《與神同行―罪與罰》中《佛說壽生經》與佛教《金剛經》的德福觀之對比研究=A Comparative Study about the Conception of Virtue-Happiness between Buddha Speaks the Life and Repaying Sutra and The Diamond of Perfect Wisdom Sutra
The Korean film Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds starts with the prelude as The Life and Repaying Sutra that unfolds the story as the protagonist accepts the trial from the hell of Hades, sending the message of ‘Reward for Good Man’ with the notion of ‘Consistency of Virtue and Happiness’. Nevertheless, after the film has triggered significant feedbacks from many viewers, it has, then, initiated the doubt if The Life and Repaying Sutra is Buddhist or not. As such, the author has based on The Diamond of Perfect Wisdom Sutra of Chinese Buddhism as an example as he attempts to compare the similarities and differences regarding the concepts of virtue and happiness in these two classics. First, this paper has categorized and re-organized the origin and connotation of the two words ‘virtue’ and ‘happiness’ from related literatures of philosophy; afterwards, it has reviewed diverse opinions on the relationship between virtue and happiness by different philosophers. Afterwards, it analyzes good deeds, Buddhist practices, merit and punya from The Life and Repaying Sutra and The Diamond of Perfect Wisdom Sutra. As a recapitulation, The Life and Repaying Sutra emphasizes paying by burning bills for the Life as well as Repaying, so that one can absolve reparation by watching the abbot chanting The Life and Repaying Sutra and then obtain rewards of blessing rewards, a demonstration with the concept of sasrava merit for ‘Karma-reward’ in this life. The Diamond of Perfect Wisdom Sutra teaches all beings for achieving the highest ideal of Nirvana (disambiguation) as one expresses Bodhicitta, does all Buddha, and practices self-cherishing and altruism, hence ‘Not Caged by The Heart’. The author calls ‘Six perfections’ as the concept of non-sasrava merit. When the author clarifies the core concepts of the relationship between virtue and happiness, he would analyze and correlate the two concepts as virtue and happiness in chapter five. Finally, the author has discovered the conception of virtue-happiness among these two sutras is more different than their commonality. Their commonalities can be found in two areas: both are justified in terms of the theory of causality, and mention about the abbot practicing the scriptures, while the rewards of their virtue-happiness are found with difference as The Diamond of Perfect Wisdom Sutra pays more attention to ‘the function of citta’ and the practice of offering evidence; on the other hand, The Life and Repaying Sutra pursues blessings from present virtue-happiness and reincarnation. In addition, The Diamond of Perfect Wisdom Sutra is not obsessed with the virtue-happiness of the present world, wholly freed from the entanglement of virtue-happiness.
