論大陸民國時期藥師佛法門之新詮釋與弘揚

The New Interpretation and Promotion of the Method of Bhaisajyaguru in the ROC Period in Mainland China

蘇美文(Mei-Wen Su)

《中華科技大學學報》 63期 (2015/07) Pp. 51-88

摘要

大陸民國時期的佛教在內外交迫變局下，以太虛（1890-1947）為導的「人生佛教」走出一條大路，讓佛教有方法有力量與當時社會對話，也給出一個釐清自身、振衰起敝的機會，這條大道是以菩薩入世為核心，以人間淨土為實踐；而在漢傳佛教較為冷門的藥師佛法門，特別重視現世救度與身心療癒，這樣的特質恰恰可與人生佛教的精神互相呼應，所以得到太虛等人的提倡弘揚。再加上藥師佛之「東方琉璃淨土」之於中國地理位置之為「東」可成類比，引為人間淨土的願景；當時戰亂頻仍，國族生命危亂、人民身心受難，需要療癒撫慰，因此藥師法門含蘊的延命儀軌、密咒修持元素，也讓時人如戴季陶（1891-1949）啟建藥師法會，作為消災解厄、護國佑民之用，並撰寫二個層次的現代版藥師佛十二大願，致力於社會富足康樂之發願與實踐，這些都是藥師佛法門在理上事上受到時代因緣影響的新詮釋與新弘揚。對藥師法門史而言，這段歷程有其時代性，亦是一個新的詮釋與弘揚，這樣的發展是在人間佛教的思惟上，急切地呼應時代需求而成。因此本文將探究太虛等人，如何以藥師淨土為人間淨土、藥師法門為人間佛教實踐法門之新詮釋，以「與藥師同願同行」來「救國濟民濟世」之新弘揚，形成藥師法門的新發展。

關鍵字

藥師佛 ； 太虛 ； 戴季陶 ； 人間佛教 ； 東方淨土

並列摘要

During the ROC period in mainland China, a turbulent situation beset with difficulties both at home and abroad, Taixu's (1890-1947) ＂Buddhism for Human Life＂ initiated a new way for Buddhism to interact with the society at that time, also a chance for Buddhism to clarify itself, rectify and revive. The method focuses on Bodhisattva oriented to the world and to make the world a pure land. Therefore a neglected branch in Chinese Buddhism- the Method of Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha), which places an importance on salvage within this lifetime and healing both the body and mind, was promoted by Taixu and the others. Besides, since Bhaisajyaguru's pure land ＂Vaiduryanirbhasa＂ is on the east side, it portrays the vision of an eastern pure land in this world as China an orient country. In that time of wars, when the nation and people were in danger and disorder, the power of healing was a fundamental need. For that reason people like Tai Chi-tao (1891-1949) started the assembly of Bhaisajyaguru for its elements like life-support ritual procedure and dharani training to avoid calamities and protect the nation and people. Tai Chi-tao also wrote a 2-level modern version Twelve Vows of Bhaisajyaguru to vow and put prosperity and well-being into practice. These were the new interpretation and promotion on both theory and daily practice of the Method of Bhaisajyaguru under the influence of that era. To the history of the Method of Bhaisajyaguru, the development above was a chronicle progress, an eager response based on Humanistic Buddhism toward the need of time. Accordingly, the article is to probe into how Taixu and the others formed the new interpretation to reason the analogy between Vaiduryanirbhasa and a pure land in this world, also the Method of Bhaisajyaguru to be the practice method of Humanistic Buddhism; and how the Method of Bhaisajyaguru developed under the new promotion ＂Pray and practice with the Bhaisajyaguru＂ and ＂Save the nation, aid people and benefit the world＂.

並列關鍵字

Bhaisajyaguru ； Taixu ； Tai Chi-tao ； Humanistic Buddhism ； east pure land