吉藏的淨土思想

The Pure Land Teaching of Chi-tsang

提到「淨土思想」，一般人便會聯想起以往生阿彌陀佛的極樂世界為宗趣的淨土宗。其實在中國佛教史裏，對淨土問題曾表現興趣者，非僅淨土宗一家，還有地論、三論、天臺、華嚴……等重要學統。本文以三論學統的主要人物吉藏(549～623)的淨土思想為主題。吉藏在其代表作《大乘玄論》裏，特設「淨土門」一項，全面申析淨土觀念，並為《無量壽經》和《觀無量壽經》這兩種阿彌陀佛信仰經典造註，對中國淨土思想的形成，作出了貢獻。本文分兩部分，探討吉藏的淨土思想。第一部分闡述吉藏所提出的各種佛土分類，包括五種佛土、四位淨土、三種佛土諸說法；並申釋吉藏對一些備受爭議的佛土問題所持的意見，例如佛是否有土的問題，淨、穢兩種佛土的方所的問題等。第二部分集中討論吉藏對一些跟阿彌陀佛及其極樂淨土有關的問題的看法，詳細析述吉藏就阿彌陀佛的身位、極樂淨土的類別、往生極樂淨土的行因、往生極樂淨土眾生的品類等諸方面所作的論議。

Students of Chinese pure land teaching generally centre their attention on the Pure Land School. As a matter of fact, the Pure Land School is not the only major Chinese Buddhist tradition interested in the subject of pure land. Time and again, we come across detailed discussions on the question of pure land in writings of various Chinese Buddhist traditions, such as the Ti-lun, San-lun, T'ien-t'ai and Hua-yen traditions. This essay examines the pure land thought of Chi-tsang (549-623), a leading San-lun figure. The essay comprises two parts. The first part deals with Chi-tsang's classifications of pure lands into different types, and analyses Chi-tsang's views on a number of doctrinal issues connected with the idea of pure land. The second part discusses Chi-tsang's opinions on several central questions about the Buddha Amitabha and his pure land, and compares them with those held by his contemporaries and by the Pure Land School.