上座部与大乘佛教

Ven. Dr. W. Rahula

罗睺罗法师(博士)著   

梁国雄居士译    V1.0  2010-4-20

(From: "Gems of Buddhist Wisdom",
Buddhist Missionary Society, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1996)

Let us discuss a question often asked by many people: What is the difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism? To see things in their proper perspective, let us turn to the history of Buddhism and trace the emergence and development of Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.

让我们讨论一个许多人经常会问的问题：究竟大乘与上座部佛教有什么分别？为了恰当地处理这个问题，让我们重温一下佛教历史，追溯大乘与上座部佛教的出现与发展过程吧。

The Buddha was born in the 6th Century B.C. After attaining Enlightenment at the age of 35 until his Mahaparinibbana at the age of 80, he spent his life preaching and teaching. He was certainly one of the most energetic man who ever lived: for forty-five years he taught and preached day and night, sleeping for only about 2 hours a day.

佛陀(释迦牟尼佛)出生于公元前六世纪，他于三十五岁觉悟后，至八十岁般涅槃之间的生命，都用来教导众生，他以四十五年时间，不分日夜地去教导众生佛法，每日只睡约两个小时，其精力充沛，是历史上甚为罕有的。

The Buddha spoke to all kinds of people: kings and princes, Brahmins, farmers, beggars, learned men and ordinary people. His teachings were tailored to the experiences, levels of understanding and mental capacity of his audience. What he taught was called Buddha Vacana, i.e. word of the Buddha. There was nothing called Theravada or Mahayana at that time.

佛陀说法的对象包括各式各样的人，例如：国王、王子、贵族、婆罗门、农夫、乞丐、学者、平民等。他每次的教导，都是因应当时听众的经验、理解力，以及心智水平来度身定造。他的教导被称为「佛的言教(Buddha Vacana)」，当时根本就没有所谓上座部或大乘。

After establishing the Order of monks and nuns, the Buddha laid down certain disciplinary rules called the Vinaya for the guidance of the Order. The rest of his teachings were called the Dhamma which included his discourses, sermons to monks, nuns and lay people.
     
在僧团成立后，佛陀更定立了一些称为「戒律(Vinaya)」的规则来供僧众遵守，他的其他教导被称为「法(Dhamma)」，那是他与比丘、比丘尼及在家众等的谈话、演讲与教导。

The First Council

第一次结集会议(The First Council)

Three months after the Buddha's Mahaparinibbana, his immediate disciples convened a council at Rajagaha. Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided at the Council. Two very important personalities who specialised in the two different areas - the Dhamma and the Vinaya - were present. One was Ananda, the closest constant companion and disciple of the Buddha for 25 years. Endowed with a remarkable memory, Ananda was able to recite what was spoken by the Buddha. The other personality was Upali who remembered all the Vinaya rules.

在佛般涅槃后三个月，他的直系弟子在王舍城举行会议，由年纪最大和最受敬重的大迦叶尊者做主持人，两位对法与戒律最为熟悉的重要人物也有出席，一位是阿难(Ananda)尊者，他是佛陀廿五年来的侍者，具有惊人的记忆力，能背诵佛陀说过的所有言教；另一位是优波离(Upali)尊者，他记得所有佛陀说过的戒律。

Only these two sections - the Dhamma and the Vinaya - were recited at the First Council. Though there were no differences of opinion on the Dhamma (no mention of the Abhidhamma) there was some discussion about the Vinaya rules. Before the Buddha's Parinibbana, he had told Ananda that if the Sangha wished to amend or modify some minor rules, they could do so. But on that occasion Ananda was so overpowered with grief because the Buddha was about to die that it did not occur to him to ask the Master what the minor rules were. As the members of the Council were unable to agree as to what constituted the minor rules, Maha Kassapa finally ruled that no disciplinary rule laid down by the Buddha should be changed, and no new ones should be introduced. No intrinsic reason was given. Maha Kassapa did say one thing, however: "If we changed the rules, people will say that Ven. Gotama's disciples changed the rules even before his funeral fire has ceased burning."

在此第一次结集会议，只有法与戒律这两个部分被背诵出来。虽然当时对法并没有不同的意见(那时并没有提到论(Abhidhamma))，对「戒律」却有一些讨论。在佛陀般涅槃前，他曾告诉阿难尊者，如果僧团欲修改一些次要的戒律(minor rules)，那是可以的。由于在佛陀临终时，阿难尊者伤心欲绝，未有醒觉到要问佛陀什么是次要的戒律，故此，出席结集的僧众未能一致同意那些是次要的戒律，于是，大迦叶尊者作了最后决定，对佛陀所定下的戒律，既不改动，也不增加。对此，大迦叶尊者没有提出任何具体理由，但有说过以下的话：「如果我们改变戒律，人们就会说，乔答摩(佛陀)尊者的弟子在他的葬礼柴火尚未熄灭已改动戒律了。」

At the Council, the Dhamma was divided into various parts and each part was assigned to an Elder and his pupils to commit to memory. The Dhamma was then passed on from teacher to pupil orally. The Dhamma was recited daily by groups of people who often cross check with each other to ensure that no omissions or additions were made. Historians agree that the oral tradition is more reliable than a report written by one person from his memory several years after the event.

在这结集会议中，法被分为多个部分，每一部分皆有一位长老及其弟子负责背诵，记入脑中。于是，法便开始由长老导师们口传给其弟子。同时，他们每组人每天都会念诵佛的言教，并且互相校对，确定没有人误作任何加减。历史学家们也同意：口诵的传承，比若干年后依靠某位人士的记忆报导会较为可靠。

The Second Council

第二次结集会议(The Second Council)

One hundred years later, the Second Council was held to discuss some Vinaya rules. There was no need to change the rules three months after the Parinibbana of the Buddha because little or no political, economic or social changes took place during that short interval. But 100 years later, some monks saw the need to change certain minor rules. The orthodox monks said that nothing should be changed while the others insisted on modifying some rules, Finally, a group of monks left the Council and formed the Mahasanghika - the Great Community. Even though it was called the Mahasanghika, it was not known as Mahayana, And in the Second Council, only matters pertaining to the Vinaya were discussed and no controversy about the Dhamma is reported.

在佛寂灭后一百年，佛弟子进行了第二次结集会议，当中讨论了戒律。佛灭后三个月的戒律并没有更改的需要，因为在那个短时间内，政治、经济与社会差不多没有什么转变，然而，一百年后，一些比丘发觉有需要改变一些次要的戒律(minor rules)，可是，正统的比丘(指佛陀的直系弟子)却认为没有戒律需要改动，由于无法妥协，最后，一批比丘离开了那个结集会议，成为了大众部(Mahasanghika)。那时候虽有大众部，仍未有称为大乘(Mahayana)者。在第二次结集会议时，随了对戒律有一些争议外，并没有对法的任何争议报导。

The Third Council

第三次结集会议(The Third Council)

In the 3rd Century B.C. during the time of Emperor Asoka, the Third Council was held to discuss the differences of opinion among the bhikkhus of different sects. At this Council the differences were not confined to the Vinaya but were also connected with the Dhamma. At the end of this Council, the President of the Council, Moggaliputta Tissa, compiled a book called the Kathavatthu refuting the heretical, false views and theories held by some sects. The teaching approved and accepted by this Council was known as Theravada. The Abhidhamma Pitaka was included at this Council.

在公元前三世纪，即阿育王(Emperor Asoka)时代，佛弟子又进行了第三次结集会议，目的是讨论各部派比丘的意见分歧。在这次结集会议中，意见分歧不只限于戒律，也包括了法。在结集完毕后，主持人目犍连子帝须(Moggaliputta Tissa)编辑了论事(Kathavatthu)一书，里面驳斥了一些部派(Sects)所持的错误见解、理论与异端邪说，在这次会议中被接受与确认之教义被称为上座部(Theravada)，此外，论藏(Abhidhamma Pitaka)也被包括在这次结集之中。

After the Third Council, Asoka's son, Ven. Mahinda, brought the Tripitaka to Sri Lanka, along with the commentaries that were recited at the Third Council. The texts brought to Sri Lanka were preserved until today without losing a page. The texts were written in Pali which was based on the Magadhi language spoken by the Buddha. There was nothing known as Mahayana at that time.

在第三次结集会议完毕后，阿育王的儿子玛欣德尊者(Ven. Mahinda)把三藏佛典(包括第三次结集会议的论典在内)带到斯里兰卡(Sri Lanka)。这些被带到斯里兰卡的藏经原文，至今仍被保存下来，完整无缺。这些藏经是用巴利文(Pali)写的，而巴利文则源自佛陀所用的摩揭陀语(Magadhi language)。那个时候，仍未有大乘(Mahayana)的名称出现。

Coming of Mahayana

大乘的出现(Coming of Mahayana)

Between the 1st Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D., the two terms Mahayana and Hinayana appeared in the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra or the Sutra of the Lotus of the Good Law.

在公元前一世纪至公元一世纪之间，大乘(Mahayana)与小乘(Hinayana)这两个术语出现在妙法莲花经(Saddharma Pundarika Sutra)之中。

About the 2nd Century A.D. Mahayana became clearly defined. Nagarjuna developed the Mahayana philosophy of Sunyata and proved that everything is Void in a small text called Madhyamika-karika. About the 4th Century, there were Asanga and Vasubandhu who wrote enormous amount of works on Mahayana. After the 1st Century AD., the Mahayanists took a definite stand and only then the terms of Mahayana and Hinayana were introduced.

大约在公元二世纪时，大乘(Mahayana)的界定始变得明确。龙树(Nagarjuna)发展了大乘(Mahayana)哲学有关空(Sunyata)的概念，在一简短的中观论颂(Madhyamika-karika)文本里面，他论证了诸法皆空(Void)的道理。大约在公元四世纪时，更出现了无着(Asanga)与世亲(Vasubandhu)两位论师，他们写了大量有关大乘的著作。因此，可以推测在公元一世纪后，由于大乘行者们(Mahayanists)采取了明确立场，于是大乘与小乘这两个术语就在那个时候被引进了。

We must not confuse Hinayana with Theravada because the terms are not synonymous. Theravada Buddhism went to Sri Lanka during the 3rd Century B.C. when there was no Mahayana at all. Hinayana sects developed in India and had an existence independent from the form of Buddhism existing in Sri Lanka. Today there is no Hinayana sect in existence anywhere in the world. Therefore, in 1950 the World Fellowship of Buddhists inaugurated in Colombo unanimously decided that the term Hinayana should be dropped when referring to Buddhism existing today in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, etc. This is the brief history of Theravada, Mahayana and Hinayana.

我们千万不可把小乘(Hinayana)误解为上座部(Theravada)，因为它们并非同义词。上座部佛教是在公元前三世纪时被传入斯里兰卡的，那个时候说不上有大乘(Mahayana)。小乘部派(Hinayana sects)是在印度中发展的，它们实与斯里兰卡所传的佛教毫无关系。时至今天，在世上恐怕已没有任何地方有小乘(Hinayana)的存在了。因此，世界佛教友谊会(The World Fellowship of Buddhists) 于1950年在斯里兰卡可伦坡(Colombo)的开幕典礼中，一致同意放弃采用小乘(Hinayana)这个术语来标签现存于斯里兰卡、泰国、缅甸、柬埔寨(高绵)与寮国等国家的佛教。这就是上座部、大乘与小乘的简单历史。

Mahayana and Theravada

Now, what is the difference between Mahayana and Theravada?

现在，要说大乘与上座部的分别了。

I have studied Mahayana for many years and the more I study it, the more I find there is hardly any difference between Theravada and Mahayana with regard to the fundamental teachings.

我研究大乘已很多年了，而且越研究它我越发现，大乘与上座部之间在基本教义上，几乎没有什么差别。

- Both accept Sakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher.

两派皆以释迦牟尼佛为他们的导师。

- The Four Noble Truths are exactly the same in both schools.

两派所述的四圣谛可说是一模一样的。

- The Eightfold Path is exactly the same in both schools.

两派所述的八正道也可说是一模一样的。

- The Paticca-samuppada or the Dependent Origination is the same in both schools.

两派所述的缘起法(Paticca-samuppada or Dependent Origination)也是一样的。

- Both rejected the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world.

两派皆不接受此一说法：认为世界是由一至高无上的神所创造和管治。

- Both accept Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and Sila, Samadhi, Panna without any difference.

两派皆接受无常(Anicca)、苦(Dukkha)、无我(Anatta)等三法印，以及戒(Sila)、定(Samadhi)、慧(Panna)等三学，当中并无任何分别。

These are the most important teachings of the Buddha and they are all accepted by both schools without question.

这些都是佛陀的重要教导，它们都被两派毫无疑问地接受。

There are also some points where they differ. An obvious one is the Bodhisattva ideal. Many people say that Mahayana is for the Bodhisattvahood which leads to Buddhahood while Theravada is for Arahantship. I must point out that the Buddha was also an Arahant. Pacceka Buddha is also an Arahant. A disciple can also be an Arahant. The Mahayana texts never use the term Arahant-yana, Arahant Vehicle. They used three terms: Bodhisattvayana, Prateka-Buddhayana, and Sravakayana. In the Theravada tradition these three are called Bodhis.

他们也有一些不同点的，最明显的一点是菩萨理想(Bodhisattva ideal)。许多人说大乘的目的是为了成就菩萨(Bodhisattvahood)，而上座部的目的是为了成就阿罗汉(Arahant)；于此我必须指出，佛陀也是一位阿罗汉，辟支佛(Pacceka Buddha)(或称独觉)也是阿罗汉，他/她们的弟子也可以是阿罗汉。大乘的经文从来就没有出现过如阿罗汉乘(Arahant-yana, Arahant Vehicle)等术语，他们所用的三个术语是：菩萨乘(Bodhisattvayana)， 缘觉乘(Prateka-Buddhayana)，以及声闻乘(Sravakayana)。在上座部传统中，这三者被称为菩提(Bodhis)而非乘。

Some people imagine that Theravada is selfish because it teaches that people should seek their own salvation. But how can a selfish person gain Enlightenment? Both schools accept the three Yanas or Bodhis but consider the Bodhisattva ideal as the highest. The Mahayana has created many mystical Bodhisattvas while the Theravada considers a Bodhisattva as a man amongst us who devotes his entire life for the attainment of perfection, ultimately becoming a fully Enlightened Buddha for the welfare of the world, for the happiness of the world.

有些人臆测，以为小乘是自私的，因为它告诉人们应该寻求自救。但是，一个自私的人怎么可能得到觉悟呢？两派皆承认有三种乘(Yanas)或三种菩提(Bodhis)，其中以菩萨的理想为最高。大乘创造了不少神秘的菩萨，而上座部则认为菩萨只是我们人类中之一员，他/她一生致力于完善自己，希望最终以成为佛陀，为世间带来快乐与福祉。

Three Types of Buddhahood

三种觉者(Three Types of Buddhahood)

There are three types of Buddhahood: the Samma Sambuddha who gains full Enlightenment by his own effort, the Pacceka Buddha who has lesser qualities than the Samma Sambuddha, and the Savaka Buddha who is an Arahant disciple. The attainment of Nibbana between the three types of Buddhahood is exactly the same. The only difference is that the Samma Sambuddha has many more qualities and capacities than the other two.

有三种觉者：(一)无上正等正觉或正等觉者(Samma Sambuddha)，即我们所称之佛陀，他们靠自力成就完满的觉悟；(二)缘觉觉者(Pacceka Buddha)，他们的品德比正等觉者少一些；(三)声闻觉者(Savaka Buddha)，他/她们皆是阿罗汉的弟子。此三种觉者所成就的涅槃(Nibbana)都是完全一样的，相异之点只不过是：正等觉者(佛陀)有很多品德和能力是其他二种觉者所无的。

Some people think that Voidness or Sunyata discussed by Nagarjuna is purely a Mahayana teaching. It is based on the idea of Anatta or non-self, on the Paticcasamuppada or the Dependent Origination, found in the original Theravada Pali texts. Once Ananda asked the Buddha, "People say the word Sunya. What is Sunya?" The Buddha replied, "Ananda, there is no self, nor anything pertaining to self in this world. Therefore, the world is empty." This idea was taken by Nagarjuna when he wrote his remarkable book, "Madhyamika Karika". Besides the idea of Sunyata is the concept of the store-consciousness in Mahayana Buddhism which has its seed in the Theravada texts. The Mahayanists have developed it into a deep psychology and philosophy.

Ven. Dr. W. Rahula

有些人以为龙树(Nagarjuna)所言的空(Voidness or Sunyata)纯粹是大乘所教的，其实空源于无我或缘起的道理，它们在上座部巴利文的经典中都可以找到。(例如在SN35.85 Sunna Sutta之中：)

一次，阿难问佛：「人们都在说空(Sunya)这个字，到底什么是空？」

佛答：「阿难！世间没有我，也没有属于我的任何东西，因此，世间是空的。」

此概念为龙树所用，写了他出色的中观论颂(Madhyamika Karika)。除了空的概念外，大乘也有藏识(第八识或阿赖耶)之说，而此说也是源自上座部之经文的，大乘只不过把它发展成为一套深奥的心理学和哲学而已。