菩薩戒的人間性格－試論當代人間佛教倫理的重建

「佛法在世間，不離世間覺。」六祖惠能大師這句膾炙人口的嘉言，道出佛教修行與世間生活的不二，成為當代人間佛教建設的理論依據之一。佛法包括佛教倫理，這樣，作為佛教倫理具體表現的佛教戒律亦在人間，其實踐離不開人間。在佛教四眾弟子中，在家人守持五戒、奉行十善，而五戒十善與一般社會倫理具有共同基礎；僧團大眾出家修道，追求出世解脫，但其生活離不開社會，必須遵守世間倫理。無論是聲聞乘戒，還是大乘菩薩戒，都沒有離開社會，而是社會倫理的昇華和提高。聲聞弟子的生活即是修行，如法如律地托鉢乞食即是在實踐自利利他的修行。大乘佛教更加提倡恆順眾生，其戒律更具入世精神。這樣，佛教戒律是聲聞和菩薩順應世間生活和修行在世間的保證和護持，反應了僧團與世間的關係，是世俗倫理在佛教中的反映。龍樹菩薩說：「毘尼中結戒法，是世界中實，非第一實法相。」戒律是世間法，是因緣所生，具足人間性格。所謂人間性格，即是世尊隨宜制戒，戒律隨方清淨的精神，同時亦意味着人們可以根據實際情況來相應的奉行戒律。佛教戒律因人而立，為人服務，其目的就是讓人更好地修習禪定、開發智慧。本文簡要分析大乘菩薩戒的圓融精神和人間性格，並以《瑜伽菩薩戒本》為切入點，探討菩薩律儀的現代意義，及其對人間佛教倫理建設的啟示。

關鍵字

菩薩戒；倫理；人間佛教

並列摘要

Both monastic and bodhisattva disciplines are closely associated with worldly ethics. Monastics aspire for the complete liberation of suffering, yet their daily life depends on the world, so that they must observe worldly ethics. Their moral life is non-different from their spiritual one, and by living life in accordance with worldly ethics, they serve the world while achieving self-benefit too. In Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva is one who readily makes self-sacrifice for the sake of others without any selfish motifs, and one cannot do so by leaving the world behind. Therefore, Buddhist disciplines are not absolute but characterized with humanity, aiming at serving the world for the spiritual and religious practice. This paper, focusing on discussing The Yogacara Book of Bodhisattva Discipline, examines the expedient nature and human character of bodhisattva discipline, exploring its significance in a re-construction of Buddhist ethics in the contemporary world.