“死生之道”与三教之判——王阳明由龙场悟道而归本儒学之密钥

“The way of life and death”and the differentiation of the three doctrines:The key to Wang Yangming's return to Confucianism via Longchang enlightenment

生死问题作为龙场悟道的核心,实为理解阳明归本儒学、判分三教的一把密钥。由龙场之悟对生死一念的勘破,阳明洞达了生命存在的实相:吾人本具长生不死之体,本有圆满自足之性。立于这一彻悟,阳明一方面强调破除执著功夫,将对死生之道的理解完全转至当下的道德境域之中,从而奠定了他归本儒学的根基;另一方面他以儒学为宗,"校勘仙佛",将二教所言生死的内涵进行了道德化的发明阐释,宣称原始佛道之义与儒家圣人之道实无不同,从而圆满地实现了对三教的判分与融通。由此,在阳明心学中,养身与养德一体同宗,居仁由义即可长生不死;儒学与佛道一体同源,尽性至命实能作佛成仙。

As the core of the Longchang Enlightenment,the issue of life and death is the key to understanding Wang Yangming’s return to Confucianism and judgment and differentiation of the three doctrines.Seeing through the“ultimate concern of life and death”in his Longchang enlightenment,Yangming arrived at the truth of life existence that we originally have the bodies of“longevity and immortality”,and are fully self-sufficient.Based on the insight into the truth of life,Yangming,on the one hand,through emphasis on the obsession-breaking work,completely turned the way of life and death into current moral practice,thus laying the foundation for his ultimate return to Confucianism.On the other hand,he took Confucianism as the guide,“rectifying Daoism and Buddhism”,interpreting the life and death discussed in Buddhism and Daoism in worldly terms,claiming that the original doctrines of Buddhism and Daoism are no different from the way of Confucian saints,thus perfectly achieving the fusion of the three doctrines.Therefore,in Wang Yangming's psychological studies,cultivation of the body is in accordance with that of the virtue,dwelling in benevolence and acting in righteousness can lead to longevity and immortality,Confucianism has the same origin as Buddhism and Daoism,and finally full development of nature till death is the same as being the Buddha or the Immortal.