---
title: "太虛大師全書．第二編　五乘共學 · 生命之研究"
description: "太虚大师著《太虛大師全書·第二編 五乘共學》成书于民国时期，是近代佛教革新运动的重要文献。作者太虚为民国高僧，倡导人间佛教。本编以五乘（人、天、声闻、缘觉、菩萨）佛法为框架，系统阐述佛教基本教义，强调人乘正法为出世之基，融通世间与出世间法。该书为现代佛教教育及人间佛教实践提供核心理论依据，在近代佛教复兴中具有承前启后的重要地位，是研究中国佛教现代化转型的必读经典。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmpjj907300det1tho68ibqvb"
---

### 生命之研究

> Study of Life

——十七年四月在杭州之江大學講——

> 17th Year, 4th Month, Lecture at Hangzhou Zhijiang University

宇宙間形形色色，變化萬千，要其指歸，無非有生命與無生命兩種現象而已耳。觀夫山木之欣欣向榮，江水之滔滔東下，就其表面論之，固似有長大變化之能力存乎其中。然吾不以水木為有生命現象，吾之所謂為有完全生命現象者，厥為人類，以其為萬物之靈也。夫人既為有生命現象之動物矣，則其生命何自來，不可不一研究之。

> In the universe, all forms and phenomena are diverse and ever-changing. Yet, at their core, they can be reduced to just two categories: living and non-living. Observe the lush growth of mountain trees and the relentless eastward flow of rivers. On the surface, they seem to possess a power of growth and transformation within them. However, I do not consider water or trees as having life. In my view, beings with a complete life phenomenon are humans, as they are the most intelligent of all creatures. Since humans are beings with life, we must explore where this life comes from.

有人謂「生命之來由，係由於無生命之物質變化而成」。其根據即以「化學上若干種元素，可以構成人體」為言。而反之者，則又以為「生命係由有生命物體——父母體——而出，決不能由無生命物質而成」。其所持以辯論者，即難「化學上若干元素既能構成人體，何不以之造成一有生命之人？今既不能造成一有生命之人，則生命不出於無生命之物質，可以斷言」。

> Some say that life comes from the transformation of non-living matter, with the basis being that certain chemical elements can form the human body. Others argue that life comes only from living beings—from a mother and father—and can never arise from non-living matter. Their counterargument is: if certain chemical elements can form a human body, why can't they be used to create a living person? Since they cannot, it can be concluded that life does not originate from non-living matter.

雖然，余亦有問焉：夫既謂生命都由父母體而來，則逆數而上，必有一最初之男與一最初之女。此男也、女也，不能復謂其有父母生之也，既無父母生之，則其生命又從何而來耶？吾知主生命出自父母體之說者，必結舌不能措一答也。

> However, I have a question: if all life comes from the bodies of parents, then tracing back through generations, there must have been a first man and a first woman. This man and woman cannot be said to have been born from parents. Since they had no parents, where did their lives come from? I suspect that those who claim life comes from the bodies of parents would be left speechless, unable to provide an answer.

在吾之意，以為生命本係固有，自古迄今生命自在，特有適當機會時則發現其現象，否則潛伏焉耳。吾姑采日常事理以證吾說：考物理有動靜兩種力，動者有現象可見，靜則潛伏而不興。生命亦有動靜力焉，在白日則動，故一切現象都見；夜昏則靜，至聲息全無。然而睡熟時聲息全無者，乃在潛伏時內，而不能謂生命即停止於夜中也。昔人有詩曰：「晨昏小死生」。揆其意、蓋亦以為晨而起如死之復生，昏而臥若生而入死然者。此特就生命現象之一小部分言之也，擴而充之，謂生命之大死生，如晨之生昏之死，亦無不可也。蓋人死云者，特在生命現象上告一段落，而生命之潛伏力，固猶存也。遇有相當機會則復生焉；惟復生之生命與前生之生命，其現象亦不必盡同，蓋視時機之如何而定也。譬如杭州乘車赴滬，車中一覺而醒來已是北站矣。夫北站之風景固異於杭州，而覺後之所見當亦異於未睡時之所睹。以此例復生與前生之現象之不同，正相符合。是故以「生命出於無生命物質」或「由於父母體」者，其說多有時而窮，誠不若以「生命本身為常存者」之說之為當也。惟生命常存故無始無終，無終無始而現象之有時發現、有時潛伏，則機會為之耳。雖然、生命固無始終，而實有變化，其變也有秩序焉。人苟能明心見性，順其秩序以求生命之源，則生命之創造亦有在乎人者，要視各人之根底如何耳！

（毛汶記）見海刊九卷四期

> (Mao Wen's Record)<note place="inline">See Maritime Journal, Vol. 9, Issue 4</note>

（附註）太虛叢書「哲學」改題「生命」，今依海刊原題。

> (Note) "Philosophy" in Master Taixu's Collected Works has been retitled as "Life"; this reprint follows the original title from the Maritime Magazine.