儒佛會通與純粹力動理念的啟示

The Dialogue of Confucianism and Buddhism in the Light of the Idea of Pure Vitality

本文試圖探討以純粹力動一理念作為思想之橋樑，以溝通儒家與佛教兩大思想體系的可能性。按就理論立場言，儒家是實體主義思想，其具有終極原理義的天道、良知，都是絕對有。佛教則是非實體主義思想，其具有終極原理義的空性是絕對無。雙方的對立性很明顯，不易溝通。本文提出「純粹力動」一理念，作為表示終極原理的絕對有與絕對無之外的另一表述式，它一方面可以綜合絕對有與絕對無的殊勝性格，如運動性與虛靈性。同時亦可超越或克服絕對有與絕對無思想所可能向極端處發展而出現的流弊，如常住論與虛無主義。另外，本文又檢討京都學浪所提的「自我淘空的神」的說法，認為不能成立，不能消融基督教的實體主義思想與佛教的非實體主義思想的矛盾。二者的會通，仍需在純粹力動哲學或現象學的脈絡下成立。

This article aims at bringing Confucianism and Buddhism together for a dialogue via the idea of Pure Vitality as a thought-bridge. Confucianism, as a substantialist philosophy, has Heavenly Way or Moral Consciousness as the ultimate principle, whereas Buddhism, as a non-substantialist philosophy, has Emptiness as the ultimate principle. It is difficult for these two great philosophies to have a harmonious encounter. In this context, the author puts forward the idea of Pure Vitality as a new ultimate principle. It can, on the one hand, synthesize the positive and constructive implications embraced by Moral Consciousness and Emptiness, namely, the dynamism of moral Consciousness and the quiescence of Emptiness. On the other hand, it can also transcend or overcome the radical dead ends both ideas of moral Consciousness and Emptiness may unfortunately lead to, i.e., eternalism and nihilism. The author also doubts the tenability of the conception of “Self-emptying God” proposed by the Kyoto School. This conception implies a direct injection of nonsubstantialism into substantialism, which just mutually oppose each other, as Confucianism and Buddhism do. The author is of the opinion that Christianity and Buddhism can be united and compared only in the context of the idea of Pure Vitality,which, as a transcendental activity, can overcome the contradiction between these two religions. In a nutshell, the idea of Pure Vitality is, indeed, the perfect expression to transmit the seemingly contradictory contents of substantialism and non-substantialism, whether they be represented by Moral Consciousness and Emptiness, or God and Emptiness.