---
title: "太虛大師全書．第二編　五乘共學 · 一　生命是什麼"
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/cmpjj90nw00dzt1thsikwc4bc"
---

### 一　生命是什麼

> Chapter 1: What Is Life?

「生」，普通說的生存，對滅亡而言。生是生起，本來沒有而現在新生，叫做生；生起了繼續存在，名為存。滅是毀滅，毀滅到最後的空無名亡。但生命之生，非生存滅亡之生，而是平常所說生活的生。生活與死相對，也就是平常所說的生死的生；生與死對，活的名生；所謂生命，就是活的生。普通叫生活所需要的一切名生活，比如衣食住等；衣食等資養人的生活，所以叫做生活，是後來附加上去的，而真正的生活，是對「死」而言的，這才是此處所講的生。

> "Life" – as commonly understood – is spoken of in contrast to "death." Life means arising: what did not exist before now comes into being; that is called birth. Once arisen and continuing to exist, that is called living. Death means destruction; when destruction reaches its final state of nothingness, that is called perishing. However, the "life" discussed here in relation to living beings is not the "life" of existence versus extinction. Rather, it is "life" as we ordinarily speak of it – the life we live. This life stands opposite to death; what is alive is called life. So-called "life" essentially means being alive. Ordinarily, everything needed for living is called "livelihood" – such as food, clothing, and shelter. These things that support human life are called livelihood, a term added later. But true life refers to what is opposite to death – and that is the meaning of "life" being discussed here.

「命」，平常有命令、命運等的意義。此中所講的命，是佛典上所說的命根、壽命。普通所講的生命，不限動物，亦可通於一切植物。佛學上講的命根、壽命，則單屬於動物的有情；有情，雖不限於我們所能見到的動物，以種類而言，實是動物的一類。普通所講的生命，連植物也包括在內，一草一木都有死活，當其生活時都有繼續不斷的生命。命，可以說是一條一條的，如打死一牛或一馬，就說害了一條生命，而此一條命，也正指「一個生活的繼續」而言。在這一草一木，也都有生活的繼續，所以也各有生命，且是個別一條一條的；此一枝草的命，非彼一枝草的命，牛馬草木等這樣一條一條的生命，就是通常生命的意義。有生命的東西，要是給它斷掉了，就是死的。如一支枯草，一具死屍，一粒壞穀，都是沒有生命的。枯草雖是死的，但枯乾的形體，尚同土塊一樣存在。因此，科學中說各種存在的東西，還沒有滅亡到空無時，都是有的；死的——無生命的，和有生活相續的，這就是死活相對。死的無生命，活的有生命，亦即所謂生物與非生物；有生活繼續的名生物，無生活繼續的名非生物；土石磚瓦名非生物，草木禽獸名為生物。這都是從有生命和無生命上分別的。但佛學上不作如此分類，只作有情與無情的劃分，要是有情才有生命。所以從生命的狹義上講，有情眾生——一切動物——才有生命。有覺知情識才是充足的生命，花草樹木不能算是充足的生命。

> "Life" commonly refers to concepts like command or fate. Here, the "life" being discussed refers to the "life faculty" and "lifespan" as described in Buddhist scriptures. The ordinary meaning of "life" is not limited to animals; it can also apply to all plants. In Buddhist teachings, however, the "life faculty" and "lifespan" apply only to sentient beings—animals. Although sentient beings are not limited to the animals we can see, they are, in terms of species, a category of animals. The ordinary understanding of "life" includes plants, where every blade of grass or tree has a cycle of life and death, maintaining a continuous existence while alive. Life can be thought of as individual threads—for example, killing a cow or horse means ending one life. This "one life" specifically refers to "the continuation of a single living existence." Each blade of grass or tree also possesses such a continuous existence, and thus each has its own life, separate and individual. The life of this blade of grass is not the life of that one. These individual lives of cows, horses, plants, and so on represent the common meaning of life. If a living thing has its existence cut off, it becomes dead—like a withered blade of grass, a corpse, or a spoiled grain, all of which lack life. Even though a withered blade of grass is dead, its dried form still exists like a clump of earth. Therefore, science says that all existing things are present until they disappear into nothingness. The distinction between dead—lifeless—and living, with ongoing existence, is the relative nature of life and death. The dead are without life; the living have life, which is also the distinction between living and non-living things. Things with ongoing existence are called living beings; those without are non-living. Soil, stones, bricks, and tiles are non-living; plants, trees, birds, and animals are living. These are all classifications based on having or lacking life. However, Buddhist teachings do not classify things this way. Instead, they distinguish between sentient beings and non-sentient beings. Only sentient beings have life. So, in a narrower sense, sentient beings—all animals—possess life. Only those with consciousness and awareness are considered fully living; plants and trees are not regarded as fully living beings.

現在，從一般人所講的生命說，包括一切動植物，凡有一條生命的東西，便是生物。而生物都有生命的現象，如初有名生，長成名長，由衰而老，由老而死，生長老死為生物必經的過程。在此過程上，生命各成其種類，各能傳種續後，草木都有此種現象，故生物與非生物，大有區別。因為生物都要生長，要維持生命，所以要常吸收養料，以免很快的老死。但生命的個體，到相當期間，一定不免老死，所以在生長力充足時，又從個體的生命，傳同類的生命，像這種生物性，可以叫它做生命。

> Now, speaking from the perspective of life as commonly understood, all living things — including plants and animals — that possess a life force are called "beings." These beings all exhibit phenomena of life: at birth, it is called "arising"; as it grows, it is "maturation"; it weakens with age; and finally decays into death. Birth, growth, aging, and death form the inevitable process for every living thing. Within this process, life forms its own species, each capable of continuing its kind. Even grasses and trees display these phenomena. Thus, there is a clear distinction between living and non-living things. Because all living things must grow and sustain life, they constantly absorb nourishment to avoid rapid aging and death. However, every individual life, given enough time, inevitably faces aging and death. So, while it has sufficient vitality, a life transmits its own kind through reproduction. This quality of being alive can be called "life."

這生命的現象，生命的性能，它是怎樣起源的，現在就要研究到了。

> This very phenomenon of life, this capacity for life—how did it originate? We are about to investigate that now.