“太阳崇拜”图像传统的延续——莫高窟第249窟、第285窟“天人守护莲华摩尼宝珠”图像及其源流

Continuation of the Iconographical Traditions of Sun Worship——On the Origin and Images of Celestial Beings Guarding a Lotus Cintamani in Mogao Caves 249 and 285

本文首先对莫高窟第249窟、第285窟窟顶东披所绘的莲华摩尼宝珠图像及相关画面进行了重新释读,认为这两窟窟顶东披所谓的“天人/力士托举莲华摩尼宝珠”图像应定名为“天人守护莲华摩尼宝珠”;其次,在前贤研究的基础上,结合相关佛经文本,认为这两幅图像中也隐含着太阳崇拜的古老主题;最后,通过与古埃及和古代西亚文明中表现太阳崇拜的类似图像的比较后认为:这两幅图像的源头可追溯至古老的“天神守护莲华或生命树之上的太阳神”的图像传统。这一图像传统,在敦煌石窟又与中国传统文化中的日神崇拜图像巧妙地融合在了一起,形成别具一格的图像模式。同时,结合这两窟中的其它相关图像,对这一图像的传播路径进行了探讨,认为其具体的传播者很可能是北朝时期的入华粟特人。

This paper first reinterprets two images of a lotus cintamani(a legendary magical jewel)depicted on the east slope of the ceiling in Mogao caves 249 and 285,and concludes that the images frequently interpreted as depicting“celestial beings/guardians holding the lotus cintamani”should rather be identified as“celestial beings guarding the lotus cintamani.”Based on previous research and consultation of relevant Buddhist texts,the author considers that the two images are also related to the ancient theme of sun worship.Finally,by comparing the two images with similar depictions of sun worship from ancient Egyptian and West Asian civilizations,the author concludes that the style of these images can be traced back to an ancient iconographical tradition of“deities guarding the Sun God on a lotus or in the tree of life.”The practices of this tradition later combined with sun worship images from Chinese traditional culture in the Dunhuang caves and gave birth to a unique style of imagery.The author also discusses the route by which this style was disseminated by comparing these two images with other pictures in the caves,eventually reaching the conclusion that this tradition was very likely to have been disseminated by the Sogdians who came to China during the Northern Dynasties.