The Response Of Zongmi Buddha’s Theory Of Human Nature To Han Yu’s Theory Of Human Nature

Han Yu and Zongmi are important representatives of Confucianism and Buddhism in Sui and Tang Dynasties.The former launched the ancient prose movement and carried the banner of Confucianism revival.The latter actively responded to the anti Buddhism theory of Confucianism,integrated Zen and put forward the cultural development concept of three religions,which played an important role in connecting the past and the future in Buddhism.This article will focus on the debate between the theory of Buddha nature and the theory of human nature in the Sui and Tang Dynasties to explore the development of the relationship between the three religions.This paper mainly takes Zongmi’s"原人论"as the core of the theory of Buddha nature and Han Yu’s"三品"theory of human nature in the text of"原人论"as the object of analysis,compares the similarities and differences of the two theories through the analysis of the two theories of Buddha nature and human nature,and finally takes Li Ao’s correction and supplement to Han Yu’s theory of human nature,as well as the absorption of Buddhism and Taoism,to reflect on Han Yu’s human nature under the background of the confluence of the three religions On the significance of Yuzong’s theory of nature to the dialogue between Confucianism and Buddhism after the end of Tang Dynasty.Confucianism took Confucius and Mencius as the orthodoxy,and the development of human nature theory went through the theory of good nature,evil nature,Dong Zhongshu’s "three qualities of nature" to Han Yu’s "three qualities of nature" theory,and then Li Ao absorbed the theory of Buddhism and Taoism and put forward the "theory of renaturation".Buddhism’s answer to the origin of human beings takes "all living beings have Buddha nature" as the mainstream,and admits that everyone can become a Buddha,especially after the establishment of Chinese Buddhism sects in Sui and Tang Dynasties.Since the middle and late Tang Dynasty,the Confucianist theory of human nature and the Buddhist theory of human nature constantly collide.The Buddhist theory of "everyone can become a Buddha" has a profound impact on the derivation of the song and Ming Neo Confucianism’s "everyone can become a saint" theory of human nature.So far,the discussion of "human nature" has come to an end.Based on the theory of Buddha nature,Confucianism has formed a new form of cultural development-"New Confucianism".