佛教中的「多聞」概念 佛學與學佛問題的展開

為道與為學是宗教研究中的大問題之一，意見頗不一致：有的認為學術可以幫助宗教修習；有的則視為學只是白費功夫，有礙修行的實際進展。佛教傳統對此一問題的看法如何，似未為宗教人士所深究。本文選擇佛教的學術概念「多聞」為題，通過考察《阿含》、《律典》、《阿毗曇》、大乘經論、中國佛教著作中，對此一問題的記錄，用以確定佛教傳統中的學術觀。考察的方法，則以概念史為主，選其代表性的經論文字，以說明問題的所在及所持的態度。研究的結果顯示，佛教從開始就重視知識，更重視知行之間的關係。對寡知的修道者則有嚴厲的譴責。律典與《阿毗曇》典籍仍然保持早期的看法，更出現了「毗尼多聞」等專門知識。大乘經論則認為多聞可生智慧，但也可能產生學者的傲慢，所以主張智慧與多聞並重的宗教生活。中國佛教對多聞持有兩種態度：一種遵循大乘佛典的指示，力求智慧與多聞之間平衡；種為禪宗反智人士的激烈態度，敵視多聞。從這一演變中，我們可以看出佛教的歷史主流，主張以學術及智慧並重，達到解脫目的。只有部分禪者對學術持有拒絕的態度。但是禪宗某些祖師批評的目標，只是「狂學」，而非全部學術。因為禪宗對多聞是只彈不贊，這就造成了一種反智的傾向。這一傾向又因宋明以降，僧人教育水準的普遍下降，禪宗的態度也可能成為某些拒絕宗教學識者的藉口及依據。

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並列摘要

The relation between learning and religious practice is a complicated and sometimes even a touchy question. To some people, learning is essential in religious life; and to the other, it is redundant. This paper is a study of Buddhist attitudes towards learning, and its evolution in the history. The study finds the Agama literature held a high esteem of learning and even stated that an ignorant folk might fall into hells. In the Vinaya and Abhidharma literature, learning still enjoyed respects in religious life but the scope of learning became more specific. Mahayana literature recognize learning is capable of producing wisdom but could also bringing arrogance to the learner. Learning still enjoyed respects in Chinese Buddhism, but some masters of Ch'an Buddhism were critical of 'wild- learned' individuals. This criticism of learning has a great influence on Chinese Buddhists, probably one of the factors responsible for the declining of Buddhist scholarship in the country.