“昂却”的寓意与渊源初探

On the Definition and Origin of the Word A-mChod

“昂却”一词主要指身居藏传佛教寺院为逝者诵读《解脱经》《菩提道次第广论》《普贤菩萨行愿王经》等经文的民间祭祀者。从语义学角度分析,“昂却”一词中“昂”(a)指僧人或者和尚,“却”指供奉和敬献,故“昂却”(a mchod)一词含有供奉或敬献的僧人之意。有关“昂却”一词的起源与发展在藏族宗教及历史典籍中没有明确的记载。在已有的少量文献中认为“昂却”与“仲却巴”(grong chog pa)毫无二致,并且其阐述过于简略,容易与经院僧人、莫巴(mo pa)、俄巴(sngags pa)相混淆。鉴于此,笔者在文献和田野调查的基础上,论述了“昂却”的概念及“昂却”一词渊源。文章认为苯辛地位的衰落和吐蕃首批僧人“赛弥敦”(sad mi bdum)的出现、达玛王禁佛等社会因素和宗教兴衰是“昂却”这一职业得以产生的基础和原因。然而,“昂却”并不一定是一个全新的职业,只是一个全新的名称,是见证佛教吸收和改造、适应民间宗教或苯教的“活化石”,也是系统化的藏传佛教与苯教、民间宗教三重文化相互融合及吸收的的产物。对于“昂却”的内涵与渊源研究有助于我们进一步了解系统化的宗教(佛教和苯教)与民间宗教之间的关系,也为我们研究藏传佛教和苯教民间化的过程及探析民间文化的开放性和包容性提供了新的视角,“昂却”一词的研究具有重要的学术意义和研究价值。

The word A-mChod mainly refers to the folk ritualists who live in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and recite the Thar-mDo,Lam-Rim,vPhags-Pa-bZang-Bo-sPyod-Pavi-sMon-Lam-Gyi-rGyal-Po and so on for the deceased.From the perspective of semantics,A-mChod,in the word“A”refers to monk or monks,and“mChod”refers to the practice of offering and dedication,so the word A-mChod means simply a monk who makes offerings or dedications.So far,there is no clear record of the origin and development of the word A-mChod in Tibetan religious and historical texts.In the few available documents,the term A-mChod is considered to carry the same meaning as Grong-Chog-Pa,but the explanations given for this comparison are too brief,and can be easily confused with the term Mo-Pa and sNgags-Pa to the ordinary monks.For this reason,by cross-referencing historical texts with fieldwork results,we discuss the historical origin of A-mChod and the nature of this term which,although in the same semantic category as Grong-Chog-Pa,also differs from it.We suggest that the emergence of the term Sad-Mi-bDun referring to the first monks in Tibet,were the ones to disseminate this emerging term A-mChod,and furthermore,that the policy of King,Sad-Mi-bDun banning of Buddhism,was the catalyst to promote Buddhism’s popularization and the eventual creation of the term A-mChod.However,A-mChod is not necessarily a brand new profession,but merely a new name,a“living fossil”which bears witness to the absorption and transformation of Buddhism and its adaptation to local Tibetan folk belief or Bon religion,as well as being a product of this process.The connotations and origin of the word A-mChod will help us to further study the relationship between systematic religion(Buddhism and Bon)and folk belief.It also provides a new perspective for us to study the process of the popularization of Buddhism and Bon,and the openness and inclusiveness of folk culture.