早期禪宗是一種本覺思想嗎？

Is Early Chan a Kind of Original Enlightenment Thinking?

本文考察中國早期禪宗是否可以定位為本覺思想。關於本覺思想的界定，本文採取呂澂先生（1896-1989）對本覺的定義。呂澂以「自性本寂」、「自性本覺」區別印度佛學與中國佛學的心性說。其中，「自性本覺」認為有一真心，其自性智慧光明，此真心在凡夫位雖然被妄念障蔽，但覺性本存，妄念一息，就會恢復它本來的面目，因此，在修證觀上，成佛覺悟乃一返本還原、豁顯覺性的過程。呂澂認為本覺思想出自偽經論，與印度佛學的本質並不相類。而且，呂澂將早期禪宗分為楞伽禪、起信禪、般若禪三系，認為這三系都是本覺思想，「有損人天眼目之危險」，「本覺絕不能立」。 關於早期禪宗的人物，本文考察了傳統敘事中的初祖達摩、二祖慧可、三祖僧璨、四祖道信、五祖弘忍、六祖慧能。所使用的文獻主要是敦煌新出材料，其中，語錄有《二入四行論》、《入道安心要方便法門》、《修心要論》、敦煌本《壇經》，以及燈史中的相關記載。據現有文獻而言，這幾位禪師的禪法與《起信論》沒有密切的關係，也沒有呂澂所定義的簡單化、已然性的本覺思想。需要說明的是，本文沒有考察早期禪宗中牛頭法融與北宗神秀的禪法，這兩位禪師的思想與本覺思想有較為複雜的關係，限於篇幅，無法在本文進行處理。

This paper examines whether early Chan Buddhism in China can be categorized as a kind of“original enlightenment”(本覺) thinking. In defining“original enlightenment”, the author adopts the definition given by Lu Cheng (1896-1989). Lu Cheng differentiates between the Indian Buddhist concept of mind and the Chinese Buddhist concept by using the terms“self-nature is original quiescence”(自性本寂) and“self-nature is original enlightenment”. According to the concept of“self-nature is original enlightenment”, there exists a true mind whose inherent wisdom is luminous. Although this true mind is obscured by deluded thoughts in ordinary beings, its inherent awareness remains. With the cessation of deluded thoughts, it will restore its original nature. Therefore, in terms of cultivating and realizing enlightenment, becoming a Buddha is a process of returning to one’s original nature and manifesting inherent awareness. Lu Cheng believes that the concept of“original enlightenment”originated from pseudo-scriptures and is fundamentally different from Indian Buddhist philosophy. Furthermore, Lu Cheng divides early Chan Buddhism into three lineages: the Laṅkā Chan lineage (楞伽禪), the Qixin Chan lineage (起信禪), and the Prajñā Chan lineage (般若禪), considering all three lineages as embodiments of the“original enlightenment”. He also states that“there is a danger of harming people’s eyesight”(有損人天眼目之危險) and“establishing original enlightenment is absolutely not acceptable”(本覺絕不能立). Regarding the figures of early Chan Buddhism, this paper examines the traditional narrative of the first ancestor Bodhidharma, the second ancestor Huike, the third ancestor Sengcan, the fourth ancestor Daoxin, the fifth ancestor Hongren, and the sixth ancestor Huineng. The primary sources used in this study are newly discovered materials from Dunhuang, including the Treatise on the Two Entrances and Four Practices (二入四行論), the Rudao anxin yao fangbian famen (入道安心要方便法門), the Xiuxin yaolun (修心要論), the Dunhuang version of the Platform Sutra (壇經), and relevant records from the Transmission of the Lamp. Based on the existing literature, the Chan teachings of these Chan masters do not have a close relationship with the Awakening of Faith (起信論), nor do they exhibit the simplified and essentialized concept of“original enlightenment”as defined by Lu Cheng. It should be noted that this paper does not examine the Chan teachings of Niu-tou Fa-jung (牛頭法融) and Shen-hsiu (神秀). The ideas of these two Chan masters have a more complex relationship with the concept of“original enlightenment”, but due to the limitations of space, they cannot be addressed in this article.