建弘题记及其有关问题的考释

Textual Research of the Inscription in 420 A. D. and Other Problems

1963年4、5月间,甘肃省文物工作队对炳灵寺石窟进行第二次调查时,登上了第169窟,首次发现西秦建弘元年(420年)造像题记,由初世宾、乔今同录文。这是最初的录文,未刊布。1974年10月间原敦煌文物研究所马世长、樊锦诗及炳灵寺文管所王万青核对原壁录文,后经王万青整理,收录于《炳灵寺石窟内容总录》。

The paper draws the outline of the inscription of the first year of Jian Huang of the western Qin dynasty which was written in the sixth niche of cave 169 in Binglingsi Grottoes. The paper also publishes the copy of the inscription in order to correct trrors of the inscription copied by thers in the past. The new copy made the contents of the incomplete inscription further clear. The paper first mentions that the paintings of ten Buddhas were illustrated in according with Buddhist scriptures of Buddha-avatamsakamahavaipulya sutras in which the sutra of 'Da-Fang-Guang-Hua-Yan-Jin' translated by Buddhabhadra of the Eastern Jin dynasty was the representative works. Buddha-avatamsaka-mahavaipulya sutra was one of the subjects represented in the western Qin dynasty. So the portraits of Sakyamuni, Maitreya and ten Buddhas were full illustrated. The donor's name 'Buddhist monk Dharmavai' found in the inscription in the cave provided us a fact that this cave might be the great cave of shi Liang mentioned in book 'Qin Chun ji'. we could not be sure because no name of shi Liang was found in the blurred inseriptions. Another group of donors came from the regions of lanan, Guangning, Tianshui and jincheng of the western Qin. This reflected a fact tha the construction of Binglinglingsi Grottoes began in the early 5th century of the western Qin dynasty.