“洛州无影”与“天下之中”

“No Shadow in Luozhou” and “The Centre on the Earth”:

唐义净《南海寄归内法传》是一部有关佛教史的名著,书中讨论到古代怎样测定时辰,其中有“洛州无影”一句话。洛州即洛阳,其位置在北回归线以北,从天文的角度讲,一年之中任何时候都不可能出现“无影”的情形。这究竟是错误,还是另有含义,长期以来成为问题。本文作者曾经认为这是义净书中的错误。但一次偶然的机会使本文作者发现,在洛阳附近一处地方,确实可以见到“无影”的奇观。本文根据作者实时实地的考察进行讨论,认为这与中国古代把洛阳看作是“天下之中”的观念有关。

Yi Jing＇s An Account of the Inner Law Sent Home from the South Sea （Nan Hai Ji Gui Nei Fa Zhuan） is a well- known work of the 7th Century that broadly describes Buddhist disciplinary life in India and Southeast Asia during his time. In the book, when talking about how to reckon time according to observing sundial, Yi Jing says that “no shadow is cast in Luozhou”. Luozhou, roughly speaking, is today＇s Luoyang in China. It is located between 34 and 35 degrees of the north latitude. From the astronomical point of view, at this latitude, it is impossible that this happens at any time or in any season. It has become a question or riddle since the end of the 19th century. The author at first believes that it is a mistake in the book. However, later he discovers that in China at a place near Luoyang, people can indeed see on the day of the Summer Solstice at an ancient observatory that there is “ no shadow” in the sun. While providing an eye-witness report of observing the event, the author discusses the meaning and significance behind it and holds that this is related to the traditional Chinese political-cultural idea that Luoyang is “the centre on the earth”.