This article aims at bringing Confucianism and Buddhism together for a dialogue via the idea of Pure Vitality as a thought-bridge. Confucianism, as a substantialist philosophy, has Heavenly Way or Moral Consciousness as the ultimate principle, whereas Buddhism, as a non-substantialist philosophy, has E炭mptiness as the ultimate principle. It is difficult for these two great philosophies to have a harmonious encounter. In this context, the author puts forward the idea of Pure Vitality as a new ultimate principle. It can, on the one hand, synthesize the positive and constructive implications embraced by Moral Consciousness and Emptiness, namely, the dynamism of moral Consciousness and the quiescence of Emptiness. On the other hand, it can also transcend or overcome the radical dead ends both ideas of moral Consciousness and Emptiness may unfortunately lead to, i.e., eternalism and nihilism. The author also doubts the tenability of the conception of “Self-emptying God” proposed by the Kyoto School. This conception implies a direct injection of nonsubstantialism into substantialism, which just mutually oppose each other, as Confucianism and Buddhism do. The author is of the opinion that Christianity and Buddhism can be united and compared only in the context of the idea of Pure Vitality,which, as a transcendental activity, can overcome the contradiction between these two religions. In a nutshell, the idea of Pure Vitality is, indeed, the perfect expression to transmit the seemingly contradictory contents of substantialism and non-substantialism, whether they be represented by Moral Consciousness and Emptiness, or God and Emptiness.
