Dharma Drum Journal of Buddhist Studies

        There were many discussions on “ Shouyi “ (守一) which regarded “one” as the source of life in the Taiping Jing (太平經) at the end of the Han Dynasty. “Shouyi” is the practice of condensing the body’s essence, air, and spirit. This method emphasizes the harmony of body and spirit and ultimately makes both body and spirit become immortal. At the time of the late Han and Jin dynasties, Buddhist translations of scriptures used “Shouyi”, which corresponds to the practice methods of “one-pointed mind” and “one-pointedness of mind” in meditation, as translated by An Shigao at the end of the Han Dynasty. For example, An Shigao’s translation of the Anban Shouyi Jing and The Sutra of Distinguishing Good and Evil, as well as Zhi Yao’s translation of the Eight Mindfulness Sutras of Analu and Yan Fudiao’s translation of The Six Paramita Sutras of the Bodhisattva. It can be seen that “Shouyi” is the method of meditating and guarding the mind. Both Buddhism and Taoism use “Shouyi”. The Anpan meditative method in the Anpan Shouyi Jing is similar to the traditional Chinese method of cultivating immortality through breathing. As for the state of supernatural powers that can be achieved through meditation, it is also similar to the immortality of Chinese gods. In addition, the Anpan Shouyi Jing uses “Shouyi” as the name of the sutra. On the one hand, the word “Yi” has the characteristics of Buddhist meditation, and on the other hand, it is similar to the “Shouyi” method of keeping thoughts in mind. The two religions have similar ways of practicing, so there has always been a debate in academic circles about who influenced who in the relationship between Buddhism and Taoism in the late Han Dynasty. This article analyzes and compares the Taiping Jing and Foshuo Da Anban Shouyi Jing. It is believed that the methods of Buddhist and Taoist practice each have their own theoretical context. However, although there are differences between the Buddhist “Shou Yi” (守意) and the early Taoist “Shou Yi” (守一), there are similarities in the differences. Since Buddhism was first introduced to China, it was necessary to use similar terms in Chinese thought to introduce Buddhism, whether it was in the translation of scriptures or in practice. However, Buddhism tries its best to maintain its own principles and characteristics of practice. It not only needs to translate scriptures and teachings to enable Han people to accept it, but also takes into account Buddhist teachings. As for Taoism, which is also on the rise, facing the introduction of Buddhism, there is corresponding learning and absorption, but it also maintains the uniqueness of Taoist practice. Buddhism and Taoism began to influence each other at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This process is a dynamic spiral flow, not a one-way or linear relationship. This article looks at the teachings and practice methods of the two religions from the perspective of “Shou Yi”, trying to present the flow of the history of early Buddhist and Taoist interactions.

Keywords: