隨筆漫談1 -2Casual Reflection Essays1-2

隨筆漫談1

 

大家好！

 

   年輕的時候努力讀過一些華人大學問家的著作，試圖從這裡邊補充北傳佛教的不足。

印象中，儒、道家的思想體系很好，只是我覺得這些視野有限，（當然佛法視野也有很多必需修正）

書看完以後大概就放著不想再翻。

 

讀者或許認為我太小看中國文化，但我沒有這樣的意思，百年儒學大家的思想我大概都看過，從牟宗三、胡適到陳寅恪⋯，年輕時都涉獵過。

 

找一點資料來做說明。

 

AI資料： 牟宗三（1909－1995）是中國當代著名的哲學家、新儒家代表人物之一。他的思想融合中國傳統儒學、佛學與西方哲學，特別是康德哲學，提出許多深具影響力的觀點。 以下是牟宗三的主要思想概要：   圓教與圓融：儒佛會通 牟宗三致力於儒學、佛學與道家思想的會通，尤其主張以儒學為根本、融攝佛學與道家思想，建立一個現代性與傳統性兼具的哲學體系。 他認為「心性之學」是中華思想的核心（即探討人的內在道德心性）。 他稱這種整合的哲學為「圓教哲學」，主張儒學的道德實踐能與佛學的空性智慧相互補充。

 

當我想讀這些書的時候，對當年國學大師寄予厚望希望能從中再找出一條更清楚的路來，

從梁啟超先生的五四運動開始不是華人都這樣想嗎？

只是探尋的路途方法，總覺少了什麼？

 

半寄

Casual Reflection Essay 1

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

In my younger years, I diligently studied the works of several prominent Chinese scholars, hoping to find insights that could fill in the gaps I saw in Northern (Mahāyāna) Buddhism.

 

From what I remember, the philosophical systems of Confucianism and Daoism were well-structured, but I found their perspectives rather limited. (To be fair, Buddhism also has its own problems that need fixing.) 

After finishing those books, I rarely felt the urge to revisit them.

 

Some readers may interpret this as a dismissal of Chinese culture, but that is not my intention. I have studied the thoughts of the major Confucian scholars from the past century, including MouZongsan, Hu Shi, Chen Yinke, and others. I explored all of them in my younger days.

 

Here’s some supporting material.

 

AI Data Mou Zongsan (1909–1995) was a prominent modern Chinese philosopher and one of the key figures in the New Confucian movement. His philosophy blends traditional Confucianism, Buddhism, and Western thought—especially the ideas of Kant.  One of his main ideas was:   Integration and Harmony: Bridging Confucianism and Buddhism  Mou Zongsan devoted himself to integrating Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist thought, advocating Confucianism as the core, while incorporating Buddhist and Daoist elements. His aim was to establish a philosophy that is both modern and traditional. He said that the study of the human mind and nature is the core of Chinese thought.   He called his integrated approach “Perfect Teaching Philosophy,” asserting that Confucian moral values and Buddhist wisdom on śūnyatācan complement each other.

 

Back when I read these kinds of books, I really hoped the great scholars of the past might illuminate a clearer path forward.

Wasn’t this the hope of many Chinese thinkers since Liang Qichao and the May Fourth Movement?

And yet, this appraoch always seemed to lack something essential.

 

Master Banji

 

 

 

 

 

 

隨筆漫談2

 

找出牟宗三先生的片斷思想，想指出民國初期的儒、道、釋融合也只是延續大陸內地由來已久的想法，不見新意。

 

我個人看完以後更是一頭霧水，不如儒家歸儒家，道家、佛家各歸本位論述，更來得清晰。

大陸內地一直有圓融的思想，那是大陸地區會發展出來的一種思緒，但誰見過圓滿了？

都說要革新，但那些ㄧ大堆的學問，對於我的幫助不大，

不好意思的說，民國初期的華人大學問家，論起佛法都沒脫離過天台、華嚴宗建立起來的講學系統，再補上西洋哲學就一重天外又一重天。

 

記得讀老莊的時候，因為有一些想法在我心裡苦苦找不到其他的看法，

不死心追到德國.黑格爾哲學才罷手，

 

我不知道國學大師們是怎麼辦到把佛，儒，道三家跟西洋哲學就這樣融在一起。

 

要不是剛好《原始教典》的探討起來，一直在圓融的國學跟北傳佛教的重重矛盾裡，

恐怕到現在都沒有成就，只會說ㄧ些學問，這連我自己都不能接受。

該感謝時代走出了不同的步調嗎！

 

上述內容已跟現代相去甚遠，

國學大師們的研究少了什麼已不重要，時代早奔向遠方，

或許對大陸內地仍有些幫助，

謹供參考。

半寄

Casual Reflection Essay 2

 

I examined fragments of Mou Zongsan’s thought in an attempt to show that the fusion of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in the early Republic of China was merely a continuation of a long-standing tradition in mainland China. It offered little that was genuinely new.

 

Honestly, after reading it, I was even moreconfused. I found it far clearer to approach Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism as distinct systems, each with its own integrity. The ideal of philosophical integration has long been present in Chinese intellectual history, yet no one has truly realized such "perfect harmony."

 

Much has been said about reform, but the overwhelming volume of scholarship did little to aid me personally. To be frank, those great Chinese thinkers of the early Republic still talked about Buddhism within the same old Tiantai and Huayan traditions. Then they added Western philosophy on top—one abstraction on top of another.

 

I recall that during my reading of Laozi and Zhuangzi, certain thoughts kept troubling me, and I couldn’t find interpretations that resonated with my own. Reluctant to give up, I followed these thoughts all the way to German philosophy, where I finally found resolution in Hegel.

 

I still don’t understand how the great masters of Chinese studies managed to seamlessly integrate Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism with Western philosophy.

 

Were it not for my engagement with scriptures of Original Buddhism, I might have remained lost within the contradictions between traditional Chinese thought and Northern Buddhism. I might’ve just kept talking about philosophy without truly understanding anything. Even I wouldn’t have accepted that. 

 

Should I be thankful that history moved in a different direction?

The content above has already diverged significantly from modern times. What those early scholars missed doesn’t really matter anymore—the times have moved on. 

Maybe their ideas are still helpful in parts of mainland China.

 

But for me, this is merely a personal reflection, not a claim to academic authority.

 

MasterBanji

（月牙泉附近鳴沙山，似乎看見霍去病打通河西走廊，佛法在漫天風沙中走入中國）

白骨觀

 

大家好！

白骨觀的修法到底是要走向唯物還是唯心？

在修行的法門裡面，後來的人根據佛陀教授的「不淨觀」發展出了「白骨觀」。

以前看沒有什麼想法，因這也不是我想修的佛法，

現在看就覺得佛陀也不容易，從早期第一批弟子們有足夠的聰慧聽聞祂教授的佛法即可證悟，

到後期弟子人數大增到連不淨觀都要教了！

從佛法思惟到面對腐屍，其中幅度轉變不可謂不大。

 

下面截取一段白骨觀的修法，前面我提出，這樣的修法到底是唯物論還是唯心論？

因為修成白骨觀的修行者，看待對方都是白骨，骨頭到底是物質的唯物，還是都只是自認為的唯心論？

這裡的唯心與唯物不涉及現有的佛法解釋，是我個人針對白骨觀內容想問的唯物與唯心。

按照經文佛陀對不淨觀的教授，只是暫時性的教學，一種因應學生資質而提供的教學，卻由短暫性變成永久性。

 

導致，後代的佛法教學都喜歡把別人當自己，

我的眼睛看到的是白骨，當然你的眼睛看到的也是白骨。

 

半寄

 

Contemplation of Bones (Asubha Bhāvana)

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

The practice of Contemplation of Bones (Asubha Bhāvana) raises an interesting question: is it rooted in materialism or idealism?

Originally, this method evolved from the Buddha’s teaching on impurity contemplation, tailored for students who needed more support in their practice.

I used to overlook this method, as it wasn’t part of the practices I personally sought.

 

However, with time, I began to appreciate the Buddha’s challenges—how he moved from teaching profound Dharma to a small, enlightened group, to adapting his approach as more followers joined, some requiring more tangible methods like visualizing decaying corpses.

 

This shows a big shift—from contemplating Dharma to meditating on decaying corpses.

 

Here’s a part of the Contemplation of Bones practice.

I’m wondering: is this method materialist or idealist?

If a practitioner sees others as bones, then are the bones physical objects (material), or is it just something imagined in the mind (idealism)?

I’m not referring to Buddhist definitions of these terms, but just using them to ask: is this practice about things that are real and material, or just how the mind sees them?

 

The Buddha offered impurity contemplation as a temporary method suited to certain practitioners. But later on, it seems like this temporary method became a long-term one.

 

This has led to a tendency where the practitioners assume that their perspective is shared by others—What I see (e.g. bones), I assume you must also see.

 

Master Banji

感應6 Perception 6

感應6

 

   寫過的文章裡都有提過，世界上修行者很多，

當然有能力具有「感應」的這種功力在各宗教修行者之間也為數不少。

 

之前，我認識的居士有一塊地被某宗教國外人士看中認定是有福報的土地，

是「福地」希望能免費的給予他們使用，

我說：真的好眼光，修了很久累積的福有人看到了！

我的態度通常不會給予建議，相信跟我學佛法的大德，自有其思考能力。

 

居士沒有想要給對方使用，

但是對方好像覺得這一塊土地沒有給他們使用，實在是太可惜了！

不死心的一直想要把這件事辦成。

原因，其他他們看過的地方，都沒有這一塊土地的福報好。哈

 

這也令我大開眼界，

原來其他的宗教團體是這樣在操作所謂的福報！

但有沒有想過別人的福是怎麼修的呢？

憑什麼「感應」的結果看到別人的福報就可以歸為自己所用！

如果去問的話，定會回答；因為我們也是要去行善、修行來增加您的福。

 

我個人曾經親眼看過一個3歲多的小男孩，瞬間變成70幾歲皺紋滿臉的老人家，驚訝之餘，也佩服這精魅確實厲害，

但這易容術想唬騙誰？

 

《大師在喜馬拉雅山》ㄧ書中描述到，一個修行者練了「一輩子」用「手指」點火，作者說我拿打火機1秒鐘就辦到，不用一輩子。

 

這本書我的不知道丟到哪裡去了？

有興趣的讀者自己去翻閱。

個人推薦這本書，可以看到很多奇哩古怪的修法是如何無知的在浪費生命。

半寄

 

Perception 6

 

I’ve mentioned in my writings that there are many spiritual practitioners around the world. Naturally, many of them—across various religions—also possess the ability of spiritual sensitivity or perception.

One person I knew owned a piece of land that some people from a foreign religion believed was blessed. They called it a “land of fortune” and wanted to use it for free. I said, “What a good eye! Your years of hard work and spiritual practice have been recognized!”

 

I usually don’t give advice — everyone’s an adult and can make their own decisions.

 

This person refused to give them the land, but the religious group felt it was such a waste if they couldn’t use it and kept trying to get it. The reason is, none of the other places they’ve visited are as blessed as this land. Haha.

 

This surprised me. It made me realize that some religious groups try to use the idea of “blessings” in this way.

But do they ever stop to think about how someone else earned those blessings?

Why does feeling or sensing someone else’s good fortune mean it’s okay to take it?

 

If you asked them, they’d probably say, “We’re doing good things and spiritual work to help increase your blessings too.”

 

Once, I saw something unbelievable — a little boy, maybe three years old, suddenly changed into an old man with lots of wrinkles. I was shocked and impressed. That jingmei was strong!

But honestly, who are you trying to fool with that kind of magic?

 

In the book Living with the Himalayan Masters, it talks about someone who spent his whole life learning how to ignite fire with his finger. The writer said, “I can do that with a lighter in one second — no need to spend a lifetime.”

 

I can’t remember where I placed the book, but if you’re interested, go check it out.

I recommend it — you’ll see how strange some spiritual practices are, and how people waste their lives without even realizing it.

 

Master Banji

 

 

 

 

讀書會成員提供，現在我個人內心沒有這樣的完美想法，這也是一種完美觀，

沒有一個人可以做好全部的事，安然的做自己就好。

半寄