印度方位观、方位神和神庙朝向关系初探

Perception of Direction and Direction Deities in India and Their Relationship with the Orientation of Temples

古代印度人的宗教生活极为讲究方位。在印度教的主流观念中,东与北为两大吉祥方位,八位方位神与方位禁忌融为一体,不仅与祭祀和修行仪轨关联密切,且体现于日常仪轨、神庙布局、居民生活、城镇布局乃至种姓理论。佛经中也屡屡提及印度本土的方位观、方位神和建筑布局。印度教和以及佛教存留的古代地面神庙建筑主殿多面向东侧。本文通过印度文献的梳理,略叙通行的方位观、方位神并对方位与神庙朝向关系略作探讨。

The religious life of ancient Indians was deeply involved with direction principle and direction precedence. The eight guardian deities of direction which intimately integrated with taboo on perception of direction, have enormous impacts on daily rituals, practice and plan of temples, houses and cities, even on Caste theory. In ancient times, these issues were frequently mentioned in Buddhists texts, reflecting that Buddhists＇ familiarity with this knowledge. The research on perception of direction will help us understand the life of ancient Indians. The orientation of the Hindu and Buddhist temple remains, in large part, is east. This article, which mainly based on Hindu documents, aims at analyzing the perception of direction, the name and character of direction deities, and their correlation.