---
title: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論 · 悅初開士千人放生社序"
description: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論是明末高僧智旭的著作。明末佛教面臨內部僵化與外部挑戰，智旭大師立足天台宗，主張禪教律淨融合，回應時代弊病。該書匯集其書信、註疏與開示，系統闡述性相融通、淨土為歸的佛學思想，強調解行並進與實踐修行。作為中國佛教史上承先啟後的巨著，它深刻影響了後世漢傳佛教的發展，尤其對淨土宗的推廣貢獻卓著，被尊為淨土宗第九祖的智旭，其思想透過此論成為明清佛教的重要指南。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgn46k3s0ooak1049wih9pfe"
---

### 悅初開士千人放生社序

> Preface to the Thousand-Initiate Life Release Society

予幼崇理學，知天地之大德曰生，惻隱為仁之端，翻疑釋氏侈談無生，不近人情。稍長，見儒者雖言民胞物與，及其恣口肥甘，則競託遠庖廚為仁術，曾不能思刀砧號叫之苦也。雖不忍一念必不可滅，然為貪忍異說所蔽，終不能伸。而放生嘉會，每創自釋子，且推歷劫親緣，視以同體四大，究極以皆有佛性，其為好生懿德，必使大地含靈，盡證無生而後已。噫嘻！由此言之，非達無生，曷能好生？非真好生，曷證無生也哉。從此不顧名教，飄然薙髮，蓋誠有見於出世大慈大悲，方是大忠大孝，大仁大智，故不肯以夜郎自封也。悅初開士，誓勸千人放生，同修慈心三昧。予謂此三昧，當使剎塵共證，何止千人。千人云者，且就凡夫現前分量所及而已。千數既畢，頂禮千佛，俾六道悲仰，與諸佛慈力，果徹因該。供養千僧，俾悟事理和融，生佛不二，好生無生，若事若理，皆已豎窮橫遍矣。

> When I was young, I devoted myself to the Confucian school of thought, understanding that "the great virtue of Heaven and Earth is called life-giving," and that compassion is the beginning of benevolence. I then began to doubt the Buddhists, who spoke so freely about "no-birth," thinking it contrary to human feeling. As I grew a bit older, I saw that although Confucians spoke of "all people are my siblings, all things are my companions," when it came to indulging in delicious meats, they would eagerly hide behind the principle of "keeping the kitchen at a distance" as a form of benevolence, never once reflecting on the cries of suffering beneath the knife and cutting board. Though the thought of compassion can never be completely extinguished, it is often obscured by selfish and cruel doctrines and ultimately cannot prevail. Yet the virtuous practice of releasing living beings is often initiated by Buddhists, who extend it by considering the bonds of kinship across countless lifetimes, viewing all as sharing the same four elements, and ultimately reaching the truth that all possess the Buddha-nature. Their love for life is such a profound virtue that they seek to enable every sentient being on earth to realize "no-birth" before they rest. Alas! From this perspective, unless one has realized "no-birth," how can one genuinely cherish life? And unless one genuinely cherishes life, how can one realize "no-birth"? From then on, I set aside worldly reputation and morality, shaved my head, and left home—truly recognizing that the great compassion and mercy of transcending this world is itself great loyalty, great filial piety, great benevolence, and great wisdom. Therefore, I refused to confine myself like a lord of Yelang. The noble practitioner Yuechu vowed to inspire a thousand people to practice life release, jointly cultivating the samadhi of loving-kindness. I say that this samadhi should be realized by beings throughout all realms, so why stop at a thousand? When we speak of a thousand, it is merely in accordance with the present capacity of ordinary beings. Once the thousand count is fulfilled, we should bow to the thousand Buddhas, so that the sorrowful longing of beings in the six realms and the compassionate power of the Buddhas interpenetrate, with effect and cause fully encompassed. We should make offerings to a thousand monastics, so that they may awaken to the harmony of principle and phenomena, the non-duality of beings and Buddhas, the unity of cherishing life and no-birth, and that both the phenomenal and the principled aspects are realized thoroughly, extending vertically through all time and horizontally throughout all space.