---
title: "太虛大師全書．第一編　佛法總學 · 緒言"
description: "太虛大師全書第一編佛法總學由近代佛教改革領袖釋太虛著於民國時期，成書於二十世紀上半葉。該編為大師佛學思想總綱，系統闡述佛法根本原理，涵蓋教理、修行與世出世法圓融之義。內容包括對佛教經典的統攝解說、人生佛教之理論基礎，以及對傳統佛學的現代詮釋。本書在近現代佛教史上具有里程碑地位，為人間佛教思想奠定理論基石，是研究中國佛教現代轉型與太虛大師思想的重要典籍。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmpjj847p0007t1s1sdi3zvfh"
---

### 緒　言

> Introduction

「佛教」，平常都以寺菴中之僧尼為代表，以為不過一種禮拜式之宗教，何學之可言！此曰佛學，未免有所未喻，故先將學字解釋之。學字常義有二：一、是動詞，如學習學作，凡有所摹效練習，均可名學，如小兒學語學行等。二、是名詞，如學理學說，凡持之有故，言之成理，前後相應，有精深詳密之條理者，如科學哲學等，方可名學。今稱佛學，亦指有精密條理之學理而言。

> "Buddhism" is often represented by the monks and nuns in temples and monasteries, seen as nothing more than a religion of rituals and worship—what could there be to study? To call it "Buddhist studies" might be misunderstood. Therefore, I will first explain the meaning of the word "study." The common meaning of "study" has two aspects: First, as a verb, such as "learning" or "practicing," referring to any imitation or training, like a child learning to speak or walk. Second, as a noun, such as "knowledge" or "theory," referring to something that has a solid basis, is logically coherent, consistent in its parts, and has deep, detailed, and precise structure—like science or philosophy—which can be called a field of study. When we say "Buddhist studies" today, we mean precisely this kind of precise and systematic body of knowledge.

向來佛徒有所謂學佛與佛學之二語。學佛者，謂實踐修行；而佛學則講求明確精密之學理。其實學佛與佛學非二，凡學佛必先了解佛學之真理，然後始能貫徹實行。故欲實行學佛，必先究明佛之學理，佛之學理，尤貴實證。如依佛典固可得其理解，然所求之理解，乃是佛智所實證之境，若僅作為一種研究，則實際上仍未能證得。故講學應期於實證，期實證則須學佛之所行。

> Buddhists have long spoken of two terms: "practicing Buddhism" and "studying Buddhism." "Practicing Buddhism" refers to engaging in spiritual cultivation, while "studying Buddhism" emphasizes a precise and rigorous understanding of Buddhist doctrines. In reality, these two are not separate. To truly practice Buddhism, one must first grasp the truths of Buddhist teachings, and only then can they carry them out effectively. Therefore, before embarking on Buddhist practice, one must thoroughly investigate Buddhist theory. This theory, however, places special value on direct realization. While studying Buddhist scriptures can provide intellectual understanding, what we seek to understand is the state realized by the Buddha's wisdom itself. If treated merely as an academic inquiry, one will still fail to realize it firsthand. Thus, the study of Buddhist teachings should aim at direct realization, and to achieve direct realization, one must follow the Buddha's own path of practice.

佛教何以有學？通常佛典內多稱佛法。有人言佛法即哲學，佛法即宗教。有人言佛法非哲學亦非宗教，只能稱佛法。今將佛法分為四種，即教理行果是也。教者，即佛現身於世間所說之法，遺留於後世教化有情者。在當時僅有言說，未留文字，故無書籍。其所說之語言，以音聲為體。依聲之高下長短成為名，集名成為句，名句依於文。多名多句多文之積聚，在佛學上謂之名句文身，此多名句文身，在佛當日以聲為主，聞者依佛所教修證，無文字之必要。及至佛說法度人事終，滅度之後，弟子因佛去世，恐後無所宗依，故將大眾所聞於佛之教法，就憶持多聞者傳誦所聞，由大眾證明錄成經典，此即佛之遺教。此佛之遺教，與通常之學理學說不同。蓋通常之學說，乃依半明半昧之常識推究所成，以所已知者推所未知，如科學方法，在其推究之中，得一番經驗加一層知識；若昔言天圓地方，後知地本球形，則說無確定，義時變動。佛之教法與餘學來源不同，乃是純由聖智中所流出之至教。故於教法上言，不能不用信力領受之，此點與信宗教無異。佛法非宗教亦非不是宗教，故欲講佛法必先信有佛。佛者、乃佛陀之簡稱，係覺者之義，覺者指已得無上正遍覺之人，此界中已得無上正遍覺者，曾有釋迦牟尼佛現身世間，說法度人，因有教法遺傳人世。然又不同其餘宗教者，則吾人能實行實證到於無上正覺，吾人亦即成佛，故吾人於佛終可平等。惟在未成佛以前，欲求成佛，不可不先信受佛之教法。然此信亦非盲從之信，蓋吾人若信有法界諸法之真實理，則覺悟此真理至於圓滿者，即是無上正覺。在佛之無上正覺中，無一剎那間不徹上徹下徹內徹外完全明了覺知者，非前念知一後念又知一也。在佛自覺已到圓滿地位，更不須學說學理及學習學作之學，故曰無學。然佛證入究竟覺悟境界，如虛空、如大圓鏡無不含照，而一切眾生未能證入法界萬有之真實相，所以迷昧顛倒生出許多煩惱痛苦，佛悲憫之，故施設名句文身之教法使之覺悟。

> Why does Buddhism involve learning? In Buddhist scriptures, it is often referred to as the "Dharma." Some say the Dharma is philosophy, while others say it is religion. Still others claim it is neither philosophy nor religion and can only be called the Dharma. Here, we will divide the Dharma into four aspects: doctrine, principle, practice, and realization. "Doctrine" refers to the teachings the Buddha gave while alive in the world, which were passed down to later generations to guide sentient beings. At that time, these teachings were only spoken, not written down, so there were no books. The spoken language was based on sound. Sounds of varying pitch and length formed words, words formed sentences, and sentences relied on composition. The accumulation of many words, many sentences, and much composition is called in Buddhist studies "the collection of words, phrases, and texts." When the Buddha was alive, these were primarily vocal. Those who heard them practiced and realized according to the Buddha's instructions, so there was no need for written texts. After the Buddha had completed his work of teaching and guiding people and entered Nirvana, his disciples feared that without him, there would be no basis for future practice. Thus, they gathered together the teachings they had heard from the Buddha, relying on those with strong memories to recite what they had heard. The community then verified these recitations, compiling them into scriptures. These are the Buddha's legacy. This legacy differs from ordinary scholarly theories or doctrines. Ordinary theories are based on half-clear, half-obscure common sense, deduced from the known to infer the unknown. For example, scientific methods yield new experiences and knowledge through investigation; but earlier, people said the sky was round and the earth flat, only later learning the earth is spherical. Such theories are uncertain and change over time. The Buddha's teachings have a different origin. They are the ultimate teaching flowing purely from sacred wisdom. Therefore, in terms of doctrine, one cannot rely solely on reasoning but must receive it with faith. This is similar to religious belief. Buddhism is not a religion, yet it is not not a religion. Thus, to discuss the Dharma, one must first have faith in the Buddha. "Buddha" is an abbreviation for "the Awakened One," referring to one who has attained supreme, perfect enlightenment. In this world, Śākyamuni Buddha appeared, taught, and guided people, leaving behind the Dharma for humanity. However, Buddhism differs from other religions in that we can also practice and realize this supreme enlightenment ourselves, becoming Buddhas. Ultimately, we are equal to the Buddha. But before attaining Buddhahood, to seek enlightenment, we must first receive the Buddha's teachings with faith. This faith is not blind obedience. If we believe in the ultimate truth of all phenomena in the Dharma realm, then realizing this truth completely is supreme enlightenment. In the Buddha's supreme enlightenment, he is fully aware of everything—above, below, within, and without—at every moment. It is not that one thought knows one thing and the next thought knows something else. The Buddha himself has reached the stage of perfect realization and no longer needs to learn theories, principles, or practices. Thus, he is said to be "beyond learning." Nevertheless, the Buddha has entered the ultimate state of enlightenment, like space or a great mirror reflecting everything. But all sentient beings have not yet realized the true nature of all phenomena in the Dharma realm. Because of this, they are confused, upside-down, and generate countless afflictions and suffering. Out of compassion, the Buddha established the collection of words, phrases, and texts as teachings to guide them toward awakening.

佛之教法有兩方面。一者符契真理，佛一念中普遍照了法界萬有之真實理，時時相應，無有一毫謬誤，故所說法皆契真理。一方面又符契根機，聞法者是何等根器，何種機感，即為之方便解說。此之兩方似相衝突，以眾生心智不與佛齊，隨順眾生則不契理。然隨機說法乃佛行化之權巧，漸次皆令通到佛之境界，所謂皆令入佛知見，此為無上正遍覺中施設流出之教法。惟此種施設，必係應機而起，佛與佛則不用此也。此所施設流出之教法，依萬法唯識言之則有兩方面：一、無漏清淨之名句文身，自無上正遍覺之佛心中流出，此由眾生機感乃自佛心中流出，謂之本質教。二、佛心所流出之名句文身，吾人不能直接親緣，祗能以有漏心依之為增上緣，在自心中生一種影象，謂之影象教。推此影象歸於本質，則佛教中所謂聖教或至教，乃為歷千古而不變，推四海而皆準之常法，無學可言。所以佛有學者，則在第二理法。其能詮理之影象教，係以佛說為增上緣，聞法者對於所聞之教法，思惟觀察得有了解，乃有佛教學理。凡稱為經者，皆是佛所說之法。後來又有依佛教法詳細申論推闡者，則稱之曰論。在論之成為精密詳確之學理者，如大毗婆沙論、瑜伽師地論等是也。推其根源，皆自佛所遺留之教法來者。佛之教法，本由得無上正遍覺而出，故吾人欲知佛教之真理，亦必須證得無上正遍覺。如何始可證之，又必講求修行方法，故第三者須講行。而行中有三增上學，即戒定慧是也。所謂如何持戒，如何修禪定，如何得大智慧。如此修行，則可得無上正遍覺，即是大菩提果，證知法界諸法實相，此即第四所謂果也。既得以後，亦可以此開示覺悟他人。

> The Buddha's teachings have two aspects. First, they correspond with ultimate truth; in a single moment of awareness, the Buddha perfectly and completely illuminates the true reality of all things in the universe, never straying from it even in the slightest. Therefore, whatever he speaks is perfectly aligned with truth. Second, his teachings also correspond with the capacity and needs of the listener. Depending on the listener's level of spiritual potential and their specific conditions, he tailors his explanations to guide them skillfully. These two aspects may appear contradictory, because sentient beings' minds are not equal to the Buddha's; accommodating them might seem to compromise the truth. However, this adaptation to different capabilities is the Buddha's skillful means of teaching, gradually leading all beings toward his own state of realization—ultimately enabling them to enter the Buddha's own understanding. This teaching flows from the state of supreme, perfect enlightenment. Yet such skillful expression only arises in response to beings' needs; Buddhas do not need to teach one another. From the perspective that all phenomena are consciousness-only, this flowing teaching has two aspects: First, the pure, undefiled combination of words, phrases, and expressions that flows from the Buddha's mind of supreme, perfect enlightenment. Arising in response to beings' spiritual readiness, this is called the "essential teaching." Second, although these words and expressions originate from the Buddha's mind, we cannot perceive them directly. Instead, we use our own defiled minds, relying on these expressions as a supporting condition, to generate a reflection within our own minds. This is called the "reflected teaching." If we trace this reflected teaching back to the original essential teaching, it constitutes the "sacred word" or "authoritative teaching" of Buddhism—an eternal, universal truth that remains unchanged through the ages and valid everywhere. As such, there is nothing to study about the essential teaching itself. Therefore, the academic study of Buddhism exists in relation to the second principle. The reflected teaching, which conveys meaning, uses the Buddha's words as a supporting condition. Listeners then contemplate and analyze what they hear, arriving at understanding—this is what we call Buddhist doctrine. All texts known as \*sutras\* are the teachings spoken by the Buddha. Later, detailed commentaries and expansions based on these teachings were composed, called \*shastras\* (treatises). Treatises that present precise and systematic doctrines—like the \*Great Commentary (Mahavibhasha)\* or the \*Yogacara-bhumi Shastra\*—are examples of this. They all ultimately trace their source back to the teachings left by the Buddha. Since the Buddha's teaching itself comes from the attainment of supreme, perfect enlightenment, those who wish to know the ultimate truth of Buddhism must also realize this state. How can we realize it? We must practice the path—hence the third topic: practice. Within practice are the three higher trainings: ethical discipline (\*shila\*), meditative concentration (\*samadhi\*), and wisdom (\*prajna\*). This means learning how to uphold precepts, how to cultivate meditation, and how to attain great wisdom. By practicing in this way, one can achieve supreme, perfect enlightenment—the great fruit of awakening—and directly realize the true nature of all phenomena. This is the fourth topic: the result of practice. Having achieved this, one can then use this understanding to teach and awaken others.

然教理行果亦非截然隔別者，蓋思惟觀察即是行，因行而理愈明，理解與行同時並進，如行路然，目之與足同時發生作用。且雖少明理解未達究竟果位，然亦已成效果，雖少有效果不以自足，故能終達無上正遍覺也。常人思想知識皆不離我執法執，故所謂各種學理，不免妄情卜度推測，不能認為究竟真理。欲求真理，不能不依佛之教法，或古來大德之學理為研究時之根據。然則佛之學理，一為得聖果三乘有學之學理，半依聖教半依自證而成；一為初學者外內凡之學理，全依聖教聞思而成。佛學一名，大略如是。

> However, the teachings, principles, practice, and realization are not completely separate. Contemplation and observation are themselves practice; through practice, the principles become clearer. Understanding and practice advance together, like walking, where the eyes and feet work simultaneously. Moreover, even a slight understanding that has not yet reached the ultimate stage of realization still produces some effect. And since one does not become complacent with even partial effects, one can ultimately attain the supreme and perfect enlightenment. Ordinary people’s thoughts and knowledge are always bound by attachment to self and attachment to phenomena. Therefore, what they call various theories are merely biased speculations and guesses, and cannot be regarded as ultimate truth. To seek truth, one must rely on the Buddha’s teachings or the doctrines of ancient great masters as a basis for study. The Buddha’s doctrines consist of two types: one is the doctrine of the three vehicles of worthy practitioners who have attained the sacred fruit—partly based on the sacred teachings and partly on personal realization. The other is the doctrine of ordinary practitioners, both external and internal—completely based on hearing and reflecting on the sacred teachings. The term “Buddhist studies” broadly encompasses this.