Zhang Taiyan’s Conscience-only Thought Research

With the improvement and revival of Buddhism in the late Qing Dynasty,the theory of consciousness-only was traced back from Japan.The research on the theory of consciousness-only has become a new field of concern in the ideological circle,and Zhang Taiyan is one of the concerned.As a philosopher,thinker and revolutionist who also involved both China and the west,Zhang Taiyan saw the intrinsic value of the Buddhist theory system,thus forming his ontology,epistemology and concern for reality.On the ontological level,Zhang Taiyan takes "zhenru" as the ontology and constructs the metaphysical philosophy system.Since "the subao case",Zhang Taiyan abandoned his prejudice to Buddhism and began to regard the theory of consciousness-only as the research object.Through reading and extracting the original scriptures,he set out to establish the "zhenru" system.He was established as a kind of noumenon without religion and superstition.As the existence of metaphysical transcendence,on the one hand,"zhenru" is the guarantee of "metaphysical" and "secular";On the other hand,"zhenru" is the basis of moral security.But in the process of construction,the contradiction between the noumenon of "zhenru" and "Alaya-consciousness" has not been solved,and the mixture of "Tathagata-garbha" and "Alaya-consciousness" is one,which makes the logic of his "zhenru" system contradictory and conflicting.The problems of "real existence" and "origin" cannot be solved,which makes the system of "zhenru" tense.Finally,it directly leads to the tendency of "zhenru" and "false identity".On the epistemological level,his epistemological system,which was originated from "the whiteboard theory" in the early stage,believed that "the spirit of man is like white paper",and in the middle term,it is based on the "four points" of the theory of consciousness-only.In the two points of cognition of "division of phenomena" and "division of seeing",he holds the principle of the theory of consciousness-only and points out that they have "inseparable" relationship,and "mind" is also established as the subject of cognition.In the process of further expounding epistemology,he gradually realized that Kant epistemology had the "arbitrary" mistake,that is,only talking about "division of phenomena" and "division of seeing" two points,but ignoring "self-witnessing aspect" and "witnessing aspect".To make his epistemology form a closed loop,he finally takes the "self-witnessing aspect" as the way to reach "zhenru".The purpose is to conclude the chapter on epistemology.On the level of concern for reality,he starts from the perspective of "all-around plan persistence".The author discusses the problems of "goodness and evil" and "bitterness and happiness" and holds that civilization is often accompanied by pain and ugliness in the process of evolution and development.The world shouldn’t pursue "High-level civilization" and only pursue a kind of constant system and mode.Therefore,he points out that "returning to the circle to metaphysical" is the great use of the world to obtain the "equality" and "freedom" realm without relying on the outside.Based on Zhang Taiyan’s life,this paper focuses on the changes of his thoughts in this stage of "turning secular into metaphysical",discusses his ontology,epistemology under the development of "zhenru" ontology,and concerns for reality.