古印度佛教的四姓平等观及多元倾向的思想体系

Ancient Indian Buddhist View of Four Caste Equal Theory and Its Thought System of Pluralistic Tendency

佛教理论特色的形成与古印度的种姓制有着重要的关系。佛教在产生时的主要创立者及最初的信众通常对于古印度社会中影响极大的种姓制具有抵触态度,对于种姓制下形成的社会不平等明确表示反对。这对于佛教在理论上提出缘起观、五蕴说、无我说与无常观等具多元倾向的思想有直接的影响。甚至在传入印度外的许多国家后,佛教仍然强调众生平等和许多与之相应的理论。因此,要明了佛教的一些重要教义或理论提出的原因时,就必须要考察此教产生时的古印度的社会发展形态或基本结构。

The formation of Buddhist theoretical characteristics has an important relationship with ancient Indian caste system.The main founders and original followers of early Buddhism usually had a negative attitude towards the caste system which had a great influence on ancient Indian society,and explicitly rejected the social inequality formed under caste system. This exerts a direct influence on the pluralistically-oriented theories,such as theories of dependent origination,five skandhas,no-self and impermanence. Even after its spreading into many countries outside India,Buddhism still stressed the equality of all living beings and many corresponding theories. Therefore,in order to understand the causes of some important theories of Buddhism,we should study the social development form or basic structure in ancient India in the period of early Buddhism.