汉唐期间“华光”词义考辨——兼论东汉华光殿命名

A Study on the Meaning of“Huaguang”in the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasties:Also on the Naming of Huaguang Hall in Eastern Han Dynasty

早在春秋时期,"华光"一词业已出现,及至西汉,该词主要是被用来形容碧玉的质地与品性,或为某处所、宫殿赋名。同时由于古代的华夏民族观,使得"华光"一词被赋予了神圣性。自佛教东传,因佛教自身的"莲花"(Padma)、"光明"(Prabhā)崇拜与"华光"一词的本义契合,使得在佛典翻译过程中,在格义之下,"华光"作为"莲花光明"的汉译大量出现,为人们所熟知,以致该词来源、词义混淆,汉魏宫廷中的"华光殿"就是其中一例。然经过考证可知,此类宫殿以"华光"命名,与佛教并无联系,而与华夏民族观念有关。

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period,the word"Huaguang"had appeared,and in the Western Han Dynasty,the word was mainly used to describe the texture and character of jade,or to give a name to a place or palace.At the same time,due to the ancient race idea about"Huaxia",the word"Huaguang"was endowed with sacredness.After Buddhism spread eastward,because Buddhism’s worship of"Lotus"(Padma)and"Brightness"(Prabhā)coincides with the original meaning of the word"Huaguang",in the process of translation of Buddhist scriptures,the meaning of"Huaguang"as a Chinese translation of Lotus Brightness appears in large numbers in Buddhist scriptures,and it is well known by people,so that the meaning of the word’s origin is confused.The"Huaguang Temple"in the courts of Han and Wei Dynasty is one example.However,after research,it can be known that such palaces are named after"Huaguang",which has nothing to do with Buddhism,but related to the concept of the Chinese nation.