敦煌石窟首例《大般若经变》——榆林窟第19窟前甬道南壁图像新解

The First Discovered Mahaprajna-paramita-sutra in The Dunhuang Grottoes——A New Interpretation to The Picture in The South Wall of The Corridor in The Front of Cave 19 in Yulin Caves

榆林窟第19窟前甬道南壁图像一直被看作是"六道轮回图"或"生死轮回图"。但笔者在核查该壁的榜书题记时发现,这铺壁画应是依据玄奘翻译的《大般若波罗蜜多经》而绘制,表现的主要内容有三十七菩提分、有为空、五眼、六神通、六波罗蜜多等。壁画中部的"三界轮回图"应是根据《大般若经》之《初分转生品》的内容而绘制,重点表现四惑、六道、十二缘和生死轮转等内容。榆林窟第19窟前甬道南壁的图像是敦煌石窟迄今发现的唯一一铺《大般若经变》,其珍贵价值不言而喻。

It is studied by the preface that the picture painted on the south wall of the corridor in the front of cave 19 in Yulin Caves and used to be viewed as the chart of ‘The Six Ways of Rebirth'(Bhavachakra; Liùdào Lúnhuí Tú) or ‘The Wheel of Life'(the Samsara chart; Shēngsǐ Lúnhuí Tú) actually illustrates Mahaprajna-paramita-sutra(Great Sutra of The Perfection of Wisdom; Dà Bō Rě Bō Luó Mì Duō Jīng) translated by Xuanzang with the 37 conditions leading to Buddhahood(Bodhitara), the emptiness of compounded phenomena(Samskrtashunyata), the 5 kinds of eyes(Buddha-vision), the 6 supernatural powers(Shadabhijna) and the 6 Paramitas as well, and that the transmigratory world in the central painting representing the 4 illusions, 6 ways, 12 causes(Pratyana) and the circle of life and death is based on the Elementary Division of Reincarnation(Chūfēn Zhuǐnshēng Pǐn) from Mahaprajna-paramita-sutra(Great Sutra of The Perfection of Wisdom; Dà Bō Rě Bō Luó Mì Duō Jīng). Therefore, this picture is much valuable as the first ever discovered illustration on Mahaprajnaparamita-sutra(Great Sutra of The Perfection of Wisdom; Dà Bō Rě Bō Luó Mì Duō Jīng) in the Duhuang caves by far.