元稹的宦海浮沉与禅心消长

从交游、禅法接受、以及对佛教教理的理解等方面,对元稹进行考察,全面讨论他与佛教的关系。元稹早在少年时期即已接触佛教,其交游之僧人以苦行习禅者为最多,所受禅法当为北宗禅;作为仕进之心强烈的文人,元稹的亲近禅法发生在贬谪之后,这使他对佛教人物及其教理的认识都带有实用、乃至偏离本义的特征;而对既往之事的悔悟,亦使他在佛理之中找到了一种解释。

Yuan Zhen and his Relation to Buddhism

The author elaborates on Yuan Zhen's friend-making experience, acceptance of Buddhism and understanding of Buddhist principles. Yuan Zhen gets in touch with Buddhism in his boyhood and the monks that he is familiar with mostly take refuge in ascetic practices and sit in meditation, and the dhyana he accepts belongs to Northern Chan School. Once being a scholar yearning for official career, Yuan Zhen keeps a close contact with Buddhism after being relegated, which accounts for his understanding of Buddhist doctrines and dhyana as being practical and away from original intention. And he also finds explanation from Buddhist doctrine in his repentance of the past.