明代士人儒佛之辨探微

Exploration of the Distinction between Confucianism and Buddhism by Ming Dynasty Scholars

明代士人的儒佛之辨大致经历了三个主要的发展历程:以明代开国时期文臣宋濂为代表的儒佛融合为开端,此时期的文化政策很大程度上出于政治上的考量,即维护统治之必要。然明代初期士人在学问理路上大都承继朱子学,因而此时的士人大都本着维护儒家正统地位、谨守朱子学学术精神而对佛教有排斥批判之倾向。明代中期随着阳明心学的发展,使得士人阶层得以冲破传统理学禁锢而直任本心,此学问之倾向一定程度上影响了其后学向佛教禅学思想的偏斜与靠拢,因而明代中后期,居士佛教盛行,出儒入禅之士人众多,此亦为明代中后期佛教自身的更新提供了契机。明代士人的儒佛之辨,亦推动着明代儒佛学术思想的交汇融合,儒佛二者也正是在一次次地分支而又融汇中展开着自身的学脉与生命。

The distinction between Confucianism and Buddhism among Ming Dynasty scholars roughly went through three main development processes:Starting from the integration of Confucianism and Buddhism represented by Song Lian,a literary minister during the Ming Dynasty,the cultural policies during this period were largely driven by political considerations,namely the necessity to maintain rule.However,most scholars in the early Ming Dynasty inherited the teachings of Zhu Zixue in their academic pursuits.Therefore,most scholars in the early Ming Dynasty had a tendency to reject and criticize Buddhism in order to maintain the orthodox status of Confucianism and adhere to the academic spirit of Zhu Zixue.In the mid Ming Dynasty,with the development of the Yangming School of Mind,the scholar class was able to break free from the constraints of traditional Neo Confucianism and directly adhere to their original intention.This tendency of learning to some extent influenced the deviation and convergence of their later studies towards Zen thought.Therefore,in the mid to late Ming Dynasty,layman Buddhism prevailed,and many scholars entered Zen,which also provided an opportunity for the renewal of Buddhism itself.The distinction between Confucianism and Buddhism among the scholars of the Ming Dynasty also promoted the intersection and fusion of academic ideas between Confucianism and Buddhism.The two also developed their own academic lineage and life in the process of branching and merging time and time again.