动静、时空与因果:关于僧肇《物不迁论》之争的再讨论

Motion and Stillness,Time and Space,and Causality:A Re⁃discussion on the Debate of Wu Bu Qian Lun(Treatise on the Immutability of Things)by Seng Zhao

东晋僧肇的《物不迁论》在历史上曾引起过较多的争论,主要在该论是否符合大乘空义上,这个问题至今仍有讨论的必要。《物不迁论》首先引用《中论》,从真谛角度确立了全篇“性空”的大旨;接着从俗谛的角度,以“动静”“时空”“因果”三个角度作为切入口,论述了动静不二、因果不虚的道理。造成《物不迁论》歧解的原因,在于僧肇使用某些概念时没有严格区分真俗不同的语境。在《物不迁论》的总体论述中,僧肇主要从俗谛的立场,回应了当时中土佛教界和学术界的一些似是而非的观念,而在更高层面上,则连接了般若中观的缘起性空、万物无自性之义。阅读《物不迁论》,需要和《肇论》的其他几篇并观,才能得出更为公允的结论。

There have been many discussions about Wu Bu Qian Lun(Treatise on the Immutability of Things)by Seng Zhao(c.378⁃413 AD),focusing mainly on whether it is in accordance with the creeds of sunya in Mahayanna Buddhism.The treatise first quotes Zhong Lun(Verses on the Fundamentals of the Middle Way)to set up the gist of“Emptiness”for the whole text,then,from the perspective of mundane meaning,it elaborates non⁃duality of motion and stillness,and true Karma with three arguments:motion and stillness,time and space,and causality.The reason for the divergent interpretations of the treatise is that Seng Zhao did not strictly distinguish between the real and secular contexts in the use of certain concepts.In the general exposition,Seng Zhao responded to a number of specious notions of middle⁃China Buddhists and scholars from the perspectives of mundane meaning,while at a higher level,he connected with the meaning of the Prajna Middle View that everything had no self⁃nature due to karmic emptiness.The reading of Wu Bu Qian Lun requires a parallel view with other treatises of Zhao Lun(The Treatises of Seng Zhao)in order to reach a more objective conclusion.