Chapter 3 2. Introduction to Buddhism

(1) Background of Indian culture Buddhism, the content of establishing enlightenment for Sakyamuni, from the point of view of Buddhism, the three concepts of Buddhism, Dharma, and studying Buddhism have different meanings; Buddhism is the legacy of Buddha, which has a religious nature; Ideology and academics and all methods of seeking evidence; studying Buddhism is practicing the Buddha's legacy, and following the teaching methods of the Buddha to study. In Chinese academia, there is a well-known customary saying about Buddhism, which says that "Buddhism is as vast as a sea of ​​mist." From this, we can imagine the richness of Buddhism. From an academic point of view, we will briefly introduce the key points of Buddhism. First of all, It is necessary to understand the background of Indian culture in ancient times.When it comes to Indian culture, we must have an understanding that the cultural thinking of India for thousands of years has always been evolving in religion, philosophy, and the practice and verification methods of various religions and philosophies, and even the current Hinduism is no exception. Therefore, The entire history and culture of India has also continued under the conditions of religious struggles, ideological frictions, and class injustice.Although there have been external invasions since the seventeenth century, they still use the contradictions in Indian religious thought as a magic weapon for control anytime and anywhere.

The teachings of ancient Indian religions, the religions and philosophical thoughts of various schools at the same time as Sakyamuni, are really like "spreading scattered in the sky", and can really be used as the blueprint for "comparative religion" and "comparative philosophy" in the world. Generally speaking, Indian philosophy , about all of them use the six masters simultaneously to illustrate the situation of the six major philosophical schools. In fact, in the translated Chinese Buddhism, there are about ninety-six kinds of philosophical thoughts called different schools. Although all the materials are not enough, However, there are still a lot of precious materials in fragments and fragments; it is just that the international teaching of Indian philosophy or Buddhism is influenced by the European schools after the seventeenth century.It is a pity and a pity that Chinese and foreign scholars have never paid much attention to the materials of Chinese Buddhism, which has caused Chinese and foreign scholars to wipe out the value of Chinese Buddhism.In a word, the ancient Indian philosophy and religion already had everything to deal with such issues as dominator, non-master, unitary, pluralistic, being mind, being thing, etc. Influenced, it completely entered China and became Chinese Buddhism. Later, the transformation of Indian culture and history has nothing to do with Buddhism. This should be specially explained to avoid misunderstanding.

(2) The ancient situation and national conditions of India The era of Sakyamuni was around the early Spring and Autumn Period in China. The exact period of his life has always been the focus of debate among scholars at home and abroad. From the perspective of world cultural history, at this stage, within a century, the Eastern Although the historical evolution of the West is chaotic, philosophers have emerged in large numbers, which is a spectacle. In China, there are Laozi, Confucius, etc.; It is the person who influenced the subsequent human culture for thousands of years. At that time, our history was indeed a system of enfeoffing princes and establishing local kingdoms, but there was still a Zhou emperor in the center who ruled the world; while in India, hundreds of countries competed for power and separated, and there was no unified emperor. As a king, Sakyamuni, as a prince, possessed peerless wisdom and was educated by the court. He was learned and versatile as a young man. Because he witnessed the war in India at that time and observed the pain of the weak in the biological world, he wanted to find a way for the common people in the world. The path to true peace is to resolutely become a monk and pursue the teachings of ancient philosophers in order to obtain the true meaning of life in the universe.After he became a monk, he visited the traditional Brahmanism practice method, and the ascetic practice life of other religions and schools, but he thought that they were all unexact knowledge, so he experienced some ascetic practice alone, from twenty-nine He became a monk at the age of thirty-five and did not begin to promote his teachings until he was thirty-five years old.Modern scholars treat him like they treat Confucius, some think he is the leader of religion, and some think he is a philosopher or educator. In fact, these honorable titles and status do not matter to Sakyamuni. A true saint Zhe, decided to ignore the vanity of the world, he disregarded the honor of the emperor, and at the same time called the ancient Buddha and other Buddhas, which shows that he did not want to be the leader of the leader. Going to the throne of the leader is a matter for future generations to pass on to the disciples.I think most of the leaders of all religions have such a mind. For example, Lao Tzu was dragged to the throne of Taoist leader Taishang Laojun, so why is he "unknown", or riding a green bull out of Hangu Pass? The original intention!Rather than saying that Sakyamuni founded Buddhism and became the leader, it is better to say that he collected the culmination of ancient Indian traditional culture and thought, and expounded his unique cultural and educational spirit, which is more great and meaningful.

(3) Sakyamuni’s Contribution to the Human World Now we summarize the main points of Sakyamuni becoming a monk, becoming a Taoist, and promoting enlightenment. There are about five focuses, which are described as follows: 1.Establish the dignity of teachers Guide the way of kingship with compassion.Sakyamuni considers that he can be an unworldly hero and rule the world in India, but a hero can conquer the world, but not himself; besides, human history has always evolved to change paths, after all, it is impossible to maintain an eternal kingship forever He wants to establish a cultural thought that can be used as the yardstick for all generations; he wants to conquer himself and meet the requirements of becoming an inner sage, so he has to "run away from passion and desire, so he is exhausted" to become a monk to seek the Tao.As a result, his wish was fulfilled, he established the solemnity of being a teacher and Taoist, and won the admiration of all ages, both at home and abroad. According to the economic value concept commonly used by modern people, the value of his teaching for generations is more valuable than being a king for decades in his life. It is true that the value of proclaiming emperor cannot be counted.According to the effect of his teaching way, in the following hundreds of years, the achievements of the famous Indian king Ayugong appeared, which became the most glorious page of Wenzhi in Indian history. It is equivalent to Confucius' theory and formed Wenzhi in the early Western Han Dynasty; It is equivalent, but it is not the same. The solemn enlightenment spirit of teachers and all the precepts of Hinayana and Hinayana can echo each other with the "Book of Rites" in traditional Chinese culture, which is also the basic spirit of human etiquette and legal philosophy .Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, scholars who are more objective have always quoted Sakyamuni and Confucius, thinking that if Confucius was born in India at that time, he would have acted like Sakyamuni, and if Sakyamuni had been born in China at that time, he would have acted like Confucius. Saints, saints in the West, have the same heart and the same principle, and they are all the same. "

2.Abolish the traditional concept of class in India Advocate equality for all beings.Indian history, since ancient times, has always had an extremely strict class concept. Usually, the so-called first class is Brahmans (traditional Brahman monks), the second is Kshatriya (traditional warriors who hold military power), and the third is Vaishya ( engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, merchants, etc.), and the fourth is Sudra (those engaged in low labor).After Sakyamuni became enlightened, he tried his best to promote the concept of the equality of all living beings. He not only believed that human beings are equal human beings, but also believed that all flesh and blood and spiritual creatures, even heaven and man, are all called sentient beings. In terms of Taoism, all should be equal. People should not infringe others maliciously, and at the same time, they should not harm all sentient beings out of selfishness. One who does good and eliminates evil can become a Buddha, and all sentient beings and heavenly beings can also become a Buddha if one does good and eliminates evil.This is the idea of ​​Confucianism, "the people are my fellow countrymen, and things are my own", and even the concept of "everyone can be Yao and Shun" advocated by Neo Confucianism, actually comes from the same name but has different names. The statement that all living beings are equal can be said to be a thought of complete equality that transcends the past and continues to the present. At the same time, he set an example. Among the monks who he personally led the scholar group, no matter their origin, they were all equal, and the only thing that mattered was virtue.Maybe some people think that if we talk about equality, we will not be able to distinguish between right and wrong, and good and evil. This cannot be misunderstood. Sakyamuni is talking about the equality of nature (truth) and form (use). The distinction between good and evil, and the cultivation of doing good and eliminating evil, so doing good to eliminate evil and doing good to all in order to eliminate evil people is a great merit and virtue, which is not self-contradictory. This is also consistent with what Confucianism says The meaning of "Tang Wu is angry and the world is safe" has a lot of meaning.

3.Summarize the Theory of Reincarnation in Ancient Indian Traditional Religion And establish the three life cause and effect, six reincarnation theory of life phenomenon.Due to the fundamental concept of "things and me are the same, nature is equal", and the method of doing good and eliminating evil, to achieve the realm of "oneness" and "equality", of course it involves the source of life of all living beings. He used the method of induction , juxtaposed the types of life, roughly divided into six categories: the so-called heavenly way, the asura way (between the demons), the human way, the animal way, the hungry ghost way, and the hell way.All sentient beings, due to the difference in the degree of good and evil in their thoughts and actions, are reduced to each other as life phenomena in the six realms. They can be reborn in heaven for good, and can become animals, hungry ghosts, or even fall into hell for evil; But if the sky forgets the good and moves its thoughts to do evil, it can also become an asura, or even others. Therefore, it is believed that the similarities and differences of all living beings in this universe are due to the good and evil between thoughts and thoughts. The Taoist theory of materializing the universe (similar does not equal identical).Therefore, the good and evil of one thought, and the behavior of the thought, accumulate insignificantly and become significant, which constitutes the theory of the cause and effect of the three times. The so-called three times refer to the past, present and future of time. There are past causes, which accumulate to form the present effect , From the current cause, the future effect is accumulated. The future and the past are like endless cycles. Yu's moral cause and effect concept of "a family that accumulates goodness will surely have lingering celebrations, and a family that accumulates evil will surely have lingering calamities", and "if goodness is not accumulated, it will not be enough to become famous, and if evil is not accumulated, it will not be enough to perish".

4.Open up cosmology and worldview In the ancient religions and philosophies of India, any metaphysical issues involved would naturally touch upon the discussion between heaven and man. Although the ultimate of their thoughts and theories all belonged to the way of heaven in the end, the way of heaven that each sect worshiped was different. , so there is a conflict with the pantheon.According to Sakyamuni's theory, there is a distinction between heaven and man, and there are three realms. The so-called desire realm, form realm, and formless realm are collectively called the three realms.The heavens in the world of desire, including up to beyond the sun and the moon, down to humans and animals, hungry ghosts, hell, and the sky when the sun and the moon are in motion, still belong to the world of desire.The so-called desire realm refers to the lives of all beings in this realm, all of which come from desire and love (eating and drinking for men and women). In a broad sense, there are the pleasures of the five desires of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; in a narrow sense: there is laughter. , watching, paying, hugging, and touching behaviors.In the world of desire, there are six levels of heaven, among which the so-called Qili heaven includes the distribution of thirty-three days, and it can change its master at any time. The human world in the Qin world is roughly divided into four continents (parts) in the south, east, north, and west. The human world is a part of Nanzhan Buzhou.The general name of this world is called the Saha World.Saha has dual meanings of tolerability and regret.Tolerance means that the world is full of shortcomings and a lot of suffering, and people and all sentient beings can not only endure the shortcomings and many sufferings, but there are still many people who are diligent in doing good, so it is admirable. Suffering naturally cannot distinguish between good and evil, and there is no good or evil at all. It should be natural and completely good, so there is nothing wrong with it, and there is nothing to praise.Among the heavenly beings in the Desire Realm, each has its own master, and those beyond the Desire Realm are the Form Realm, and all beings in the Form Realm have affection but no desire. When they look at each other and smile, they will give birth to the fruit of life. The eighth heaven belongs to the fruit position of all living beings who practice meditation and meditation. The highest heaven in the form realm is the ultimate heaven of form, and the Great Freedom Heaven is its ruler.Beyond this, there is the Formless Realm, including the four heavens, which is the place where those who practice meditation and contemplation are born, but have consciousness and no lust. It is called the Great Brahma. From this, in a nutshell, Sakyamuni distinguishes the boundary between heaven and man, and there are about sixty heavens.

This cosmic world of the Three Realms is based on the solar system illuminated by the sun and the moon as a unit. From the human world to the sun and the moon, and the sky where the three realms belong, the reality and concept of time are different. For example, a day and night in a month are equal to One day and one night in half a month is equal to one year in the human world, so the time to separate the universe and the world is so complicated that it is difficult to count. In short, his cosmology is an infinite and expanding cosmology.His world view is based on a sun-moon system as the unit of a world, a world of a thousand sun-moon series is called a small thousand worlds, and a thousand small thousand worlds is called a middle thousand worlds, Accumulating one thousand middle thousand worlds is called a great thousand worlds. He said that such three thousand great thousand worlds, in this boundless and infinite universe, are as numerous as the number of river sands, which cannot be counted. It was pitifully small.Sakyamuni not only spoke of the three-thousand-thousand-thousand-world view of the universe, but also unified the thoughts of heaven and man in various religions and philosophies in ancient India, and opened up the field of human intelligence. The fineness of the dust, and the subtlety of the final formless and formless, so that the content of the philosophical thoughts of the past and present, it is really difficult to compare with each other in richness and enrichment.

5.Reconciling the Metaphysical Ontology The ancient religious philosophy of India and various schools of philosophical thought, not only have different opinions on the source of life in the universe, but they also use the basis of reason (logic) to establish a theoretical system, but they are always inseparable. Unary, multiple, idealistic, and materialistic ranges.In fact, the most basic discussion of human culture in the ancient and modern Chinese and foreign worlds is still nothing more than these issues. For thousands of years, human beings all over the world, from religion to philosophy, and from philosophy to science, have been concerned about the source of life for human beings themselves. Still seeking, perplexing, and arguing, it seems to be a great irony of human civilization.

The ancient Indian religious philosophies each have their own views on the pursuit of the true meaning of life in the universe, and each has its own method of peace of mind, and they all believe that they have obtained the ultimate method of purification and liberation.Some believe that the ultimate spirituality and Brahman are the ultimate way; some believe that the extinction of lust and thinking is the ultimate; There are also people who think that death is like a lamp being extinguished, and only seeking the present enjoyment is the truth; what's more, some people think that I have obtained Nirvana, the purest state of liberation, all of which are too numerous to mention.Sakyamuni preached enlightenment, and made a conciliatory conclusion on these issues. He believed that the phenomena of all life in the universe are all caused by a collection of causes and conditions, and there is no one who can dominate. Separation, while the highest (or final, initial) function of life in the universe is the unity of mind and matter; if you look at it from a religious point of view, you can also call him a Buddha, or heaven, or a lord, or a god. , or any other super-personal divine appellation; if you look at it from a rational point of view, it can also be called sex, or heart, or reason, or Tao, or Dharma Realm, etc.; if you look at it from the perspective of human habitual concepts, It can also be called Dharmakaya, the endless Dharmakaya that is the source of life, etc.In short, from the point of view of substance, he takes emptiness as the body; from the point of view of form, he takes the form of the universe as the form; from the point of view of use, all the functions of the universe are his functions.He is like a sea, the waves of the sea are like the universe world born of causes and conditions, and the foam on the waves are like the individual selves formed by all living beings born of causes and conditions. Although the phenomena of waves and foams are different, they are always inseparable from one water Self-nature, but metaphors are limited to metaphors, and metaphors are not the self-nature of noumenon.

In the world of sentient beings, because they cannot prove the ultimate self-nature, they abandon the basics and chase after the end, and each clings to what they see and know, thinking that it is the ultimate, so they each rely on the subjective, forming different perceptions in the world. In fact, subjective, Objectiveness belongs to the distinguishing function of thinking consciousness. What the thinking consciousness knows and sees itself depends on the cause and condition of the body and the material world. It itself is false and unreal, and it is not enough to determine the existence of truth. Whether it exists or not; as long as people can work hard from their own quiet thinking and consciousness, they can gradually understand the functions of the body and mind, which are also like the phenomenal world, which is impermanent.Illusion and unreality, from here on, seek progress step by step, analyze layer by layer, fully human nature, complete the nature of things, reach the body, mind and universe, and be as one as one without being motionless, do not stay in existence, do not fall into emptiness, and you can prove it The ultimate truth of life in the universe.Sakyamuni also named it "True Tathagata", or "Nirvana Self-Nature", or "Tathagata Tibetan Nature". "Tathagata", in a broad sense, is another name for the body of life in the universe.Therefore, he believes that talking about emptiness and talking about existence are not the ultimate, and the only way is to achieve the tranquility of body and mind, and then seek proof in this silence, but it is "inconceivable"; the so-called "inconceivable" is a term in the method of practicing It is believed that it can be achieved without using the habitual conscious thinking to think and propose. Therefore, the word "inconceivable" should not be misunderstood as "inconceivable". (4) Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism When it comes to the content of Sakyamuni’s academic thoughts, that is, the so-called outline of Buddhism, according to the general habit, they are all distinguished by Mahayana and Hinayana. Chinese Buddhism and Buddhism are juxtaposed with Mahayana, and they are more inclined to Mahayana. It is now popular in the West. In Buddhism, most of them only pay attention to Theravada, thinking that it is primitive Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asian countries, which is generally based on Theravada. The following is a relatively brief way, from the perspective of thinking, practice, and verification methods. Items to illustrate Theravada Buddhism. 1.Hinayana thought The inductive terms obtained from analyzing the body and mind include: the five yin, the three poisons, the six roots, the six dusts, and the eighteen realms. Five Yins: one translated as five aggregates.Yin and Yun both represent darkness and hidden meanings.The five skandhas include form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Shade: Including expressive things such as color and length, emptiness, and even non-expressive ones, such as abstract illusions, etc. The Chinese word for color sometimes represents the color of men and women, but in Buddhism, color words are rarely used to represent lust for men and women .In short, form and yin are the four elements of physical and physiological bodies. The so-called four elements are the earth element (solid substance), water element (fluid liquid), fire element (heat energy), and wind element (air energy). change).Receiving yin refers to physical sensations and psychological reactions.Think Yin, refers to the thinking function of thinking consciousness.Yin movement refers to the kinetic energy of physical and mental instinctive activities.Consciousness Yin refers to the spiritual nature of mind function. The basic psychological evils caused by human body, mind, body and the physical world are the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance.The different evils born of the three poisons include three psychological sins, namely greed, anger, and ignorance; , Pirates.kinky. Buddhism not only summarizes the function of people's body and mind, which is called the five yin, but also distinguishes the relationship between the body and mind and the physical world, forming the six sense organs, six dust objects and eighteen realms: Six roots - eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind - }Eighteen Realms The Six Dusts—Color, Sound, Fragrance, and Touch— (Here, only the intentional thinking rules belong to the psychology, and the rest, such as the feelings produced by the body, etc., belong to the physiological and physical functions.) Regarding the outlook on life and the world, there are four truths and twelve causes and conditions: The Four Noble Truths: These are the four origins of suffering and the extinction of the Dao.It means that in the world of life, everything is suffering, pure suffering without happiness, and all living beings are ignorant, and instead take suffering for happiness; they can be classified into eight sufferings, namely birth, old age, sickness, death, not getting what one wants, parting from love, meeting with hatred, The five skandhas are exuberant, etc. This is called the truth of suffering.Because all living beings seek their own troubles, gather sufferings and turn them into bitter fruits, and mistake them for happiness, this is called the truth of collection.If you want to eliminate the causes of suffering and the fruits of suffering, and achieve happiness from suffering, this is called the truth of extinction.Therefore, it is necessary to seek to prove the Tao and fruit, and to sublimate life to achieve the ultimate method; this is called the truth of the Tao. And with things in the world, everything is changing, and there is no eternity at all, so it is called "impermanence".Everything in life is pure suffering without joy, so it is called "suffering".Everything is empty, hence the name "empty".And analyze the body and mind, and even the world, after all, there is no self in it. The so-called world body and mind, but for me to rely on, is not my reality, also known as "no self".Therefore, looking at the world of life, it is called "impermanence", "suffering", "emptiness", and "no self". Twelve Causes: First of all, it starts from ignorance, ignorance has the root of ignorance, and does not know the meaning of its origin. Ordinary people are confused about the source of life or spiritual consciousness activities, and do not know what is going on. However, all sentient beings come from ignorance, so it is temporarily ruled that ignorance is the cause of the beginning.The action of the second mutual relationship occurs because of ignorance in the first place, and action is the meaning of kinetic energy.The third is the role of awareness due to action, and awareness is the basic potential of thinking.The fourth is consciousness and constitutes name (abstract concept) and color (essential physiology and physics).The fifth group of name and form gives rise to the phenomenon that the six sense organs such as eyes and the six dusts such as form enter.Six people from the sixth country have a feeling of contact.The seventh is the action of receiving in the mind caused by contact.The eighth is the pursuit of love and desire due to receiving.Ninth, there is a need for seeking because of love.The tenth is the existing existence due to taking.The eleventh is the process of becoming a life because of being.The twelfth is due to birth, there are consequences of old age and death.Returning to ignorance due to old age and death, another life of karma is formed. Ignorance follows the order of causality in the front row, and they are mutual causality, so birth and death, such as endless loops, continuous illusory, establish a phenomenon of illusory life and world history, and at the same time, use this law to explain the physical , and in the past life, present life, and future life, the law of life continuation can be expanded and supplemented, and can be used to explain time and space. In short, Hinayana Buddhism’s views on the world of life are similar to those of other religions. Purely from the standpoint of otherworldly thinking, the world is a world of pain and trouble; when looking at life, it is a life of pessimism and sin, so it requires leaving the world and seeking liberation. In life, he seeks the pure and peaceful Nirvana Tao fruit; his behavior and thinking are like the hermits of Chinese Taoism, and his bias is somewhat similar to Yang Zhu, so it is also another kind of spiritual similarity in Chinese culture, which is naturally inherited and becomes Chinese. part of Buddhism. 2.Hinayana practice Taking precepts, meditation, and wisdom as the basis of the third study, we finally achieve liberation and the ultimate knowledge of liberation.The so-called precepts include the differences between men and women who are monks, and men and women who are not monks. The basic precepts are the virtues recognized by human beings such as not killing, not stealing, not committing adultery, not lying, etc. .Therefore, the role of precepts is very similar to the spirit of the "Book of Rites" in Chinese culture: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and do no action evil; It is similar to Mozi's lament of plain silk dyeing, and frugal behavior and noble aspirations. Except for some of them, the similarities and differences due to time and place are still negotiable. Morality. 3.Hinayana method of proof Mainly Zena.The Sanskrit word "Zhanna" translates into Chinese as "Jing Contemplation", but Jing Concern is derived from the university's knowledge, stop, concentration, tranquility, peace, concern, and acquisition, and it is slightly different. Zen That includes yoga and insight, which are a method of changing temperament and exercising the body and mind. Mahayana meditation, and later Chinese Zen Buddhism, have similarities and differences.The method of Zenna starts with the firm belief of one heart and one virtue; some starts with the physiological Anapana (regulating the in-and-out breathing); some starts with the mind-washing rest; , the so-called expedient methods, there are many, and the classification of their practice procedures is nothing more than the four meditations and eight meditations, also known as the nine-stage meditation; the four meditations include the four meditations, collectively called the four meditations and eight meditations, plus The ultimate determination of Arhat's ultimate fruition was renamed the Nine Times of Determination. The first meditation, one-pointedness of mind, steadiness and joy: The so-called one-pointedness of mind refers to starting from a certain method, initially achieving peace of mind, unifying spirit and thinking, concentrating on one point, without any other complicated thoughts and differences, gradually The joy that triggers the instinct of life in the body—different from the usual sensation of sensual pleasure, and the incomparable psychological joy——different from the usual emotional joy.From the beginning to this process, one has gone through the process of opening up the Qi (the activity of physiological instinct) (nervous system) in general, in order to reach the state of peace of mind.The second meditation, the joy of leaving life: further study from this, the tranquility of the mind will be more solidified, the state of joy will be more firm, and there will be a feeling of being free from physical and mental pressure and distress.Three Chans, Leaving Joy and Delight: The experience of psychological joy caused by the past has become familiar and peaceful, and has become an unusual habit, only the joyful state exists.The Four Dhyanas: Eradication of Thoughts and Purity: The above three meditation processes still have the function of sensation and consciousness. When it reaches the level of the Fourth Dhyana, it is the ultimate goal to abandon sensations and reach a state of incomparable tranquility.In addition to these four realms of Zen, there are four kinds of samadhi: the samadhi of boundless form, which is to obtain the tranquility of body and mind in the situation of boundless scenery.Concentration in the boundless space is to obtain tranquility in the boundless emptiness.Concentration of boundless consciousness is to obtain tranquility in a spiritual realm that has never been experienced.The non-perception and non-perception concentration is to obtain tranquility in the realm of super-ordinary sensory perception.The so-called non-thinking means that it is not the case of conscious thought, and non-non-thinking means that it is not absolutely uninspired perception.As for the last arhat state of extinction, it is a state that transcends ordinary words and words. To use a metaphor, it is equal to the state of harmony between heaven and man, and the state of unity with the boundless and formless void.Therefore, the arhats with the highest achievements in the Hinayana often predict the time when their lifespan is over, and they will manifest a miraculous transformation, and finally "grey body and wisdom" claim: "My life is over, the holy life has been established, and what I have done has been done. If you don't accept it, you will have it." Then it died silently. Based on the above brief introduction, he can probably get a glimpse of the situation of Hinayana Buddhism. He first starts from theoretical thinking, understands the theory, starts from practicing the precepts of absolute morality, and reaches the realization of meditation and liberation. His ultimate goal is that he can Get rid of the circle of life and death in this world, and live in the Tao fruit of absolute silence and emptiness forever.In fact, is this pure and quiet Dao Fruit the ultimate reality of life in the universe?Is it really possible to escape the cycle of life and death?From the point of view of Mahayana Buddhism, it is a big problem. At the same time, Sakyamuni also said that the state of Channa is a kind of common law. The so-called common law is not unique to Buddhism. All common secular people, as well as those of other religions and schools of thought, can achieve a similar state of concentration as long as they have a deep understanding of theories and work hard to practice. Comfortable, solve the segmental effect of the flow of life, think that you have escaped life and death, live in the realm of silence and tranquility, just fall into the fruit of emptiness, equal to a selfish hermit who escapes from the world, it is a kind of complete personal freedom Practitioners, later China's Zen, called it "Danban Han" or "Zi Lie Han".The so-called pallet means that he walks with a wooden board on his shoulder and can only see one side. 4.Mahayana thought Chinese Buddhism has always been a combination of Mahayana and Mahayana, and Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism are not contradictory. Although the Hinayana is not the ultimate Dharma from the standpoint of Mahayana Buddhism, learning the Mahayana still requires the precepts, samadhi, and wisdom of the Hinayana. The three learnings are the foundation, not only that, but if we take the Tao of the vehicle, Chinese Buddhism has five ladders: the first human vehicle, learning Buddhism starts with being a human being, and all human ethics and morals must be paid attention to. Once done, in order to achieve good and eliminate evil, and stop at the realm of perfection.Sublimated from the human vehicle, you can reach the second day of learning, and the heaven and man are born from the perfection of being a human being.The third is the Hinayana Shravakayana, including Hinayana practitioners who are disgusted with the world and practice the Four Noble Truths-suffering, collection, extinction, and Tao.Beyond this, it is the fourth karmic enlightenment vehicle. From the principle of twelve karma, observe the world's karma and dispersal, karma and extinction, and then leave the world and be independent, detached Hinayana practitioners.The fifth is the Bodhisattva way of Mahayana. The so-called "Bodhisattva" is the transliteration of the Sanskrit "Bodhisattva Sleeping" (enlightenment). For example, in the meaning of Chinese literal translation, Bodhisattva is "feeling sentient", also known as "Dashi" or "Kaishi". There is a sentence on it that "goodness is the bone of a fairy, and passion is the heart of a Buddha", which is really an appropriate portrayal of the beautiful rhetoric.The Mahayana Bodhisattva way, there are three kinds of behaviors: (1) First seek self-interest, such as starting from the Hinayana practice.Do not benefit others until self-interest is achieved. (2) Altruistic first, then self-interested. (3) Self-interest and altruism go hand in hand.In short, the behavior of Mahayana is born in the world and the heart is born, it is based on saving the world and saving all beings, it is a Mahayana that can save the world and save people by sacrificing oneself. Looking at all sentient beings, they are the same body with me and the willingness to generate compassion, Mahayana's compassion and benefits are unconditional, unrequired, and absolutely spontaneous and self-conscious to save the world. Combining the above two concepts, it is called "compassion of the same body, compassion without karma". The system of Mahayana thought is the way to expand the Hinayana precepts, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge of liberation, forming the level of six degrees (six paramitas) or ten degrees.The so-called six degrees: (1) Giving.The thought of Mahayana starts with giving, because all sentient beings are selfish and greedy, resulting in bitter results. Mahayana uses what I have and what I belong to, and it is completely as a gift to satisfy the desires of all beings and influence the hearts of all beings. Savage and greedy.There are three kinds of giving: one is external giving, that is, giving with property, body, life, etc., also known as financial giving, using knowledge, knowledge, wisdom, etc. as giving, and second is inner giving, which makes one's heart let go of all greedy hearts , the third is fearless charity, to give all sentient beings peace, security, no terror, spiritual support and protection. (2) Keep the precepts.Starting from not killing, not stealing, not committing adultery, and not lying, as for motivation, all of them are precepts. The precepts of Mahayana are not only precepts in the form of precepts, but in fact, they are heart precepts that completely punish the mind. Seeking fame with a good motive is violating the precepts of Mahayana Bodhisattvas. The wonderful use of it is really beyond words. (3) Patience.To put it simply, there are two sentences in Mahayana tolerance, which can be summed up in general, that is, "tolerate what people can't bear, what pedestrians can't do", all set out for the sake of mercy and salvation, and there must be no concept of tolerance in the heart , is considered to endure humiliation. (4) Diligent.It is the perseverance of diligently seeking proof anytime, anywhere. Therefore, diligence is a companion with the previous charity, precepts, patience, and later meditation and prajna. No matter which door you are pursuing, you must be diligent and unremitting. It is positive. Doing good is not passively waiting to do good. (5) meditation.Including the content of the Hinayana four meditations, eight samadhis and nine samadhis, expanding and filling them, as for moving and still, inside and outside, no time, no place, no one not in the state of meditation, up to the state of ascending to heaven. Enjoyment, down to the hell to save sentient beings, you must not leave the meditation for a moment to find yourself. (6) Wisdom.Prajna is a Sanskrit word, if it is translated into Chinese, it means wisdom, but Chinese wisdom is often connected with wisdom. In Buddhism, wisdom is called "World Wisdom and Cong", which is due to the sensitivity of the senses and the sharpness of the ears and eyes. , is not enough to represent the wisdom of Prajna connotation.Wisdom of prajna has five internal meanings: one is prajna of reality, which is the wisdom and virtue of realizing the essence of all life in the universe and the root of mind and nature.The second is the state of prajna, which is a variety of different states arising from the instinct of the mind, including various phenomena in the spiritual world.The third is the word prajna, which is the literature of philosophy and the genius of language issued by wisdom.The fourth is expedient prajna, which is the method of using wisdom, including all areas of academic knowledge.The fifth is suffering like a family member, summarizing the virtue of moral behavior from the first five degrees.The above five sequences from giving to arranging are the basis of Mahayana's practice of the highest virtue. From practicing goodness to self-enlightenment, and reaching the ultimate fruit of prajna wisdom, the highest achievement of Mahayana Buddhism is Emphasis on the liberation of wisdom and the achievement of wisdom is not blind faith.From the expansion of the six degrees of achievement, as the auxiliary wing of the world, there are another four degrees of establishment: (7) Convenient and skillful.Practice self-interest and altruism. (8) wish.It is an eternal and endless compassionate vow to all living beings. Therefore, in order to save the world, Mahayana Bodhisattvas have famous vows such as "the emptiness is exhausted, and I wish to be endless", "the hell is not empty, and I will not become a Buddha". (9) Force.The great power of self-interest and altruism arises from the unwavering vow. (10) WISE.Finally, he reached the gate of great wisdom of "consciously aware of others, complete awareness of actions" and become a Buddha. 5.Mahayana practice The ideology and learning of the Mahayana Bodhisattva way develops the Hinayana thought of being disgusted with the world, and transforms it into a positive spirit of the world. Not only do we have to jump into the fire pit and hell of the world to save the world and save people, but also to save all sentient beings;善人，而且要度化恶魔；不但赞叹笃信佛道真理的善男信女，同时也赞叹凡是具备这种同一真理、同一原则的异宗外道，虽然对于最高见地因有差别而形成说教的方式各有不同，只要是同具慈悲觉世的心肠，认为即同于大乘菩萨道的同行善友，这种以与世无争的出世心情，毫无条件而人世救众生的自愿，正如后世佛教所用的标记"莲花一样。"莲花"是纯净无污的"圣洁"之花，但它却不生长在高原山顶之上，它要在拖泥带水的秽污烂泥中开花结果。因此讲到大乘所实践的戒律，每每以八万四千条来形容它的繁细，但这非一定的数宇，只是表示众生界善恶心理的差别变相，在一念之间，便有八万四千种的差失，由此可知所谓大乘戒律的根本精神，在于心戒，凡是"动心忍性"，起心动念之间的内在动机，有一毫是恶念，或以自私自利而出发，便是违犯菩萨的戒律。唐、宋以后，中国内地所用的菩萨戒，是以《梵网经》为基本，边区西藏地方所用的，是《瑜伽师地论》的菩萨戒为基本，但这两种戒本，都是原理原则的建立，运用之妙，仍在一心。其中有大部分原则二相同于儒家圣贤君子之道，与有道之士的行谊，如与中国传统文化五经中的《礼记》的《儒行》 、《坊记》、《表记》、《学记》等篇参照来读，便可了解释迦佛对于人类德行风规的伟大建立，实在令人肃然起敬，油然具信，与其说它是宗教的戒律，毋宁说是人类教育哲学的最高守则。由此可知大乘实践的精神，又迥非小乘戒律可以范围，所以唐、宋以后中国的佛教，采取大小乘戒律并重的方向，尤其偏向于大乘戒行，与南传佛教，大有异同之处，这也足以说明：我们过去的文化传统，不是冒然接受佛学，是先要通过儒、道等学术思想的尺度去秤量，然后才确定其价值而皈依膜拜的。虽然如此，我们若拿大乘菩萨的牺牲自我，专为救世而高尚其志的精神来讲，当然是天人仰止，无可非议，然而实践其道，谈何容易，墨子的摩顶放踵以利天下，早已有人说他"陈义太高"，何况能舍头目脑髓，而有过于墨子者，所以后世笃信儒家学者，便提出"亲亲、仁民、爱物"的仁爱次序，认为才是比较近于人情的救世思想，因此便又有儒、佛行谊争辩的学案。总之，"高山仰止，景行行止"，虽然是高不可攀，远不可及，但取法乎上，也是教化必具的需要。平常有人问我是不是佛教徒，我的答复是："我无资格做个佛教徒" .有人问我怎样才叫做大乘菩萨？我的举例是：当一个人；在大海茫茫，遭遇台风巨浪而垂死须臾时，你只有一个救生工具，还是诚诚敬敬的送给旁人，当你在患难中，饥饿到九死一生，你有一碗饭，而先送给同饥的旁人，如果有这种心肠，无论你有无信仰，或信仰不同，一律都是菩萨的行径。大乘佛教中有一个故事："一位孝子向一位修道的菩萨求救，要求他施舍眼睛，作为医治他母亲的药物，而这个菩萨，毫无吝惜地把左眼挖给他。但那位孝子说：你太快了，弄错了，我是需要你的右眼，才能医治我的母亲。这个菩萨听了，迟疑一下，再把右眼挖给他。这个孝子便说：不用了，因为你有迟疑不舍的心，这个眼睛已经作药不灵了。"我们听了这个故事，便可了解牺牲自我，救世救人的行为，是如何的难行！不过，在这个芸芸众生的世间，有不少"慷慨捐生、从容就义"，以及许多舍己为人的事，各色各样，或大或小，却到处自然地充满着大乘菩萨的精神，不能因为他无宗教的信仰，或信仰不同，便认为不是菩萨。至于菩萨戒律的理论基础，明辨是非善恶的动向与方法，尤其精神，如果滥用这种精神，不但于世无补，于人于己无利，甚之，适得其反，那要另当别论了。 6.大乘求证的方法 关于实践大乘菩萨道的程度次第，分为十位阶梯，佛学的专有名辞，便叫作"十地"，在未到达"初地"以前的，还有四个序位，包括四十位的等差。确定"十地"的程度差别，主要在于扩充慈悲心量，以达穷理尽性的极则，配合前述十度的程序而定地次，但这仍属于"见地"的一面，同时还须要有实际工用（工夫与德行）方面的禅定境界，相辅为用，以期达成见证圆满大智大觉成就的佛果。其实，小乘所用求证方法的四禅八定与九次第定，也是大乘的共法，由扩充慈悲心量而达尽人之性，尽物之性的极限，这是大乘菩萨菩提心的慧学，属于"见地"的功德，同时须要配合禅定修证的境界，这是大乘菩萨的实证，属于工夫的"功勋"。但耽着禅定之乐，舍弃大慈大悲的菩提心，或不求"见地"的精进而达到佛果，这是菩萨的堕落。总之，大乘行持修为的原则，是以救世救众生的大愿为其中心守则，以即出世而人世，心自解脱的大智慧成就为究竟，所谓"生死涅槃，犹如昨梦。菩提烦恼，等似空花"。方是大丈夫功成愿遂，无欠无余的天人师也。 此外，大小乘佛学各部主要经典，都以问答的体裁，或记录佛语的方式，反复详尽地说明人生宇宙的真谛，或先从身心寻探而上穷法界（包括宇宙的佛学名辞）的究竟，或从法界（宇宙）的本体自性而分析到身心，而始终不外于求证解脱的目的。隋、唐以后，中国佛学，包括西藏地区的密乘佛学，都自建立一种整理批判的系统，故有天台宗、华严宗、密宗的分科判教而产生中国佛学的体系，虽然各从不同角度的观点研究佛学与佛法，但基本的原则与宗旨，仍然不致分歧太甚，例如：《华严》、《圆觉》等经，是由法界自性的本体而说到身心。《楞严》、等经，是由反穷身心而溯源于法界自性。《法华》、《涅槃》等经，是说心、佛、众生，性自不异，只在迷悟之间的一念而转。《大日》、《密乘》等经，是说真妄不二，即假证真的诚依信立。后来一般习惯，又以释迦过后的后期佛学性宗的谈空，与相宗的说有，总为类别，以般若、中观等学为性宗"毕竟空"的纲要，以唯识法相等学为相宗"胜义有"的枢纽。于是欢喜简捷明了而厌于分析的，便宗奉般若的空、与禅宗的说法融会，欢喜审问而注重逻辑思维的，便宗奉唯识的有、而构成佛学的思致庄严，而与近世传入的西洋哲学、心理学、逻辑等学科，不但可以趋向融通互注之途，而且大有要以唯识含融整理西洋哲学而加以批判的趋势。不过，这个途径与目标，尚在开步走的阶段之中，如何融会东西文化于一炉，使其重新铸造为一新的光明远景，尚有待于现代青年学子与将来的人才去努力完成。