緣起

中華佛學研究所創辦人聖嚴法師，在培育臺灣高級佛學研究人才，以及促進世界佛學研究交流等方面的貢獻卓越。已卯年(1999年)12舟，恭逢法師七秩誕辰，法師一向不肯言壽。去年(1998)11月，中華佛學研究所校友會臨時會議，數位校友感念法師創辦佛研所，得以接受完整的高等佛學教育，提議於校友之間徵文，以資紀念。原先的構想，分為紀念文與佛學論文兩冊，以表達校友們的感恩之忱。

佛研所方面的考量：若只是校友們的文集，實不能與法師的貢獻相稱。經與海內外佛學界學者聯繫，大家欣然表示願意共襄盛舉。於是，即電話與當時在美國的聖嚴法師聯繫，法師基於國內外學者們的熱情及學術性之考量未便婉拒。

因此，促成此《聖嚴法師七秩壽慶佛學論文集》的編輯因緣。1998年12月召開籌備會議，籌備委員如下：李志夫、方甯書、藍吉富、楊惠南、蕭金松、釋恆清、陳清香、蔣義斌、萬金川、李玉珉、顏尚文、丁敏、林鎮國、釋惠敏、釋厚觀、杜正民、陳宗元、黃國清；吳立民、楊曾文、王邦維、洪修平；冉雲華、古正美；三友健容、木村清孝、高橋弘次、田中良昭、沖本克己；Ven. Thanavuddho Bhikkhu, Luis O. Gómez, Sandra A. Wawrytko, Robert M. Gimello, Daniel B. Stevenson, John Hurrell Crook, Paul Maxwell Harrison, Lewis Lancaster, Peter N. Gregory, Paul Williams 等共37位中外學者。論文集亦增編為中、英、日文三種。1999年1月編輯委員會成立，聖嚴法師的母校，日本立正大學佛教學部部長三友健容教授慨然應允擔任總編輯暨日文論文集主編；並推舉鄙人擔任執行編輯，黃國清校友為副執行編輯。撰稿的佛教學者遍及海峽兩岸、日本、美國、英國、加拿大、紐西蘭、新加坡、泰國等，法緣極為殊勝。

本論文集的刊行，得到法鼓文化張元隆總經理、副總編輯果毅法師的鼎力支持。李美寬、賴姿蓉、賴隆彥居士盡心盡力於編校工作。也得到陳秀蘭、黃小萩、洪金蓮、陳佳彌、謝美霜、陳玉珍等佛研所同仁，於工作繁忙之餘，襄助行政事務。

豈料本論文集付梓之際，臺灣於9月21日發生百年來的大地震，死亡2305人，受傷者8731人，房屋倒塌逾萬棟。聖嚴法師於當日即率領法鼓山救難人員前往災區救災，在數日內前往災區慰問救濟共四次，計捐助救濟、物質金額一億餘元；並已建立「災後災民心靈重建計劃」

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（初期編列預算已達一億五仟萬元整），邀請專家學者輔導護法信眾們長期為災民服務。此外，法鼓文化於災後不久，立即結集聖嚴法師有關震災「心靈重建」言論成為《台灣，加油》一書義賣，結合全國書店、讀者一齊捐資來協助臺灣災區重建。

法師為悲憫災難同胞，共體時艱，故特婉辭原定出版之《壽慶論文》。本編輯委員會同仁尊重法師的考量，並且多方徵求提供論文之國內外學者的意見而作如下的決定：日本方面，尊重他們對於紀念聖嚴法師與迴向臺灣921大地震災民心靈重建的出版意願，以及日文論文編輯、出版的方便，仍然請三友健容教授繼續擔任主編，由「山喜房佛書林」以單行本出版專書；臺灣方面所收的中、英文論文，若作者同意則改由「中華佛學學報」第十三期分為上下卷刊出，並將有關法師行誼、生平、著述等列為附錄，也略述此事情的原委與變遷，供讀者了知緣起始末。

最後敬向本論文集總編輯三友健容教授，及撰寫論文的學者致上崇高的謝意；並謹錄聖嚴法師於中時晚報（1999年10月6日)專訪的談話之一部分，也是李總統登輝先生於921大地震全國追悼大會10月11日）致詞中引用詞，以迴向災民心靈重建：

921大地震的所有罹難者都是大菩薩，是老師，用生命作教材，現身說法，代替兩千兩百萬臺灣人受苦受難，救了我們下一代。

我們應該從過去的錯誤中學習重生、感恩，讓社會充滿詳和與善良。

中華佛學學報主編　　　　

惠敏　　　　　　

l999年12月l5日於臺北中華佛學研究所

Preface

Bhikkhu Huimin

The Venerable Sheng-yen, the founder of the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies, has contributed greatly to the nurturing of Buddhist research talent in Taiwan. Everybody also knows how hard he has worked to promote international exchange in Buddhist studies. December 1999 will mark the Master's sevyntieth birthday. However, little comment has been made of this event, because the Master has never approved of lavish birthday celebrations. During a meeting of Chung-Hwa alumni held in November 1998, many alumni expressed their gratitude for the Master's founding of the Institute, which has enabled so many young Buddhists to acquire thorough advanced training in Buddhist studies. A suggestion was made to collect papers to commemorate the Master's birthday. The original plan was to issue two volumes, one concerning the Master, the other of academic papers, in order to call attention to his contributions to education, and to express our gratitude.

When the Alumni Association reported on this to the Institute, the director Professor Lee and I felt that if only papers by alumni were included, this would be insufficient to show the magnitude of the Master's contributions. Discussion with scholars all over the world indicated that everyone is eager to join in. We phoned the Master, who was in the United States then, to discuss this plan. The Master, in his mercy, did not stifle our enthusiasm, but expressed the hope that the collection be of academic value, and that academic excellence be the primary consideration.

This was the origin of the "An Anthology of Buddhist Stdudies: A Commemorative Volume in Honor of Vene.rable Sheng-yen on His

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70th Birthday." A planning committee meeting was held in December 1998. The 37 committee members include: Chih-fu Lee, Ning-shu Fang, Chi-fu Lan, Hui-nan Yang, Jin-song Xiao, Hengching Shih, Ch'ing-hsiang Chen, Ipin Chiang, Chin-chuan Wan, Yumin Lee, Min Ting, Shan-wen Yen, Chen-kuo Lin, Huimin Bhikkhu, Hou-guan Shih, Aming Tu, Chung-yuan Chen, Kuo-ching Huang; Limin Wu, Zengwen Yang, Bangwei Wang, Xiuping Hong; Yiin-hua Jan, Cheng-mei Ku; Kenyo Mitomo, Kiyotaka Kimura, Koji Takahashi, Ryosho Tanaka, Katsumi Okimoto, Ven. Thanavuddho Bhikkhu, Luis O. Gomez, Sandra A. Wawrytko, Robert M. Gimello, Daniel B. Stevenson, John Hurrell Crook, Paul Maxwell Harrison, Lewis Lancaster, Peter N. Gregory and Paul Williams. Papers are in Chinese, English, and Japanese. The Editing Committee was initiated in January 1999. Professor Mitomo, Dean of Faculty of Buddhist Studies, Rissho University, the Master's alma mater, generously agreed to be the Editor in Chief and edit the Japanese papers. The Editing Committee also recommended me as the Executive Editor, and Kuo-ching Huang as the Assistant Executive Editor. Scholars are contributing from both sides of the Taiwan Straits, Japan, the United States, England, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand.

The publication of this anthology has been graced by the bounteous support of William Chang, General Manager of Dharma Drum Corp. and Assistant General Editor Venerable Guo-yi. Miss Meikwan Lee, Zirong Lai and Longyen Lai have dedicated much effort to editing and proofreading. Miss Hsiulan Chen, Lisa Huang, Jinlian Hong, Chiami Chen, Meishuang Shieh, and Martha Chen of the Institute have found time in their busy schedules to handle administrative duties. As this anthology goes to press, I would like to take this opportunity to express my unlimited gratitude to all who have done so much to make this work a success.

Just as these materials were being printed, on September 21, 1999, Taiwan was rocked by the most powerful earthquake the

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island has felt in a hundred years. 2305 persons died, 8731 were injured and more than ten thousand house were destroyed. Master Sheng-yen immediately led the Dharma Drum Mountain rescue team to the disaster area, and within several days of the quake, paid four visits to aid the disaster victims, donating materials to the value of over US$3 million. He also established a Disaster Victim Psychological and Spiritual Rehabilitation Program, with a preliminary budget of US$4 million, inviting specialists and scholars to lead our disciples in providing long term support for the disaster victims. In addition, soon after the earthquake, the Dharma Drum Corp. collected Master Sheng-yen's statements on psychological and spiritual rehabilitation after the disaster into a book, "Go for it, Taiwan!" All proceeds from the sales of this book, which is in bookstores throughout the island, are donated to helping Taiwan reconstruct.

The Master, deeply moved by the suffering of the victims, and the difficult times, has requested the cancelation of the proposed "A Commemorative Volume in Honor of Venerable Sheng-yen on His 70th Birthday." In accordance with Master Sheng-yen's wishes, this Committee has consulted the wishes of the scholars, at home and abroad, who contributed papers to this collection, and reached this decision. The Japanese scholars wish to commemorate Master Sheng-yen's birthday while dedicating their work to the psychological and spiritual rehabilitation of the disaster victims, so the editing and publishing of the Japanese language materials will still be carried out by Professor Kenyo Mitomo, and published seperately by the Sankibo Bushorin. The Chinese and English language papers will, if the authors agree, be published in two volumes of Issue Thirteen of Chuang-Hwa Buddhist Journal. An Appendix will describe the deeds, life, and works of Master Shengyen, as well as introducing the events surrounding the publication of this work.

In closing, we would like to expresss our greatest gratitude to

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the General Editor, Professor Kenyo Mitomo, as well as to all who have contributed papers to this collection. We will conclude with a thought carried in an interview of Master Sheng-yen which appeared in the China Times Evening News on October 6, 1999, which was quoted by President Lee Tenghui during the National Wake Commemmorating the September 21 Earthquake Victims, held on October 11:

Every one of the victims of the September 21 Earthquake is a great boddhisattva, a teacher who used life as a material to show us the Dharma. Every one of the victims died so that the rest of us in Taiwan may live. They have saved the lives of our next generation.

We should learn from our past mistakes to live again, in gratitude, so that society may be full of peace and goodness.

Executive Editor

Bhikkhu Huimin

Dec. 15, 1999