“天竺之路”与“天台之路”：中国佛教的抉择——兼谈玄奘在中国佛教中地位

作为中国佛教史上的两位伟大僧人,玄奘和智顗分别走了两条截然不同的佛教道路,其中玄奘走的是＂天竺之路＂,他远赴印度取经学习并最终成为印度佛教唯识学专家和佛经翻译家,而智顗走的则是＂天台之路＂,他来到天台山隐修以寻求适合中国人的佛教解脱法门并最终创立了中国佛教史上第一个中国化的佛教宗派天台宗。与玄奘只是照搬印度佛学而毫无创新形成鲜明对照的是,智顗表现出了佛学上的巨大创造力,开启了中国佛教创造自身中国化模式的大幕。中国佛教正是在选择智顗模式而抛弃玄奘模式的基础上逐步形成自己的独特风格并发展壮大的。从这个意义上来说,玄奘对于中国佛教的重要性还远不如智顗,尽管玄奘比智顗更具知名度。

Chinese Buddhism Has Adhered to the Line of Zhi-yi rather than Xuan-zang

As two great monks in the history of Chinese Buddhism,Xuan-zang and Zhi-yi developed different styles in their respective Buddhist practice： while the former went to India to study Indian Buddhism,finally becoming an expert in learning of Vij？ānamatravāda and a translator of Sūtra,the latter practised as a hermit in Tian-tai mountain located in eastern China seashore to seek a religious way suited to Chinese people,finally establishing Tian-tai sect,the first Chinese-style Buddhist sect.Zhi-yi displayed great creative power in Chinese Buddhism,yet Xuan-zang only copied Indian Buddhism mechanically.It is by following Zhi-yi’s style not Xuan-zang’s style that Chinese Buddhism expands itself unceasingly.In this sense,we say that Zhi-yi is more important than Xuan-zang in Chinese Buddhism,though Xuan-zang is known to more people than Zhi-yi.