莫高窟天王堂图像辨识

Identification of the Images in the Tianwangtang Hall at the Mogao Grottoes

主要对天王堂上部穹隆体壁画进行了考证,结果表明其内容是依据法贤译《佛说瑜伽大教王经》的同本梵文原典《幻化网大怛特罗王》所绘的。天王堂下半部主要表现的是以胎藏大日为中心与八大菩萨、四天王像。图像的传入很可能与天息灾(法贤)、施护在曹延禄执政时期"从北天竺国诣中国,至敦煌,其王固留不遣数月"之事件相关。天王堂图像的释读对敦煌乃至中原宋代后期密教的研究有着极其重要的作用。

This study looks at the murals on the dome roof of the Tianwangtang Hall and suggests that they are painted according to the Mayajala-mahatrantra-mahfyonagambhiranaya-guhyaparasi-sutra, translated by Dharmabhadra from its Sanskrit version, Mayajala-mahatantraraja, and the four walls represent the Garbha- Vairocana surrounded by Eight Bodhisatwas and four Heavenly Kings. Introduction of these unique images was probably related to the record of Dharmabhadra and Danapala＇s travel to China from northern India. As historical documents record, ＂When they arrived at Dunhuang, local ruler Cao Yanlu insisted on having them stay there for a few months.＂ Identification of these images in the Tianwangtang Hall will shed hght on the studies of late Esoteric Buddhism at Dunhuang and even in the Central Plains during late Song dynasty.