儒釋交融的聖人觀：從晚明儒家聖人與菩薩形象相似處及對生死議題的關注談起

本文主要討論在晚明三教融合的學風下，部分理學家所形塑的儒家聖人形象和儒家聖學理想，與大乘菩薩道有極相似的風貌。全文主要分三部分：第一，晚明理學家以天地萬物一體爲理想，強調聖人應發「明明德於天下」的宏願，寓自身的道德修養於明盡天下人之明德的講學救世活動中，此與大乘菩薩同體大悲的胸懷、發心普渡眾生、並寓自身成佛於救渡眾生的形象相近。第二，晚明理學家－改過去儒者不願多談生死議題的傾向，認爲了究生死並非佛教專利，更是儒家聖學的要義，強調人只有真正洞悉生死大事，才可能安頓生命。第三，分析晚明理學家的傳記中許多關於臨終的描摹，認爲此現象呼應著當時儒學對生死議題的重視，反映著學者們追求道德生命不朽的儒學理想，也揭露了學者們日常修身的重要內涵。

關鍵字

晚明；儒學；陽明學；菩薩；聖人；生死

並列摘要

This article argues that the image of the sage and the ideal of learning presented by late-Ming Confucian scholars (li-hsüeh scholars) employed ideals similar to those of the Bodhisattva. First, I explore three characteristics of the sage-ideal in late-Ming Confucian discourse. These characteristics show how the Confucian sage-ideal contains elements of the Bodhisattva-ideal. A Confucian sage will take a vow to redeem all human beings thus becoming responsible for their moral achievements, and thereby delaying his own. The motivation of a sage's action stems from the ultimate ideal of humanity endowed in his nature (the heart-mind with humanity of the unity of myriad beings, wan-wu-i-t'i shih pen-hsin). Second, I point out that, in contrast to earlier Confucians, late-Ming Confucian scholars were particularly concerned with the subject of death. Their discussions and practices focused on how to transcend the fear and limitation of death. These types of discourse brought them closer to Buddhist-style discourse. Third, through analyzing biographies of late-Ming Confucian scholars, I argue how this literary and cultural phenomenon correlated with scholars' concerns and how it reveals some characteristics of scholars' moral cultivation in daily life.