北宋初高僧释赞宁的护国思想和行迹

A Research of Thought of Protecting the Country and the Practice of Shi Zanning in Earlier Song Dynasty

释赞宁不仅是北宋初的一位著名高僧,而且是我国佛教史上具有重要地位和影响的佛教史学家。释赞宁长期担任封建王朝高层僧职,深受当时最高统治者的信任和重用,这不仅源于他的各方面能力,更重要的是源于他的护国思想和护国行迹。释赞宁历经五代十国割据王朝到北宋初大一统的时代,他的护国思想主要是主张尊国主思想,拥护国家或朝廷的管理。他的护国行迹主要有:一是随吴越国王钱俶纳土归宋,表明吴越佛教拥护北宋王朝的统一管理;二是接受朝廷诏令,编撰佛教史籍《宋高僧传》《大宋僧史略》等著述;三是目睹民间疾苦,奏请朝廷救济。释赞宁护国思想和行迹产生的原因,主要缘于他的僧官身份,故而他自觉与帝王和朝廷保持一致,同时与其受到佛教护国思想和儒家忠君爱民思想影响有关。释赞宁的护国思想和行迹不仅在主观上而且在客观上为佛教的生存和发展获得了更广泛的空间,标志着佛教拥护朝廷和国主的思想和实践名正言顺地登上历史舞台,具有划时代的意义。

Shi Zanning was a famous monk in earlier Song Dynasty, and he was a Buddhist historian with an important status and influence in the history of Buddhism in China. Shi Zanning took on this position in Government of High level Monk Office, and he was trusted by Supreme ruler because of his much ability and his protection of the country and his practice. Shi Zanning went through the era of the Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms dynasty and the early Northern Song Dynasty. His thoughts of protecting the country mainly advocated the idea of respect for the country and supported the management of the country. His main acts of protecting the country are as follows: First, he returned to Song Dynasty with King Qian Yue of Wu Yue, indicating that Wu Yue Buddhism supported the unified management of the Northern Song Dynasty;second, he accepted the imperial court order and compiled the Buddhist history books Biography of the High Monk, The History of Monks in Song Dynasty and other works;Third, witnessing the sufferings of the people, he asked the court for relief. The reason for Shi Zanning’s thoughts and deeds of protecting the country is mainly because his monk official status affected him, so he was consciously consistent with the emperor and the court. At the same time, it was related to the influence of Buddhism and Confucian loyalty to the people. Shi Zanning’s thoughts and deeds of protecting the country have obtained a wider space for the survival and development of Buddhism not only subjectively but also objectively, and it was of epoch-making significance.