日本佛教界对生命的理解——以关于"中有"的讨论为中心

NHK的《西藏度亡经》专题节目引发的日本佛教界关于生命观的讨论,主要围绕该书宣扬的"中有"说而展开。以中泽新一为代表的一派认为它反映了藏传密教的最高教义——大圆满法的精义,甚至是三万年来人类关于生命的参究和证悟的结晶。而以山口瑞凤和袴谷宪昭等为代表的一派则认为该书的"中有"说是在对佛教教义误读基础上,杂糅婆罗门教、西藏苯教的灵魂说而成立的灵魂实在论。它不仅违背佛教的"无我"教义,而且其修行方法有违背佛教戒律的危险性。《西藏度亡经》虽然与藏族人的临终关怀问题联系在一起,但从日本佛教界的临终关怀的理念和实践看,本书未必具有跨文化的理论普遍性。两派关于"中有"说的争论,源于密教的体证主义与"批判佛教"所主张的佛教的理性主义之间的方法论的对立。

Understanding of life by Japanese Buddhism field——Discussion about Bardo

The discussion about life by the Japanese Buddhism field,caused by NHK's special program about Bardo Thodol,centers on Bardo.Some scholars think that Bardo Thodol reflects the highest doctrine of Lamaism,that is,the essence of Dzogchen Tantras,even the crystallized understanding of life for 30 000years while others think that Bardo of the book is the soul realism established on the basis of misunderstanding of Buddhism doctrine and combination of soul theory of Brahman and Tibetan religion.It not only violates the doctrine of anatman of Buddhism,but its way of practicing Buddhism also violates the discipline of Buddhism.Although Bardo Thodol is related to the Tibetan hospice care,the book does not have cross-cultural theoretic universality in view of the Japanese Buddhism field's theory and practice.Their argument about Bardo comes from the contradiction of methodology between mental experimentalism of Esoteric Buddhism and rationalism of Buddhism proposed by "critic Buddhism".