吸纳消化 化彼为我——谈莫高窟北朝洞窟“神话、道教题材”的属性

Learning for the Purpose of Application——on the Property of “Mythological and Taoist Themes” in the Northern Dynasties Caves at the Mogao Grottoes

莫高窟第249、285、297窟出现东王公、西王母、伏羲、女娲、雷神、开明、飞廉、青龙、白虎、朱雀、玄武、方士、羽人等形象,或属之道教,或属之"佛道结合"或"佛道杂糅",皆非确论。其实为佛教对神话、道教题材的吸纳消化,化为己有。彼所有者我亦有,我所有者彼乃无。从而充实、壮大加强了自身,在佛道较量中更胜一筹。同时意味着北朝时期敦煌佛教突破了佛经封闭性局限,朝向世俗化方向踱步。

Some images in Mogao caves 249, 285, and 297, including King Father of the East, Queen Mother of the West, Fuxi, Nuwa, god of thunder, Kaiming, Feilian, Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Scarlet Bird, Black Tortoise, Fangshi （alchemist）, and feathered human beings, are Taoist creation or mixtures of both Taoism and Buddhism. All these opinions are not pertinent. Actually, they reflected Buddhist absorption of mythological and Taoist themes. Buddhism strengthened itself by absorbing non-Buddhist themes and then overshadowed Taoism. This also means that Dunhuang Buddhism in the Northern Dynasties had broken through the limitation of Buddhist scriptures and stepped toward secularization.