論蘇軾對淨土信仰的接受

Su Shih Acceptance of the Pure Land Faith

北宋時期，高僧大德推展「往生西方」概念，組織「淨社」，走向世俗。淨土信仰藉由通俗的形式，簡易便行的法門，漸漸深入民間。緇素結集，共修淨業，宣揚只要念佛、觀想，便可通向極樂淨土。彌陀信仰日盛，朝廷上下、士大夫、僧侶、庶眾，無不受影響。蘇軾一生親炙佛教，參禪問道，學界夙知，唯對其淨土信仰有所疑慮。歷來議論蘇軾佛教思想者，較少涉及「淨土信仰」。故本文乃就詩人作品及佛教經論、史傳，彙整爬梳，重新比對，較覈參差，歸結出施捨繪像、超薦文疏、抄經刊刻及放生戒殺等四個實踐面向，藉以觀察蘇軾淨土信仰的接受情形，補證學界疑慮及論述上的不足。

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the senior monks extended the concept of “Western Pure Land” and the organization “Pure Land Societies”, to bring them closer to the secular world. Thus, a popular form of “Pure Land” faith was developed, providing a simple and convenient path to enlightenment, which gradually penetrated the lives of ordinary people. The monks and the people gathered together to practice Buddhist “Pure Land Faith”. All that was required of believers to enter “Sukhavati” or the “Paradise of the West” was to chant the name of Buddha and to practice meditation. Pure Land faith became increasingly popular, affecting government, nobility, literati, and monks. We know that in Su Shih’s lifetime of studying Buddhism, he studied “can” (to reach into the world of deep understanding), and the doctrine of the “dao”, but had some doubts about his belief in the “Pure Land Faith”. Studies of Su Shih Buddhist beliefs rarely discuss the “Pure Land Faith”, therefore this article compares the following: poetic works, Buddhist scripture, history, biography. This article proposes four practical conclusions: the donation valuables to paint statues, transgression scripture, Manuscript Buddhist Scripture, the spread of printing, life releasing, a prohibition on killing. The conclusions are then employed to review Su Shih’s beliefs and to clarify the doubts that modern scholars have about Su Shih’s beliefs on Pure Land Faith.