---
title: "太虛大師全書．第一編　佛法總學 · 第一節　錫蘭緬甸暹羅等處之佛學"
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/cmpjj847p000mt1s19ws9rycu"
---

### 第一節　錫蘭緬甸暹羅等處之佛學

錫蘭古譯獅子國，緬甸古云金地，在佛寂二百年間阿育王時，已分派摩西陀等傳教其處，其所傳者為本上座部。自是相承，在錫蘭代出高德，繼續發展，今印度小乘各部皆已不傳，而錫蘭獨能保存碩果，分流於緬甸暹羅等處，實足為現存世界各佛學系中之一大系。不唯印度佛教之重興，須以其為樞紐，而駸駸且由之駛向西洋入歐美二洲。除美國西部因日本僧之傳教，漸有信行佛教者外，其他則於佛說雖頗有研究，但研究學理而已，未足以云信受奉行於佛教也。有之則唯英德美法人於錫蘭出家為比丘，及由錫蘭比丘傳教於英德美法耳。著者前年走巴黎之後，日本始派僧往，與法之希爾筏勒肥等設立日法佛學院。暹羅為純信佛教之國，亦為亞南僅存之獨立國，然其佛教之學理與奉行之儀式，大抵猶以錫蘭為標準。觀之巴黎等東方博物館所陳發掘其古物，如爪哇等南洋各島，今盛行回教之處，在昔皆佛教之流傳地。其所傳悉出於錫蘭否，則猶難考定。且於何時及何故而致變成回教教區，亦無可知。錫蘭等處，小乘佛教頗稱純粹，近來之世界運動，亦殊可觀。雖不慮其有攙雜異教異學之虞，而彼之決然排斥大乘為非佛說，則未嘗非大乘法昌明之梗。故華僧宜多往留學其長處，並以大乘佛法輸入焉。

> In ancient times, Sri Lanka was known as the Lion Kingdom, and Myanmar was called the Golden Land. About two hundred years after the Buddha's passing, during the reign of King Ashoka, monks like Mahinda were sent to these regions to spread the teachings, which were based on the Theravāda school. From then on, Sri Lanka produced a succession of eminent monastics who continued to develop the tradition. Today, all the various branches of Indian Hīnayāna have died out, but Sri Lanka alone has preserved this precious legacy, spreading it to Myanmar, Thailand, and other places, forming one of the major Buddhist systems in the world today. Not only must the revival of Indian Buddhism rely on this tradition as a pivot, but it is also steadily moving westward into Europe and America. Apart from the western United States, where some have gradually come to believe in and practice Buddhism due to Japanese monks' missionary work, in other regions, although there has been considerable scholarly study of the Buddha's teachings, this has been merely academic research and cannot be considered true faith and practice. Only a few individuals from England, Germany, France, and America have become monks in Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lankan monks have also spread the teachings in these countries. Before the author visited Paris, Japan had not yet sent monks there; later, they established the Japan-France Buddhist Institute jointly with French scholars like Sylvain Lévi. Thailand is a purely Buddhist country and the only remaining independent nation in Southeast Asia. However, its Buddhist doctrines and practices still largely take Sri Lanka as their standard. Viewing the ancient artifacts displayed in museums such as those in Paris—for example, from Java and other islands of the South Seas, now predominantly Islamic—these areas were once places where Buddhism flourished. Whether these traditions all originated from Sri Lanka remains difficult to ascertain, and it is also unknown when and why they turned into Islamic regions. The Hīnayāna Buddhism of Sri Lanka and other places is quite pure, and its recent worldwide movement is quite remarkable. Although there is no concern that it will be mixed with other religions or ideas, its firm rejection of Mahāyāna as non-Buddhist is undoubtedly an obstacle to the flourishing of the Mahāyāna Dharma. Therefore, Chinese monks should go there to learn from its strengths and, at the same time, introduce Mahāyāna Buddhism into these regions.