川渝地区晚唐五代小型经幢及其反映的民间信仰

The Small Sutra Pillars of the Late Tang Dynasty and Five-Dynasties Period in Sichuan and Chongqing Areas and the Folk Beliefs Reflected by Them

经幢始见于盛唐,延续至明清,一般为八棱形石柱,周刻佛经,所刻内容以《佛顶尊胜陀罗尼经》居多,多发现于今山西、河北、河南、陕西、北京、四川等地。以往的研究集中在经幢的形制及其反映的信仰等方面[1]。近年来,笔者在调查川渝地区佛教遗存时发现了一类较特殊的经幢,体量较小,本文暂称为“小型经幢”,现有的研究极少关注这类经幢。本文拟在前人研究的基础上,考察这批材料及其反映的民间信仰。一、代表性材料1956年,成都西郊百花潭锦江河道内淘取砂石时发现了一批石刻佛教遗物,四川省文物管理委员会随后进行了清理。这批遗物中有4件小型经幢,其中3件现藏于四川博物院。1959年,袁明森简要报道了这批遗物的情况[2],下面根据该报道,结合我们的调查,简要介绍这几件经幢。

During the late Tang Dynasty and Five-Dynasties Period,a kind of small sutra pillars was popular in Sichuan and Chongqing areas centered by Chengdu.These sutra pillars had no canopies and pedestals,the inscriptions on which were mostly the Mantra of the Five Tathagatas and Mantra to Untie Enmity Knots,and their important using method was“set in the rivers”.The inscriptions of the Mantra of the Five Tathagatas on the pillars were randomly arranged.The U??ī?a Vijaya Dhāra?īSutra,Mantra of the Five Tathagatas and Mantra to Untie Enmity Knots all have the functions of exorcising evils and disasters and freeing from the hell.A special concern of these sutra pillars is the absolution of the“Hebo(Lord of the River)”,“Shui Guan(Water Official)”,“Shuizu zhi lei(aquatic beings)”and“the drowned”,which reflected the flood problem in Sichuan and Chongqing areas especially the Chengdu vicinity during the late Tang and Five-Dynasties Period,and their close relationship with the water-land dharma assemblies(large-scale praying ceremonies held by celebrated Buddhist monks for the passed away people).