Author Affiliation: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
關鍵詞
The Laozi (Daode jing); Buddhist scriptures; body; desires; contentment; compassion
摘要
A third-century Chinese author remarked that Buddhist scriptures and the Laozi were similar in some ways and different in others. The aim of this article is to address the question of what led the Chinese to perceive similarities between the literature of the two traditions. It identifies and contrasts passages from both literatures, examining how they resemble each other mainly on the following three points: the body as a source of suffering, handling desires, and the virtue of compassion. The article demonstrates that the two literatures may convey apparently similar messages on these three points while, at the same time, being different in scale and depth of their treatment, as well as their importance within their respective traditions.
