略论十六国北朝佛教造像盛行的原因

On the Prevalence of Buddhist Statues in Sixteen-State Period and Northern Dynasty

十六国北朝时期北方地区造像之风盛行的原因是多方面的,从普通信众的造像意图上看,是由于他们苦于动荡的社会现实,寄希望于造像以离苦得乐,因而其造像具有现实功利性。与此同时,北方地区战乱频仍导致的原有社会结构的解体和传统儒家价值观念的崩析,为佛教造像提供了理想的环境和土壤,佛教本身鼓励造像,则是这一时期造像风行的根本原因。

The prevalence of Buddhist statues in 16-State Period and Northern Dynasty can be attributed to several reasons. First,the worshippers suffered greatly in the social upheaval and thus they wished to attain happiness and avoid sufferings by carving the statues; Second,the war torn the original social structure and the traditional Confucius value in the Northern areas that provided ideal circumstances for statue carving. Third,Buddhism itself advocated statue-carving was the primary cause of its prevalence.