试论印度佛教典籍的文体——以祇夜、伽陀和修多罗为中心

A Stylistic Analysis of Indian Buddhism Classics:Focusing on Geya,Gatha and Sutra

印度佛教典籍所用文体,对中印两国皆影响颇巨。印度佛教采用说唱方式弘法、口耳相传的形式传播,从而决定了初期佛教典籍的结构形态和文体特点,即韵、散混合体;传统所言之"九分教"、"十二分教"中,真正属于文体的只有修多罗、祇夜和伽陀;对于这三种文体的理解,历来存在着模糊甚至错误之处;由上述三种基本文体加以组合,遂形成了印度佛教典籍的五种文体。

The writing of Buddhism documents both in China and India has greatly been influenced by the styles employed in Indian Buddhism classics.In India,Buddhism doctrines have been spread by such ways as saying and singing that is totally in an oral way,which determines the structures and styles of the Buddhism documents in early times.After a stylistic analysis of Indian Buddhism classics,this paper holds that those early Buddhism documents are a mixture of verse and essay,and that Geya,Gatha and Sutra are three typical styles whether the classics are divided into 9 or 12 types in accordance with traditional practice.There is,however,a long misunderstanding of these three styles.Based on careful researches,this paper put forward that there should be 5 types of styles employed in Indian Buddhism classics.