《金雲翹傳》是明末清初的章回小說，書中不但反映了明清社會順「天」認「命」的意識型態，同時又微妙地透顯出女主角王翠翹「超越宿命」的覺悟與堅持。整部小說呈現出一種辯證的「宿命論」思維，簡單地說，就是「眼前」雖然不得不「認命」、「順命」，但相信只要透過某種努力，「將來」仍然可以「改命」、「造命」。這樣的「宿命論」思維，一順一逆之間，從「對反」到「相容」，具有高度的思維辯證性，筆者稱之為「中道的宿命論」。 如實而論，這樣的「宿命論」思維，已不是單純的民間思想而已，其背後實際上蘊涵著極為深遠的文化脈胳，包括儒、佛、道之間的思想交涉與融合。而在超越「宿命論」的核心議題上，筆者以為，唯有結合佛教「業性本空」與「當下菩提」的修證次第，才能夠真正突破這個極為關鍵的生命課題。

“A Tale of Kim Vân Kiều” is a Chinese novel written in the end of Ming Dynasty beginning of Qing dynasty. The story reflects people’s belief in fate and acceptance of it but at the same time it subtly reveals the female character Kiều’s awareness of and determination in transcending one’s own main fate. The concept of Determinism is presented as “Accepting” and “ Going along” what has been decided presently, but at the same time, future can still be “changed” or “created” through certain effort. This kind of understanding of Determinism, on one hand “accepting” and on the other hand “objecting”, or from “contradiction” to “complementary”, is strongly argumentative. It can be called “Determinism of the Middle Way”.This kind of understanding of determinism can be traced back to a deep cultural lineage of the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The author of this article believes that only through the understanding of the Buddhist concept of “Karma is Empty in It’s Own Nature” and “Present Moment Awareness”, it is possible to find the key to overcome the issue of Determinism in people’s understanding of life.