中国最早的无量寿经变——读支道林《阿弥陀佛像赞并序》有感

The earliest illustrations to Amitāyus-vyūha sūtra found in China:Notes on reading the annotation and laudatory to the Amitāyur Buddha by Zhi Daolin

支遁(314-366),字道林,东晋著名高僧与名士。精研般若,创即色义,明因缘,悟中道;又游心庄老,于玄学别有建树。其在佛学和玄学之外,尚有一些诗作和"像赞"传世。《阿弥陀佛像赞并序》是其对当时一幅西方净土变的描绘。其中对"安养国"——西方净土极乐世界进行了全面的描摹和赞颂。由其内容可见,其所描摹的西方净土庄严与当时流行的《无量寿经》内容一致。而其它文献所载的同类图像都迟于该"像赞"。因此,我们断定该"像赞"所描摹的应该是我国最早的一幅无量寿经变。

ZHI Dun（314-366）,another well-known name was Daolin,a famous scholar and eminent monk of the Buddhist Doctrine.A meticulous researcher of prajna who has introduced idea of emptiness of the matter and had a refined understanding of ＂cause and effect＂ and ＂the middle path＂;Besides all those contributions to Chinese Buddhism,he made a diligent study on the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi and had a great contribution into metaphysics.He had amount of poems and works published and the work of Encomium of a Portrait＂ were handed down.Preface to Encomium of Amitabha was a praise verse of contemporary illustrations to The Western Pure Land.There he gave an overall description to Anyang Wondering Land,the paradise of the Western Pure Land,it could be considered to be The earliest illustrations to Amitāyus-vyūha sūtra by its contents from his portraying of the grandeur of the Western Pure Land.Therefore we could draw a conclusion that this particular the annotation and laudatory to the Amitāyur Buddha by Zhi Daolin should be the earliest illustrations to Amitāyus-vyūha sūtra in China.