sakyamuni's thought, let alone any part of the development of the thought and theory of a religion. Looking at the big picture of the spiritual development of mankind, it is fair to say that the thought of Buddhism is the ultimate content of the their spiritual capacities. The sambodha (enlightenment) of Buddha is the mellowest in terms of the spiritual development of Indian religions and also the most perfect regarding the development of the spirits of mankind. Therefore, Buddhism is neither a part of any religion or philosophy in the world nor a staging post of the development process of any religion, but rather the resting home of all religions, spiritualities and philosophical thoughts of mankind.

並列關鍵字

tathagatagarbha ； ālaya-vijñāna warehouse consciousness ； tathata the Buddha nature ； Nature of the Void ； Nervana ； paramārtha-satya the ultimate truth