佛经文学与六朝小说动物报恩母题

On Buddhist Sutras and Motif of Animal’s Repayment for One’s Favor in Six Dynasties’ Novels

佛教视动物与人类同列,统称有情众生,这种众生平等的观念对中土士人长期以来奉人为宇宙的中心、视动物为人类仆从的观念冲击甚大,受此观念影响,在佛教盛行的六朝,士人在创作小说时,形成了笔下的动物报恩母题,此母题一般由动物陷入困境—人施恩—动物报恩3个链环构成,对后世小说创作影响重大。

Scholars in China have regarded living beings as the center of the universe and animals as footmen of living beings for a long time. However, Buddhism regards living beings and animals as the same category—living creatures with emotion. This conception of equality among all living creatures from Buddhism impacts scholars’ old conception extremely. In Six Dynasties when Buddhism prevailed, influenced by this conception, scholars created motif of animals’ repayment for one’s favor. This motif consisted of three parts—firstly, animals’ being put in a tight spot, secondly a certain person’s favor, and finally animal’s repayment for his favor, which produced an great effect on creation of novels in later times.