瓜州塔考辨

A Textual Study on Guazhou Pagoda

瓜州锁阳城塔尔寺遗址大塔,学界认定为西夏之物,并推定其前身为中华十九座舍利塔之一的瓜州塔。据载,瓜州塔建立于北周时期,但那时的瓜州其实是敦煌,治所在沙州古城,与今天的瓜州同名而异地。"瓜州塔"建于崇教寺,即今莫高窟,与瓜州锁阳城塔尔寺遗址大塔无干;榆林窟第15、16窟所见阿育王寺,应为山丹或武威的阿育王寺,绝非锁阳城塔尔寺;瓜州锁阳城现存大塔具有明显的藏传佛教特征,但没有证据可将之断代于西夏,相反,塔尔寺遗址发现的西夏文六字真言残片恰巧可以证明该寺为元代之遗存,因为六字真言独立作为藏传佛教供奉对象,并逐步流行全国,是从元代开始的。根据各种迹象,可以把今天所见藏传佛教风格塔尔寺塔的修建时代,推定在1276年或1289年之后不久。

The great pagoda in the site of the Ta＇er Temple at Suoyang in Guazhou has been identified as a Western Xia pagoda that was formerly known to Chinese academics as ＂Guazhou Pagoda,＂ one of 19 famous stupas in China. According to historical records, it was constructed in the Northern Zhou dynasty, when Guazhou meant Dunhuang, and the governmental seat was ancient Shazhou city, a different place with the same name. ＂Guazou Pagoda＂ was built in Chongjiao Temple of today＇s Mogao Grottoes, which has nothing to do with the great pagoda in the site of the Ta＇er Temple. The ＂Asoka Temple＂ seen in caves 15 and 16 at the Yuhn Grottoes should in fact be located in Shandan or Wuwei instead of the Ta＇er Temple. The pagoda at Suoyang city is of obvious Tibetan Buddhist style, and no evidence suggests it dates back to the Western Xia period, whereas a fragment with a six syllable mantra found at the site of the Ta＇er Temple connects it to the Yuan dynasty. According to various clues, it can be inferred that the Ta＇er Temple of Tibetan Buddhist style was like- ly constructed in 1276 or 1289 slightly later.