Liu Zongyuan said: "I have been fond of Buddhism since I was a child and have been pursuing its path for thirty years." His mother, Lu, is a devout Buddhist. When he was young, he went to Hongzhou, Jiangxi with his father, where Zong Huineng's estranged heir, Mazu Daoyi, who together with Qingyuan Xingsi was known as the "Two Masters of Zen Buddhism", was teaching the Dharma there, saying
"Hongzhou Zen" was highly respected by Jiangxi Observer Li Jian (grandfather of Mrs. Yang of Liu Zongyuan). Quan Deyu, a close friend of Liu Zongyuan's father
also came under his sect. Liu Zongyuan's father-in-law Yang Ping also believed in Buddhism. Therefore, Liu Zongyuan has lived in an environment with a strong Buddhist atmosphere since childhood. During his examination and official career in Chang'an, he made friends with monks such as Wen Chang and Ling Cui who were in and out of official circles. He also admired Xie Anshi, Wang Xizhi, Xi Chizhi, Xie Lingyun, and Bao Zhao from the Jin and Song Dynasties. and others
had a close relationship with the monks Zhi Daolin, Shi Dao'an, Hui Yuan, Hui Xiu, etc., and also praised those contemporaries who "served diligently the teachings of the saints
and respected them. He is both Confucian and Buddhist. Later, during the process of being exiled and demoted, Liu Zongyuan made friends with many monks. Buddhist thought deeply influenced him, and combined with the Confucian education he received, he formed his unique thought of blending Confucianism and Buddhism.
Liu Zongyuan believed in Buddhism and focused on Buddhist teachings. He treated the religious superstition as the outer shell differently from the inner substance of the doctrine
. He has "loved Buddhism since childhood" and "has gained it" because he has a deep understanding of Buddhist teachings. Therefore, he does not agree with Han Yu's approach of "people are like people and books are like fire". He said :
The Confucian scholar Han Tuizhi and Yu Shan, Yu Shan became addicted to Fu Tu after suffering from illness, and Zi Yu traveled with Fu Tu. Near Longxi, Li Shengchu came from the Eastern Capital.
After retreating, he still had some writing sins. He also said: "Seeing the Preface to Yuan Sheng, I don't reject the floating pictures." There are some things that cannot be rejected in Fu Tu, which are often consistent with "Yi" and "The Analects of Confucius". They are sincere and joyful. They have a refreshing temperament and are not different from Confucius. The retired Confucian scholar failed
to surpass Yang Zi. Yang Zi's books can be found in Zhuang, Mo, Shen and Han. Those who are superficial are not as good as the weird and dangerous thieves in "Zhuang", "Mo", "Shen" and "Han"? Said: "It's because of the barbarians." If you don't believe in the Tao and criticize the barbarians, then your friends will be evil, steal the plant, and despise the Ji Zha, how can I leave it? It’s not the so-called pursuit of truth by getting rid of names. What I have taken is consistent with the "Yi" and "The Analects of Confucius". Although the saint is resurrected and cannot be retrieved, the traces of the sins that he retreated are also traces. Said: "With a kun and a crotch, there is no husband
Wife, father and son, they live as human beings without working as farmers and sericulture." If that were the case, I wouldn't be happy either. To withdraw the anger outside and leave it inside is to know the stone but not the jade. This is why I am addicted to the words of pagoda [note].
In this article, Liu Zongyuan comprehensively elaborated on his attitude towards Buddhism. In response to Han Yu's accusation,
he believed that Buddhist teachings are often consistent with the basic spirit of Confucianism and cannot be rejected just because it is a "barbarian" law.
At this point, Liu Zongyuan advocated eclecticism, the courage to absorb excellent foreign cultural achievements, and "take their best",
showing an open cultural psychology. As for the negative aspects of Buddhists not paying attention to secular ethics and being divorced from productive labor, Liu Zongyuan and Han Yu disagreed. In his "Preface to Master Yuanxuan", he criticized "those who are Buddhists in the world are confused and don't know the way, so they abandon filial piety in order to achieve it, and their remaining feelings are valued in vain." He has not truly understood Buddhism. Teachings, praising Shi Yuanxuan
On the issue of "filial piety", "I see that it does not violate it, and it is consistent with Confucianism." [ Note].
Liu Zongyuan treated Buddhism based on Confucianism as the standard of value, and supported Buddhism and Confucianism by choosing those that were "beneficial to the world". He believes that
Buddhism is "the same as Confucius" [Note]. The specific points are as follows:
1. "If you don't love officials, you won't strive for power", which is in line with the Confucian attitude towards life. Liu Zongyuan said in "The First Preface to Farewell to Monk Hao":
"There are many people who follow the Tao, do not accept official positions, do not strive for power, enjoy the mountains and rivers, and prefer leisure and tranquility. I am sick in this world. However, if the only thing that matters is to compete with each other, how can we follow it? "In his opinion, the tranquility of the Buddhist masters was incompatible with the officialdom at that time. The atmosphere of competition and greed for position is in sharp contrast. Traditional Confucianism advocates "being poor and happy", and Buddhism is consistent with it.
2. "It is in line with the so-called person who is born calm", which is consistent with the Confucian theory of good nature. "Book of Rites and Music" says: "Humans
are born quiet, which is the nature of nature. They feel things and move, which is also the desire of things. Things are known to the best, and then likes and dislikes are shaped. Likes and dislikes have no rules.
Inside, knowledge is lured outside, and you cannot resist, and the principles of heaven will be destroyed." Liu Zongyuan believed that this Confucian theory of "maintaining tranquility" has been tampered with by hereditary factions. The original purpose was lost due to the confusion, "Confucius had no great position and did not sustain the world with his remaining words. Yang, Mo, Huang, and others were mixed together, and his skills were divided." It was not until the emergence of Buddhist teachings that Recovering the origin of the Confucian theory of "mainly tranquility",
"Wu Tu's theory came out later, pushed away and restored, and combined with the so-called tranquility by birth.
...The way is based on nothingness as existence, emptiness as reality, and vastness and immutability as the return. When he teaches people, he starts with good nature and ends with good nature. He does not pretend to plow and hoe, because he is at peace. "[Note] At this point
Liu Zongyuan blended Confucianism and Buddhism together and believed that the Buddhist theory of the goodness of nature has been implemented throughout, just like Mencius
"Xing"
3. "Based on filial piety and accumulation of virtues", "filial piety" is not an important part of Confucian political ethics. Filial piety stipulates not being polite to the king and not worshiping parents. However, after Buddhism was introduced to China, it gradually adapted to the requirements of traditional Confucian political ethics and also advocated "filial piety", such as "Da Bao".
In Chapter 10 of "En", "Xian Yan said that filial piety is extremely karma" [Note] He said in the "Preface to Sending Master Xu Rui Back to Huainan Province":
" The way of the Jinxian family (note: Jinxian is a different name for Buddhism) is based on filial piety, and then accumulates many virtues and returns to the void.
Those who apply the teachings and precepts to China are separated from other sects, saying Zen, saying Dharma, and saying law, in order to induce confusion." Liu Zongyuan believes that
In terms of advocating filial piety, , Buddhism is "combined with Confucianism"
4. The precepts of Buddhism are connected with the rituals and principles of Confucianism. During the reign of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, Zen Master Huaihai founded the Zen monastery system. , established behavioral precepts for Zen masters, which first talked about repaying kindness and respecting ancestors, and supplemented the content of Buddhist precepts with Confucian concepts of loyalty and filial piety. Liu Zongyuan equated Confucian etiquette and Buddhist precepts. I think that both of them play the same role in "sustaining the world".