射箭反向母题的佛经文化溯源

On the Source of Buddhistic Culture about the Motif of the Backward Arrow Shooting

中国文学中的射箭反向母题,来自外域的佛经故事。该母题本质上看是以暴抗暴,以恶制恶观念的一个直观形象的处理方法,其实,也体现了佛教对于以惩戒训喻的重要方式。母题体现了一种反讽意趣,适合于中国古代伦理文化土壤。在佛经传入的早期,就被中国文学所接受。到了后世又被加工改造,呈现为举刃自伤的滑稽场面描写,是惩恶劝善伦理主题表现时一个有意味的母题。

The motif of the backward arrow shootinng in the Chinese literature derives from the Buddhistic stories outside China. The motif is in nature the direct way of violence for violence and evil for evil, but it indicates in effect an important Buddhistic way of educational punishment. This motif implies a sense of irony, properly adapting itself in the cultural soil of ancient Chinese ethics. It was accepted in the Chinese literature in the early history of Buddhism into China and has been reshaped as a funny description of knifing oneself and become a meaningful motif in the ethical concept of educational punishment.