敦煌隋代法华主题洞窟初探

An Investigation of the Saddharma-pundarika Pictures in the Dunhuang Grottos of Sui Dynasty

莫高窟第419和420窟完成于仁寿以后,是在隋代佛教发展到巅峰的背景下营造的,以一种非禅修气氛的姿态出现,419窟凸显诸佛的教化,420窟象征诸佛的教化。本文将420窟顶经变细节重新仔细比对,发现这原是两铺经变,是法华经变和涅槃经变的巧妙组合,反映当时法华与涅槃思想并重,而且有以法华融摄涅槃的情形。而其中的普门品变相非常详细,开后世“观音经变”的先河。也将前辈学者所认读的“见宝塔品变相”加以重新斟酌,提出这应该是在表现《普门品》的一部分；说明了早期以二佛并坐为主题的禅观图像,到了隋代并未出现在法华经变,这是很值得注意的事。另外,419窟平顶绘弥勒说法图、菩萨授记图、思惟菩萨图与正龛主佛间的联系,人字披本生故事画的存在意义等等,以及两窟共同表现维摩经变的原因等问题,也都加以探索,认为出此双窟反映当时的义学结构。其实,像419、420窟这样的图像结构,很可能远承自鸠摩罗什所谓般若与法华双美的路径,《维摩诘经》在这样的氛围之下,也参与了这一段佛教历史的心灵工程。“开三显一”、“开近显远”两者是佛说《法华经》之宗趣,419、420窟其实是双美齐彰,展现法华化世的强烈魅力。

Grotto No. 419 and Grotto No, 420 of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang were excavated in Sui Dynasty, when Buddhism of the Sui developed to its zenith. No. 419 depicts the actual transformations of the buddhas and No. 420 is more a symbolic manifestation of this transformation. Two different sects of the Buddhist thoughts intertwine in the pictures of Grottos No. 420： the Saddharma-pundarika sutra and the nirvana sutra, which indicates that both were flourishing in the Sui Dynasty although the former seems to overwhelm the latter. With reference to previous studies, the author maintains that this is part of the scriptures of the Universal Gate. AU the pictures in Grottos No. 419 show that they were evolved from the traditional started by Kumarajive. The paper further shows, with substantial examples, that the two sects worked together to contribute to the artistic merits of the two grottoes.