惠能的“心”之本体论思想及其心理学理论价值

Huineng's Ontology of Xin and Its Theoretical Value for Psychology

禅宗六祖惠能提出了"心"的本体论思想。该思想可概括为两个方面:"心"造人自己所生活的世界;"心"即空。"心造世界"是指"人所生活的世界及其中万物是由人心创造的"。其义并不是说"心"造了宇宙万物,应该说是"心"造自己所生活的宇宙,或自己心中的宇宙万物。"心即空"是指"心"不是任何实体,如同虚空那样无形无边、不生不灭。惠能的这种心之本体论思想具有非常重要的心理学理论价值:为人们审视或反思心理实质等心理学基本理论问题提供了独特的视界,通过审视和反思,可以提出极具价值的思想理论;为心理学研究提供新的视界和方法论。

Huineng, the sixth patriarch of Chinese Chan(aka Zen), proposed the thought of Xin’s(literally heart) ontology, which is able to be summed up as two theses: that Xin creates the world where people live, and that Xin is empty. The former statement means that“ the world where people live and everything in it are created by their own Xin.” It does not mean that people’s Xin creates the universe, but produces the world in which they live or the universe in their mind. The second thesis means that Xin is not any entity and instead it is just like the void that is formless and boundless, not born and unable to be destroyed. Huineng’s thought of Xin's ontology has very important theoretical value for psychological studies, which provides a unique horizon for people to examine or reflect on the psychological essence and other basic theoretical issues of psychology, and brings about a new horizon and methodology for psychological research.