中国禅宗戏剧的缘起与佛教图文的东渐

The Origin of the Zen Drama in China and the Eastward Spread of Buddhist Images

在中西与中印宗教历史文化交流过程中,最令人叹为观止的艺术成果是中国禅宗及其禅宗戏剧的形成与发展。此种宗教表演文化形式集中国和印度传统文学之大成,特别是将其丰富多彩的佛教图像与文本紧密地联系与融合为一体,使之天然地融合于中国乃至东亚、南亚、东南亚诸国和周边地区,成为许多民族所共同拥有的一种维系精神世界的参禅拜佛礼仪与文化娱乐活动。禅宗戏剧亦遵循禅宗从"不立文字"初衷逐渐过渡到"不离文字",然后又回到"不立文字",继而定位到"图文结合";或从"渐悟"到"顿悟"至"大悟大彻"理念的演变历程,从中我们可发现禅宗一直相伴佛教美术图像,以及趋于戏剧表演文本的图文显现之重要文化特征。

Chinese Zen and Zen theatre are among the most brilliant results from the Sino- western and Sino-Indian cultural exchanges. As a form of religious performance, Zen theatre blends traditional literature of India and China and the rich reservoir of Buddhist images and texts to form a common spiritual world in China, and the Eastern, Southern, Southeastern Asian and the neighboring societies. Just like Zen, Zen theatre also experienced an evolution from ＂no words＂ to ＂not without words＂, then back to ＂no words＂ and finally to a combination of images and texts, a process from ＂gradual enlightenment＂ to ＂ sudden enlightenment＂ and to ＂thorough enlightenment＂. Buddhist images and the dramatized presentation of images and texts have always played an important role in this process.