晚明「身心性命」觀念的流行：一個思想史觀點的探討

Examining the Prevalence of shenxin xingming in the Late Ming Period from an Intellectual Historical Perspective

今人習聞的「身心性命」一詞，是晚明萬曆年間 (1573-1620) 才開始流行的用語，本文指出此一歷史現象，並假定此現象的發生與時人的思想意識高度相關，進而透過文獻的梳理、觀念的分析與歷史背景的說明，從思想史的角度提出具體的論證與解釋。本文首先說明，自明中葉陽明心學興起後，性命之學的內涵發生了轉變，從天人萬物之理的體察，收攝為良知本體的修證，為「身心性命」這一具有個體修證意味的觀念，提供了滋長的契機。而陽明學對佛道二家相對開放的態度，使得佛道思想也參與此觀念的流行，「身心性命」問題乃成為三教交涉的重要平臺。其次，從「一大事因緣」、「離世求道與掃蕩俗情」、「生死關切與救度精神」三個面向，指出陽明心學中較前代強烈的「超脫意識」，這正是晚明「身心性命」問題的重要內涵。最後，綜述宋明理學「超脫意識」逐漸增強的時代因素，揭示晚明學者的「身心性命」關懷在理學史上的意義。

The phrase shenxin xingming, which is familiar to Chinese speakers today, consists of the concepts “Mind-Body” (shenxin 身心), which denote one’s physical state of being, and “Nature-Destiny” (xingming 性命), which describe one’s metaphysical condition. Taken together, shenxin and xingming represent a branch of learning which concerns not only one’s physical and spiritual well-being, but also the ultimate meaning of life. These two concepts started to be combined during the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty (1573-1620), as indicated by the prevalence of the term shenxin xingming in writings of that time. This essay argues that following the rise of the Yangming school of thought during the mid-Ming, the essence of xingming learning underwent a shift from relentlessly investigating the principles (li 理) of all things, to self-reflection and the verification of one’s innate knowledge (liangzhi 良知), which was thought to encapsulate all principle. Moreover, the open attitude Wang Yangming adopted towards Buddhism and Taoism meant that Buddhist and Taoist thought were now free to commingle with Confucian concepts. Henceforth, the problem of shenxin xingming became an important platform on which syncretism transpired. In addition to analyzing this important intellectual shift, this essay will seek to demonstrate that the idea of transcendence (chaotuo yishi 超脫意識) in the Yangming school of thought informed the problem of shenxin xingming in three ways; namely, with regards to the ultimate goal of self-cultivation, the casting away of worldly cares in pursuit of the Tao, and the transcendence of life and death in the spirit of universal salvation. Finally, in an effort to show the significance of late Ming scholars’ concern with shenxin xingming, this essay will describe the historical factors that brought about the increased emphasis on the idea of transcendence in Neo-Confucian philosophy.