社会化,还是世俗化?——中国当代佛教发展的社会学审视

Socialization or Secularization——Basic problems of Buddhist Development in China Today

中国当代佛教与当代中国社会变迁之间的互动关系日呈复杂。中国当代佛教的发展特征表面上类似世俗化,因而常常遭遇所谓世俗化的批评。其实,这并不能用西方宗教学理论中的神圣性与世俗性的关系来加以审视。中国佛教的当代发展并不是所谓的世俗化倾向,而是具有深刻的社会学意义的"社会化"内在要求。中国佛教的历史发展形态基本上围绕着真与俗、空与有等关系的演变而演变,其内在张力并非神圣与世俗的二元对立,而是真与俗、空与有的互补与互渗,一种特殊的相互嵌入的关系。当代的"人间佛教"是这种内在张力的现代社会形态,已成为中国佛教发展的主流。因而,在处理中国佛教与中国社会的关系时,在中国当代佛教的社会学研究中,与其使用"世俗化"概念,不如提出"人间佛教"的"社会化"命题,以真实讨论当代中国佛教所应具有的社会化要求。

The development characteristic of Buddhism in today’s China, seemingly, turns out to be a question of secularization. However, the worldly expression of Buddhism is far away from its own simple relation. It is true that the development of "Buddhism of human world" had already become the mainstream in China’s Buddhism development , but the interactive relation of Buddhism and contemporary Chinese society is of much complexity and often encounters the criticism of the so-called secularization. It is...