两个长安:唐代寺院的宗教信仰与日常饮食

Chang’an under the Buddha’s Light:Religious Beliefs and Daily Eating in the Tang China

任何政治、社会、文化现象,都有其深刻的信仰、知识和思想背景。隋唐长安城区别于其他时代城市最为重要的特点,是其带有强烈的佛教都市特征,林立的寺院在城市生活中扮演着前所未有的角色。佛教所宣扬的六道轮回、因果报应等思想,是长安居民心中重要的行事依据。他们的心灵不但生活在现实的长安,也生活在想象里的长安。两个部分拼接的长安,才最接近真实的长安。将信仰和戒律的因素纳入到对中古社会史的研究中,从佛教戒律、寺院生活、宗教想象、灵验感通等信仰背景出发,探讨城市生活,进而在隋唐长安城的神圣和世俗空间中,勾勒出当时的社会、思想场景,或许是一个可行的研究路径。

Any political,social,and cultural phenomena are deeply rooted in a historical background with specific religious beliefs,knowledge and cultural traditions.The Chang'an City under the Tang was significantly different from previous Chinese cities for its Buddhist characteristics.With more than one hundred Buddhist monasteries in the city,Chang'an saw various roles that Buddhism played in the city life.The principles of Buddhism,like the idea of Life Circle of Six-Realms,deeply influenced the citizens of Chang'an.They lived in the secular world on one hand,on the other side they also lived in an imagined world that was created by Buddhist beliefs.Only by putting the secular part and the religious part together can we find the real historical picture of Chang'an.