僧肇的《物不遷論》,以肯定過去和現在的永恒存在、否認事物具有歷時同一性為前提,證明事物不在時間內移動,并以此為佛教教義提供支持。但是本文考察發現,《物不遷論》的時間觀念面臨內、外雙重困境。內在困境是它的時間觀念無法處理未來的本體論地位,即如果承認未來的客觀實有,就會威脅因果報應、修佛可證的宗教信念;而如果否認未來的客觀實有,事物不在時間內移動的觀點就難以自圓其說。外在困境是指這種時間觀念所包含的關于物性的觀點,一方面與中觀學說的物性觀相悖,另一方面與積善成佛的宗教信念相沖突。

In Things Are Not Moving,Seng Zhao tries to prove that things do not move in time,an argument based on the affirmation of the eternal existence of the past and the present and the repudiation of the diachronic identity of things. Using this conclusion,he provides support for Buddhist teachings. However,this paper finds that the concept of time in the Things Are Not Moving is faced with both internal and external difficulties.The internal dilemma means that its concept of time cannot deal with the future’s ontological status: if it recognizes the objective reality of the future,it will threaten its religious beliefs; if it denies the objective reality of the future,it is difficult to justify the fact that things are not moving in time. The external dilemma is that the view of the nature of things contained in this concept of time conflicts with the mādhyamaka’s view of the nature of things,and also with the religious belief that with the accumulation of good one can become a Buddha.