論竺道生對佛性「本有」、「當有」的判屬

On Zhu Dao-Sheng’s Judgment of Inherent Possession and Due Possession in Buddha-Nature

當代學者解釋竺道生佛性論各執一邊，或說「本有」，或說「當有」，然而這兩者果真是對反的？抑或是不相衝突的？本文即嘗試重新梳理此一問題。竺道生的佛性論架構係依據《大般涅槃經》而開出四種佛性分位。在此架構裡，所謂「本有」對應於「因佛性」位的十二因緣法理，此為眾生本自具足且恆常存在者。另所謂「當有」則對應到「果佛性」位的佛果，此是眾生「智解十二因緣」始得且後起者。而當眾生初次證會法理，並自覺客體之「真理」與主體之「悟」相契無差的心理狀態，道生稱之為「始起」，此是眾生從「本有」到「當有」的轉接點。職是可知「本有」與「當有」等概念對道生而言並無衝突、矛盾，且在其佛性論架構底下能合成為一個整全體系。

When contemporary researchers explain the theory of the Buddha-Nature claimed by Zhu Tao-Sheng, they often hold their own sides. Some people think that the possession of Buddha-Nature is inherent, and some think it is due. Are the two opinions really opposite? Or are they actually coherent? This paper attempts to return to Zhu Tao-Sheng’s commentary to answer this question. The Zhu Tao-Sheng’s theory of Buddha-Nature is based on the causal Buddha-Nature view of the Mahāparinirvāṇ a-sūtra, and therefore the four forms of Buddha-Nature are also explained under this framework. In the four Buddha-Nature forms, the so-called “Inherent Possession” system corresponds to “the twelve limbs of dependent origination and its principle of dharma”, which belongs to “Cause of the Buddha-Nature” position. Moreover, this framework also suggests that the inherently possessed Buddha-Nature is a self-sufficient and permanent existence of human beings. The so-called “Due Possession” corresponds to the Buddha result of the position of “Effect of the Buddha-Nature”, which would only be obtained and arise after human beings “come to understand twelve limbs of dependent origination with wisdom”. As for the very first time that human beings understand the principle of dharma and realize that the reality of the object is in harmony with the subjective understanding, Zhu Tao-Sheng calls it “dawn”, which evokes the conversion of human beings from “Inherent Possession” to “Due Possession”. As a result, there is no conflict or contradiction between the concepts of “Inherent Possession” and “Due Possession”, according to Zhu Tao-Sheng’s Buddha-Nature theory. Instead, they can be synthesized into a whole system under this framework.