地藏菩薩=Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva; 地藏菩薩本願經=Sutra of the Original Vows of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha; 疑偽經=Doubtful Scripture; 經錄=Sutra Records; 佛語具三相=Three Aspects of the Buddha’s Words
摘要
《地藏菩薩本願經》作為一部受到漢傳佛教界尊崇之經典，以地藏菩薩的救度願力而聞名，尤其因「眾生度盡，方證菩提；地獄未空，誓不成佛」的弘深誓願而受到了廣大的讚譽。然而，學術界和社會一般人士對於此經存在許多疑惑：它是否為佛陀所說？是否為中國後人偽造的經典？抑或者它是否缺乏明確的出處？從宗教修持的立場來說，當我們面對符合疑偽經要素的佛教典籍時，是否佛法修行上的意義才是應該關心的課題。 所謂疑偽經一般即是指那些不是源自印度原文（梵文、巴利文或中亞胡語），而是由中土僧俗自行編撰或改寫的經典。至於《地藏菩薩本願經》是否屬於一部疑偽經，從經錄的角度或立場來看，在有記載此經之經錄作者的認知中，從來不認為此經有疑偽的問題。然而，被認為是在唐代初期譯出卻不見於當代或稍後的經錄或大藏經目錄中，確實令人感到困惑。一部經是否是疑偽經，其重要之意義在於提供讀者作為能否依之修行的參考。 本論文將著重於探討《地藏菩薩本願經》是否能作為修行依據的典籍，依據印順法師在其所著《初期大乘佛教之起源與開展》的一書中所說，印度佛教的傳統教典之收集及編輯者透過三種標準法則———「修多羅相應」、「不越毘尼」以及「不違法性」，以判斷《地藏菩薩本願經》是否具有佛法修行上的意義。研究結果指出，《地藏菩薩本願經》中的開示，在其他具真實教典身份的大、小乘經典中皆可找到相呼應的教導，這足以說明其可作為修行依據的明證。 The Sutra of the Original Vows of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha , revered as a classic in the world of Chinese Buddhism, is renowned for the salvific vow of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, particularly the profound vow ‘Only when all sentient beings have been saved, will I attain Bodhi; If Hell is not yet empty, I vow not to become a Buddha,’ which has garnered widespread praise. However, there are many doubts among academics and the general public about this sutra: Was it spoken by the Buddha? Is it a sutra forged by later Chinese? Or does it lack a clear source? From the standpoint of religious practice, when we face Buddhist scriptures that meet the elements of doubtful sutras, is the significance of Dharma practice the issue we should care about? The so-called doubtful sutras generally refer to those that are not derived from Indian originals (Sanskrit, Pali, or Central Asian languages), but are compiled or rewritten by Chinese monks and laymen. As for whether the Sutra of the Original Vows of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha belongs to a doubtful sutra, from the perspective or standpoint of the sutra records, in the cognition of the authors who have recorded this sutra, they have never thought that this sutra has a problem of doubt. However, it is indeed puzzling that it is believed to have been translated in the early Tang Dynasty but is not found in contemporary or later sutra records or catalogs of the Tripitaka. Whether a sutra is a doubtful sutra, its important significance lies in providing readers with a reference for whether they can practice it. This thesis will focus on exploring whether the Sutra of the Original Vows of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha can serve as a scripture for practice. According to Master Yinshun in his book The Origin and Development of Early Mahayana Buddhism, the collectors and editors of traditional Indian Buddhist scriptures judge whether the Sutra of the Original Vows of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha has the significance of Dharma practice through three standard rules - ‘corresponding to the Sutra,’ ‘not exceeding the Vinaya,’ and ‘not violating the Dharma.’ The research results point out that the teachings in the Sutra of the Original Vows of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha can find corresponding teachings in other authentic scriptures of the Mahayana and Hinayana, which is enough to prove that it can serve as a clear evidence for practice.
