宋元禅寺中住持的象征与权力

The Abbot's Token and Power in the Buddhist Temples in the Song and Yuan Dynasties

宋元禅寺中的住持是代佛扬化、续佛慧命、传承法脉的实践者,是禅法的象征者,堪称"人天眼目"。住持因在其所具有的佛法上的象征意义,使他们成为禅寺的行政首领。可以说,对住持这个寺院最高管理者来说,其地位的变化与权力的增长,都与其本初的象征意义联系在一起。与此同时,作为住持独享的特殊居住空间——"方丈",亦被纳入禅寺中,成为住持专属的居所,同样也经历了一个演化的过程。

The abbot in temples in the Song and Yuan Dynasties was the practitioner of promoting Buddhism, carrying out Buddhist missions and carrying forward Buddhist traditions, and the token of Buddhist doctrine, which made him the heaven eye in the world. The abbots were made executive leader of Buddhist temples because of their symbolic meaning of Buddhist doctrine. Thus it follows that, for the abbot as the highest administrator of the tem- ple, the change of his place and the increase of his power was associated with his initial symbolic meaning. Mean- while, the Fangzhang, a special resident room the abbot enjoyed just by himself, was included in the temple and became the abbot＇ s special resident place, which also went through a process of evolution.