在河西走廊和西藏发现的不空之影响

Uncovering Amoghavajra’s legacy in the Hexi Corridor and Tibet

本文分析了莫高窟和榆林窟被认为是受到吐蕃影响的早期藏传佛教艺术遗存。与此观点相反,本文认为这些图像实际上是受到了南印度艺术的影响,尤其是泰米尔纳德帕拉瓦王国艺术的影响,这与8世纪上半叶来自帕拉瓦王国的著名佛教大师金刚智在中国的传法密切相关,更与不空8世纪中叶在河西的活动有关。这些图像属于金刚智所创造的一种独特艺术传统,他也是一位伟大的画家。吐蕃统治时期的艺术只是吐蕃占领河西以前已经存在的艺术和宗教传统的继续延续而已。不仅如此,吐蕃控制河西走廊使得吐蕃能够移植当时当地流行的宗教和艺术潮流。因此,吐蕃将佛教作为国教正是基于不空在唐代所提出的以佛法护国的模式,本文支持这一理论。

This research analyses the images from Mogao and Yulin caves,which have been traditionally ascribed to Tibetan influence and believed to represent the early Tibetan style.Contrary to this common opinion,the author shows that these images are in fact influenced by Southern Indian art and in particular by the art of the Pallava kingdom in Tamil Nadu and closely affiliated with teachings introduced to China by Vajrabodhi(金刚智,671-741),a renowned Buddhist master from the Pallava Kingdom,in the first half of the 8th century and specifically propagated in Hexi by Amoghavajra(不空Bukong,705-774)in the mid 8th century.He argues that these images belong to a distinctive artistic tradition,which was established by Vajrabodhi who was also known in China as a great painter.The presence of these images in artwork from the Tibetan period merely signifies the continuation of the artistic and religious trends that existed in Hexi before the Tibetan conquest.Furthermore,the article argues that the Tibetan conquest of the Hexi corridor enabled the Tibetan appropriation of Chinese religious and artistic trends,which were popular in the region.This conclusion well supports Christopher Beckwith’s theory according to which the Tibetan adoption of Buddhism as a state religion was inspired by the Chinese model of state-protective Buddhism established by Amoghavajra.