莫高窟第246窟研究

A Study on Mogao Cave 246

莫高窟第246窟四壁的千佛是依据与S.4601(贤劫千佛名经》(卷上)和北848《贤劫千佛名经》(卷下)相近的敦煌分卷本《佛说贤劫千佛名经》而绘制。该窟的中心柱塑像意在表达十方三世思想。该窟甬道绘十地菩萨。第246窟所绘塑的这些题材与敦煌文献中的一些《菩萨戒牒》所奉请的“三师七证”相符。由此,笔者推断,在当时,一些菩萨戒的授戒仪式很可能就在第246窟中举行。

The thousand-Buddha motifs on the four walls of Mogao cave 246 were painted according to the Sutra on the Names of the Thousand Buddhas in the Bhadrakalpa in the Dunhuang documents, which is similar to S.4601(the first volume of the sutra) and No. 848 in Beijing Capital Library(the second volume). The statues on the central pillar in this cave were intended to express Buddhist thought on the Ten Directions and Three Ages, while images of the Tenth-Stage( tenth-bhumi) Bodhisattvas are painted on the walls of the corridor. The themes of the statues and paintings in cave 246 correspond to the "three masters and seven monks who testify," having been invited to the Ceremony of Conferral illustrated in the text of Buddhist Clerical Certificates from Dunhuang documents. The author therefore infers that some ceremonies of conferring Buddhist titles and certification were likely held in this cave at that time.