從四禪禪法中的尋伺功能來探析天台止觀的學術性格－以通明禪為例

Abstract

智者大師智顗在《次第禪門》中曾清楚說到，通明禪源出《大集經》，且無論在「次位」或「修證」上皆與四禪禪法一致。近代研究認為，該禪法應可視為是智者對《大集經》初禪五支裡的覺支（vitarka）禪支釋義中，所出現的「覺大覺」一詞，所做的創造性詮釋而成立的。本文參酌了Cousins對尋伺（舊譯覺觀）二詞在南傳經論中的用例研究，並解析了那些曾被智者徵引的北傳論典，如《阿毘曇》、《舍利弗毘曇》中，可能對等於覺觀兩詞的釋義文句後發現，覺觀兩禪支在四禪禪法中，主要是扮演「繫心所緣」的心識作用。《大集經》有關覺支禪支釋義中，所出現的「覺大覺」一詞所在的句子，在這樣的脈絡下，本文認為也沒有離開了繫心所緣的心識作用來詮述其意義。因此，智者大師的創釋：將覺、大覺拆解開來分別對應於世間、出世間，俗諦、真諦，再分別對應於眾生的上、中、下不同根性等等的學術分類方式的創釋方法，非但有可能誤解或過度解讀了「覺大覺」一詞所在的句子的整句意義，同時也有可能使覺支禪支原本在四禪禪法中所表徵的繫心所緣作用離開了其原有的心識功能範疇，衍義成了學術名相。據此而成立的通明禪，做為天台「義觀兩輪」教法之一的「實踐輪」，能否在天台的解脫修證上真正轉動，起到功用，變成必須正視的問題。

Master Zhiyi stated clearly in the Cidi Chanman that his tongmin chan derived its name from the Daji Jing (Mahāsamnipata Sutra) and shares the same features with that of the four dhyāna meditation system both in terms of ＂the stages for progressing＂, and the ＂practice method to realize liberation＂. Recent study, however, indicated that tongmin chan may have been formulated almost entirely based on Zhiyi's creative interpretation of the terms jue-da-jue that appears in the phrase used to explain vitarka (one of the five dhyāna factors pertaining to the first dhyāna in the Daji Jing). Having consulted Cousins' study of vitarka and vicāra in Nikāya literature, and analyzed texts in the commentaries from the northern tradition (such as those cited by Zhiyi, the Abhidharma-vibhāṣā-śāstra, and Śāriputrābhidharmaśāstra) on the corresponding phrase that may seem to correspond to the places where an exposition of the two dhyāna factors appear, this study found that fixing the mind on its object is the role essentially served by vitarka and vicāra in the four dhyāna meditation system. In this contextual vein, the phrase containing jue-da-jue that explains vitarka in Daji Jing does not seem to have deviated from this mental function of fixing the mind on its object, nor does it appear to connote any other meaning. Thus, Zhiyi's creative interpretation and scholastic classification by dividing jue-da-jue into jue and da jue to be in correspondent to the dichotomous concepts of the mundane (loka) and supra-mundane (lokottara), the conventional truth (saṃvṛti-satya) and the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya), the three levels of human capacities (trīndriya), and so forth may have not only misunderstood or over-interpreted the phrase in question. The essential function of vitarka (fixing the mind on its object) may have therefore departed from its original mental context to become scholastic-like concepts as well. The question may arise then as to whether the tongmin chan that is built upon this interpretation and is designated as ＂the wheel of practice＂ in Tiantai's two wheels teaching system can actually fulfill its function (in conjunction with the wheel of doctrine) on the way to liberation.