莫高窟的贤劫千佛诞生变——从第197窟所谓的多子塔说起

On the Illustration of the Birth of the Thousand Buddhas of Bhadrakalpa in Mogao Caves——Beginning with the Image of Bahuputraka-caitya in Cave 197

莫高窟第197窟主室西壁佛龛帐门南北两侧中唐绘制的壁画非多子塔,今经研究判定为贤劫千佛从莲花中出生的贤劫千佛诞生变;由此推及第169窟与第197、351窟同样位置、同样内容、不同布局结构的三铺壁画亦应为贤劫千佛诞生变。且第197、351窟南、北、东三壁绘制的壁画可以称作简约式的贤劫千佛诞生变。贤劫千佛诞生变是由五通曼荼罗演变派生而来的。贤劫千佛诞生变的窟数、铺数虽少,但对敦煌佛教史乃至中国佛教史、佛教美术史等具有史料价值和研究价值。

Research on the murals on either side of the niche in the west wall in Mogao cave 157,which was painted in the Middle Tang dynasty,has revealed that the painting is not an image of Bahuputraka-caitya,as previously believed,but an illustration to the birth of the Thousand Buddhas of Bhadrakalpa(the“auspicious age” in Buddhist theology) from a lotus flower.Furthermore,three other murals painted in the same location,and containing the same thematic contents and composition,have been identified in caves 169,197 and 351.Meanwhile,an analysis of the murals on the south,north and east walls of caves 197and 351 has concluded that these paintings can best be regarded as simplified illustrations of the same theological event.This illustration derives from a mandala depicting Amitabha and the Fifty Bodhisattvas.Although this illustration is small in number and appears in only a few caves,it is still very significant for the study of Buddhist history in Dunhuang,and in the history of Chinese Buddhist fine art.