日本古代的国分寺与律令制国家

The Kokubunji System and the Ritsuryō State in Ancient Japan

国分寺是日本古代律令制国家模仿唐代中国,为实践"佛法护国"而建设的全国性寺院系统。它的成立和运行使朝廷对佛教的有效控制顺利扩展至全国范围,在数百年的宗教实践中不仅维持了王权在地方存在感,而且极大地推进了佛教在地方的渗透和本土化。地方国分寺诵读汉译佛经的过程,在客观上也促进了日本地方对汉字以及汉传佛教的吸收。

The kokubunji system was a statewide system of temples, which imitated the Chinese Tang Buddhism system. The primary intention of kokubunji was to protect the ritsury6 state in ancient Japan. Its establishrncnt and operation enabled the Japanese court to control statewidc Buddhism effectively. Not only did the kokubunji system consolidate Japanese imperial power over the local ry6sei states through hundreds of years of practicing the religion, but also it strengthened the influence of Buddhism on the ry6sei states and promoted the assimilation of Buddhism. The procedure whereby local kokubunji studied sutras in Chinese translation also objectively stimulated the absorption of Chinese characters and Chinese Buddhism.