敦煌本《道安法师念佛赞文》探赜

The Songs of Master Dao'an Chanting the Name of Buddha in Dunhuang Manuscripts

敦煌本《道安法师念佛赞文》乃净土宗信徒所撰戒杀生食肉及劝布施行善之赞文,大抵是8世纪后半叶的作品,而与生活在4世纪的道安无涉。此赞文最早似出现于五台山一带,其严格的用韵及宣讲的内容与净土宗四祖法照及其门徒创作的赞文多有相同或相通之处。此赞文的产生或与法照于大历五年(公元770年)之后北上五台山一带的布教活动时间相当甚至更晚。其作者或为法照弟子,或为受法照净土宗影响的中下层信徒。直至10世纪中叶的曹元忠政权时期,该赞文仍在敦煌地区流布。

＂The Songs of Master Dao’an Chanting the Name of Buddha＂ in Dunhuang manuscripts was created by the Pure Land Buddhism follower, advocating against killing animals and abstaining from creophagy, and proposing donation and doing good deeds. These manuscripts were probably created during the second half of the eighth century, and had nothing to do with Master Dao’an who lived in the 4th century. These manuscripts seemed to appear firstly in Mount Wutai region, whose strict rhyme and preaching was similar to the eulogies created by master Fazhao,the fourth generation Pure Land Buddhism, and his followers. It may have a certain relation with the preaching of Fazhao in Bingzhou, Taiyuan and Chang’an after A.D. 770. Its author could be the followers of Fazhao, or the middle and lower Pure Land Buddhism believers influenced by Fazhao. Until the middle period of the tenth century, these manuscripts were still spreading in the Dunhuang area.