Damian John Gauci,The University of Melbourne. 墨爾本大學
關鍵詞
Xu Yun (1840-1959)=虛雲 (1840-1959); Chan=禪; Pure Land=淨土; Hermeneutics=詮釋學; Chinese Buddhism=中國佛教
摘要
Pure Land and Chan have typically been acknowledged as the two remaining poles of Chinese Buddhism. Pure Land practitioners revere Amitabha Buddha and seek not nirvana but rebirth in the Land of Bliss (jile shijie 極樂世界). Enlightenment is thereby conferred in another time and through another power (i.e. the vows of Amitabha). No more is there retrogression on the path, and the devotee can place all his efforts toward the realization of Buddhahood. By way of comparison, Chan accentuates sudden awakening, advocating the completeness of human capacities and directly pointing to the mind itself. Whereas Pure Land calls upon faith, vows and practice (xin, yuan, xing 信、願、行), Chan asserts the sealing of mind to mind, a ‘transmission outside the teaching.’ The remarkable disparity between the two led to Pure Land philosophy and devotion solidifying “into a carefully-defined and narrowly conceived sectarian movement which claimed to be the only effective method and all-sufficient source of salvation for everyone.” Although this movement dissolved into the very vitality of Chinese Buddhism, debate has, contrary to popular opinion, remained alive and even been revived again in contemporary Chinese Buddhism. It is the aim of the paper to explore this continued debate by focusing on the teachings and advice of Xu Yun 虛雲 as one of the many figures promoting dialectical harmony and understanding.
Introduction 107 The Historical Background: Chan and Pure Rivalry 108 Modern Developments 111 Xu Yun’s Heartfelt Response 113 Nian-fo and Chan Practice 115 References 119
