论“象外之谈”及其美学意义

“Meaning beyond Image” and Its Aesthetic Significance

从先秦庄子、易学到魏晋玄学,言象意关系一直是中国哲学与美学的重要问题。然而在佛教哲学与美学上首次论述象意关系则源于僧肇的"象外之谈"说。其理论内涵是指主体超越言象,妙绝思境,对观照对象的终极真理的证悟;理论建构是以佛教之本体论为逻辑起点,现象论为存在形式;抽象思辨又建立在对魏晋玄学的哲学本体论与现象存在论的汲取与扬弃、解构与重构上。因此,僧肇"象外之谈"说超越了玄学的言意之辩,深刻影响了中国美学的基本品格与发展走向。

From Chuang-tzu and Yi Learning of the Pre-Qin time to Wei and Jin metaphysics, the relationship between language, image, and meaning is always an important issuein Chinese philosophy and aesthetics. However, discussions of this in Buddhism and aesthetics are initiated by Sengzhao's idea 'meaning beyond image'. The connotation of his theory is that the subject is beyond language image, achieve and contemplate the absolute truth about the object. The theory construction is based on the ontological being versus non-being dichotomy of Buddhism as the logical point of departure, in the form of investigations of word-image in the phenomenological sense. His abstract reasoning is based on a critique of the philosophical ontology phenomenological existence of Wei and Jin metaphysics. Thus, Sengzhao 'meaning beyond the image' transcends the metaphysical debate between language and meaning and therefore has a profound impact on the basic trait and orientation of Chinese aesthetics.