论东晋士族的玄学信仰与佛教信仰

On the Metaphysical Belief and Buddhist Belief of the Gentry in the East Jin Dynasty

从信仰看,东晋玄学在生死问题上割断了家族的连续性和血统上的关联性,突出了生命的个体性以及个体与个体之间的断裂性。强调生命的个体性与血缘上的断裂性,这是思想的进步。然而,玄学仅仅在理论上有突破,在修行实践和制度建设上根本就没有探索。而已经传入数百年之久的佛教有理论纲领,有修行实践,有僧团制度,又是性质上完全不同于礼教的外来文化,满足了士族打破礼教束缚、确立个体信仰、追求人生自由的需要。由玄入佛,即是士族信仰的大势所趋。而东晋士族佛学,从道安到慧远都为解决士族的人生问题而服务。人生问题是人与道的关系,为中国所独有。

As regards the issue of life and death, metaphysicists in the East Jin Dynasty advocated breaking the continuity and correlativity in blood and projecting the individuality of life and the irrelativity between individuals. This meant an advancement in thinking. However, a breakthrough as metaphysics had in theory, it didn＇s make any attempt to explore a corresponding training practice or to set up a corresponding system. On the contrary, with its theoretical principle, training practice, and system of the monk college, Buddhism, which had been introduced into China several centuries ago, was a foreign culture totally different from Confucianism, thus satisfying the gentry＇s needs for breaking away from the shackles of Confucianism, setting up personal belief, pursuing freedom of life. Buddhist studies among the scholars in the East Jin Dynasty, such as Dad An and Hui Yuan, served the purpose of answering the gentry＇ s questions concerning the matter of life in the world, this is, the relationship between man and Tad. This is an exclusively China-characterized issue.