巩县石窟两处比丘僧思察造像与题记考论

A Study of Two Groups of Statues and Inscriptions Made by Monk Sicha in Gongxian Grottoes

巩县石窟现存造像与题记中有两处为唐代乾封年间比丘僧思察敬造。一处是第141龛,造像为弥勒二胁侍和七佛,题记除发愿文外另有《佛说盂兰盆经》一卷;另一处是千佛龛,造像为优填王像及千佛,题记除发愿文外另有《佛说佛名经》一段。两处造像及题记蕴含着特定宗教内涵,反映了初唐河洛一带僧尼祈愿内容和宗教信仰的转变。思察发愿文彰显了初唐时期僧尼群体对国家命运和百姓生活的关切,造像与题记中对过去七佛、弥勒、盂兰会、千佛的表现也反映了初唐时期河洛一带弥勒净土信仰与千佛信仰的兴盛。同时,思察造像中优填王像与千佛造像还有着潜在渊源及关联,这种“主尊中心式”造像组合集中反映了信众忏悔前世、往生佛国的信仰祈愿。这两处造像及题记为唐代两京地区宗教信仰的研究提供了珍贵的资料。

Two extant groups of statues and inscriptions in Gongxian Grottoes were made by monk Sicha in the Qianfeng period of Tang Dynasty.One is cave 141,located at the corner between cave 4 and cave 5.The statues include Maitreya,two flanking statues and Seven Buddha.In addition to the vowing text,the inscriptions also include a volume of"The Buddha Speaks:The Ullambana Sutra".The other group is located in the thousand-Buddha niches on the east side of the outer wall of cave 5.The statues are King Udayana and the Thousand Buddha.The inscriptions include the vowing text and a paragraph of"The Buddha Speaks:The Buddha's Name Sutra".Certain religious connotations reflected in the two groups of statues and inscriptions indicate the change of praying content and religious belief of the monks and nuns in Heluo area in the early Tang Dynasty.Sicha's vowing text shows that the monks and nuns in the early Tang Dynasty concerned deeply for the fate of the country and people,and the highlighting of Seven Buddha of the past,Maitreya,the Ullambana rite and Thousand Buddha in the statues and inscriptions reflects the prosperity of belief in Maitreya's pure land and the Thousand Buddha in Heluo area in the early Tang Dynasty.Meanwhile,Sicha's statues reflect a potential connection between King Udayana and the Thousand Buddha images,as such combination with a central main statue shows the believers'repentance for past life and their wishes to ascend to the realm of Buddha in the afterlife.In a word,these statues and inscriptions provide valuable textual and graphical materials for the study of religious beliefs in Chang'an and Luoyang regions during the Tang Dynasty.