奥古斯丁时间观和佛教时间观的比较研究

A Comparative Study of Augustine’s and Buddhism’s View on Time

本文通过奥古斯丁《忏悔录》时间篇中对于时间的探究和解读,对比佛教对于时间的不同层次解说,试图在两种智慧的碰撞中回答时间究竟是什么的问题。神学哲学家奥古斯丁,站在时间与造物主关系的角度,希冀在合理的时间建构中完成“瞬间创世说”的理论论证。以解脱为导向的佛教,在触及其终极关怀时,时空大网便是其几欲挣脱的无形束缚。由于对于解脱观念存在等级上的差异,佛教内部不同宗派对于时间的析离也呈现出不同的样貌。同样是对于时间的认知,奥古斯丁与佛教存在着相似的由外及内、从表至里的真相获取过程与共同所见,即时间终极而言是非线性、非永恒性存在的。两种宗教系统,在同一哲学问题上具有同样的兴趣,且求证过程与结论又显示出高度相似性。

Through the exploration and interpretation on the chapter of Time in Augustine’s Confessions,this paper compares the explanations of diferent levels of Time by various Buddhist sects,and tries to answer the question of what Time is in the comparison and collision between these two kinds of wisdom.Augustine,a theological philosopher,stood in the perspective of the relationship between Time and creator,hoping to complete the theoretical demonstration of“the theory of instantaneous creation”in the reasonable construction of Time.When Buddhism with liberation as its goal touches its ultimate concern,the big network of time and space is the invisible bondage that people want to break away from.Due to the hierarchical diferences on the concept of liberation,the analysis and understanding on Time among diferent sects in Buddhism also presents diferent aspects.For the cognition of Time,Augustine and Buddhism have a similar process of obtaining truth from the outside to the inside and from the surface to the interior,which is the common vision between Augustine and Buddhism,i.e.,time is nonlinear and not existing eternally.Augustine and Buddhism belong to diferent religious systems of two diferent civilizations,but they have the same interest on the same philosophical issue,and there is a high degree of similarity on the verification process and conclusion.