中国早期西方净土变造像再考

A Further Iconological Analysis of The Early Western Pure Land Bian Images in China

我们探讨中国早期西方净土变造像的起源时,成都万佛寺出土南朝梁石刻造像碑、麦积山西魏初第127窟西壁经变、南响堂北齐第一窟西壁上方和第二窟原西壁窟门上方浮雕经变,是必须加以仔细甄别研究的。这四铺造像都已明确涉及对西方净土的刻画,但刻画重点并不相同,万佛寺西方变造像碑和麦积山127窟西壁西方变将视线集中在西方世界的妙相胜景上,这种描绘方式很有可能受到了《观无量寿经》的影响。南响堂两铺西方变造像表现的重点仍然是对尊像的刻画,这和昙鸾法门颇多相合之处——既赞弥陀又颂净土,但观想、偈赞和称名的重点依然是弥陀及诸圣,由此形成了与蜀、甘两地西方变造像较大的不同。南北朝时期早期西方变图像的建构方式,在佛教经变造像中国化的进程中迈出了关键的一步。本文将净土世界的刻画内容及表达方式作为行文主线,再密切结合南北朝时期无量寿信仰的基本状况,对上述造像重新加以检视作整体解析,并讨论其所受弥陀净土义学的影响。

As far as the origin of the early west pure-land Bian images are concerned, these Buddhist iconographies should be accounted into consideration including the Southern-dynasty stone sculpture of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sichuan Province, the early Wei-dynasty mural of Cave 127 of Maijishan Grottoes in Gansu Province, the Northern Qi-dynasty reliefs in Cave 1 and Cave 2 of Nanxiangtangshan Grottoes in Hebei Province. They each express the west pure land in different ways. Specifically, the stone sculpture of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery shares the visual scenery of the western world with the mural of Maijishan Grottoes, both of which were probably under the influence of The Sutra on The Contemplation of The Buddha of Boundless Life (Guan Wu Liang Shou Jing). On the contrast, the reliefs of Nanxiangtangshan Grottoes much close to Tan Luan s dharmaparyaya focus on the idols, they praise both Amitabha and pure land, but with a bit more stress on Amitabha and the sages though. The construction of the west pure land images of the early Southern-Northern dynasties leaped a giant step forward in the sinicization of Buddhist iconography. What is analyzed in the thesis centers on the imagery and artistic expression of the west pure land, the religion of Buddha of Boundless Life as well as the influence of the pure land theory of Amitabha in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.