士大夫化的维摩居士:佛教中国化的一个侧影

The Lay Buddhist Named Vimalakirti is Like Ancient Chinese Literati Bureaucratization:A Profile of the Sinicization of Buddhism with Chinese Characteristics

作为佛教中国化的一个侧影,士大夫化的维摩居士形象从儒佛冲突的调和、佛道精神的沟通和佛教自身的变革3个层面呈现了佛教中国化的内在可能性逻辑,其入世修行、逍遥应世、道德自救等行为方式对中国古代文人士大夫的处世心态、人格理想模式追求、人生境界追求和艺术创作等产生积极影响。以“在家修行”和“在欲行禅”方式而获得精神解脱的维摩居士,通过自身道德行为规范,将佛教的他力救赎与自力救赎有机地融入社会规范中,从根本上消除出家修行与世俗生活的对立,实现了自我人生境界“内在超越”与“外在超越”的相互衔接,既较好地调适了儒佛之间的道德伦理冲突,又在与道家追求逍遥自由的最高精神沟通中,破除世俗社会对佛教“出世”概念的狭义化理解,突出彰显中国化佛教既充分肯定人的现实生活意义、又充分关注现实人生解脱之道的特点。由此,士大夫化的维摩居士也以实际行动为中国古代文人士大夫开启了一条心出世而身入世的新人生模式,并为他们将相对抽象的佛禅义理上升为对自我人生实践的内在超越提供了指导。

As a microcosm of the localization of Buddhism in China,the image of Vimalakirti,a Literati bureaucratization,presents the internal logic of the localization of Buddhism in China.His behavior is about self-improvement in the world,optimistic face of worldly suffering,moral self rescue,etc.which has positive influence on the Chinese ancient literati and bureaucrats'attitude towards life,by pursuit of ideal personality model,pursuit of life realm,and artistic creation.From the three aspects of the reconciliation of the conflict between Confucianism and Buddhism,the communication of the spirit of Buddhism and Taoism,and the reform of Buddhism itself,Vimalakirti achieved spiritual liberation through“self-cultivation at home”and“practicing Zen in the desire”.He organically integrated Buddhism's other-salvation and self-salvation into social norms by regulating his moral behavior.This fundamentally eliminates the opposition between monastic practice and secular life,and realizing the mutual connection of“internal transcendence”and“external transcendence”of self-life realm.The result is that the contradiction and conflict between Buddhism and Confucianism on morality and ethics have been well adjusted,and the communication between Buddhism and Taoism on the highest spiritual realm of freedom has broken by the narrow understanding of the secular society on the concept of Buddhism“birth”,thus providing the possibility for the localization of Buddhism in China.This fully demonstrates the characteristics of Chinese Buddhism,which not only fully affirms the significance of people's real life,but also fully pays attention to the way of free oneself from real life.As a result,the Vimalakirti is like Ancient Chinese Literati bureaucratization,he took practical actions to open up a new life mode for ancient Chinese Literati bureaucratization to come out of the world with one mind and enter the world,and also provides guidance for them to elevate the relatively abstract Buddhist and Zen principles into internal transcendence of their own life practice.