从《论佛骨表》看韩愈崇儒排佛思想中的身体关切

Han Yu’s Concern for Human Body Shown in His Thought of Advocating Confucianism and Rejecting Buddhism:A Study of the Memorial on Buddha Bones

《论佛骨表》反映了韩愈崇儒排佛思想中的身体关切。表文的叙事体现出强烈的驱邪焦虑。百姓狂热奉养佛骨的自残行为,君王因奉养佛骨而寿夭,都令韩愈认为佛骨具有邪祟之力。韩愈高度重视身体在儒者履道中的意义,认为弘扬儒道应以充分尊重和彰显儒士的身体力量为基础,健康的身体和旺盛充沛的生命力,是履践道义的保证,而佛骨令人身残寿短的邪祟之力,则会导致华夏风俗教化的隳败。历史上围绕《论佛骨表》是“表”还是“疏”多有争论,通过辨明此文为“表”,联系“表”文注重书写“忠君心曲”、注重君臣伦常之情表达的文体特征,可以进一步理解,对君王身体的关切,是此表重要的出发点。韩愈期望保护君王之身体免受侵害,进而维护华夏道德教化之根基不被动摇。韩愈谏迎佛骨所蕴含的身体关切,对进一步观察唐代儒佛冲突的复杂内涵颇具意义。

Han Yu’s(韩愈)the Memorial on Buddha Bones(《论佛骨表》)reflected his concern for human body shown in his thought of advocating Confucianism and rejecting Buddhism.The narrative in the text of this memorial embodied his strong anxiety for exorcism.The self-harming by the common people because of their fanatical worship to the Buddha bones,and the early death of the emperors in the former dynasties who enshrined and worshiped the Buddha bones,convinced Han Yu that the Buddha bones were harmful to human body for their evil power.Han Yu highly valued the significance of human body in a Confucian’s right conduct,holding that the development and expansion of Confucianism should be based on the full respect for the Confucians’strong physique and exuberant vitality,which were the guarantee for the implementation of Confucian doctrine.The evil power of the Buddha bones which could injure human body and even shorten a person’s life,might bring about the corruption of Chinese custom and morality.There were some debates in history over the literary style of Han Yu’s the Memorial on Buddha Bones,concerning whether it was a truthful account(“表”)or a critical statement(“疏”).A careful study of its style shows that this memorial was a truthful account to indicate Han’s loyalty to the Emperor by showing great concern for his health.This was characterized with a memorial in which a courtier expressed his feelings to the emperor about proper human relations.This memorial was not in the style of a critical statement,which was written mainly for discussions about government affairs.Han Yu expected that the Emperor should take good care of his own health and prevent himself from the injury by the Buddha bones,so as to protect the foundation of Chinese morality from being shaken.Han Yu’s concern for human body in his admonishment against the worship to the Buddha bones was of great significance to the further observation of the complex connotation of the conflict between Confucianism and Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty.