姚崇灭蝗思想实质新论——基于佛教中国化进程的探析

New Exploration on the Essence of Yao Chong’s Thought of Locusts Elimination——Analysis Based on the Process of the Sinicization of Buddhism

对于姚崇灭蝗所引起思想冲突的实质研究,经历了儒法斗争,唯物主义与唯心主义之争,再到目前儒佛斗法三个阶段。这些研究丰富了我们对灭蝗思想的认识。随着佛教中国化进入研究视野,我们对此问题实质有了一种新的认识,姚崇灭蝗背后体现出一种复杂的文化互动,最初将蝗灾起因归结于自然说、灾害天谴论,从而导致对待蝗灾有着不同的举措。当佛教传入中国以后,中国知识分子立足于儒家经世济民思想基础,积极融摄佛教大乘菩萨道,摆脱灾害天谴论以及因果论的束缚,大胆灭蝗,努力发展农业生产,繁荣经济,造福人民,建设美好人间。这条灭蝗思想路线在中国思想史上展现出来的主线是:佛教在中国化过程中,不断将"慈悲济世、建设净土"的宗旨在人间呈现出来,这构成了佛教在中国发展的逻辑进程。这个进程,则是得益于中国优秀知识分子站在文化自信的高度,对佛教这一外来文化进行融摄而得以推进。通过对姚崇灭蝗思想实质研究,揭示出佛教这一异质文化如何被同构为本土文化思想资源的历史具象与内在原因,可以在当下全球化交流过程中给我们带来这样的启示:面对不同文化交汇时,我们能够在交流中不失冷静,在包容中不失理性,在鉴别中不失智慧,在互动中不失自主,在运用中不失胆识,达到一种活泼自由的境界,从而推动我们在新时代树立好民族文化自信,融摄不同文化,丰富社会主义文化内涵,用"中国智慧"讲好中国故事。

The substantive research on the ideological conflicts caused by Yao Chong’s extermination of locusts has experienced three stages: the struggle between Confucianism and legalism, between materialism and idealism, and then to the current struggle between Confucianism and Buddhism. These studies have enriched our understanding of locusts elimination, and the research of Sinicization of Buddhism throws new light on the essence of this issue. Yao Chong’s extermination of locusts reflects a complex cultural interaction. Initially the cause of the locust plague was attributed to the theory of nature and the theory of calamity punishments by nature, which led to different measures to deal with the locusts plague. When Buddhism was introduced to China, Chinese intellectuals, based on the Confucian ideology of administering the world to benefit the people, actively integrated the Buddhist Mahayana Bodhisattva way, got rid of the shackles of disaster theory and causality theory, boldly eliminated locusts, and worked hard to develop agricultural production, prosper the economy, benefit the people and build a beautiful world. The main thread of this ideological line of eliminating locusts in the history of Chinese thought is: Buddhism, in the process of sinicization, constantly presented the purpose of "charity to help the world and building a pure land" in the human world, which constitutes the logical process of Buddhism’s development in China. This process was promoted thanks to the fact that outstanding Chinese intellectuals integrated the foreign culture of Buddhism, standing at a height of cultural self-confidence. Through the study of the essence of Yao Chong’s thoughts on the elimination of locusts, it is found that that the historical concreteness and internal reasons of how Buddhism, a heterogeneous culture, can be isomorphized into local cultural and ideological resources, which can bring us enlightenment in the current global exchange process. When faced with the intersection of different cultures, we can remain calm in communication and rational in tolerance, and keep wise in judgment, independent in interaction, and courageous in application, and finally achieve a lively and free life. In this way, we will be able to build up our national and cultural self-confidence in the new era, integrate different cultures, enrich the connotation of socialist culture, and use "Chinese wisdom" to tell Chinese stories well.