超能与无能——从《太平广记》中的胡僧形象看唐代的宗教文化风土

在唐代的对外文化交流中,大量来华的胡僧是一道特别的风景,也给当时的小说创作提供了新素材。《太平广记》所收唐代小说中所表现的胡僧形象,其最基本最主要的特点是无不具备神奇的法力,同时又被很极端地划归为“超能”与“无能”两大类别。这与不同宗教信仰间的争斗有关,也与胡僧的“外国人”身份有关。唐代小说中的胡僧形象脱离了真实,带有道具的功用,从中可以看出唐代的宗教文化风土。

In the Tang dynasty,China had more communications with people outside China.During that time a lot of non-Chinese monks came to China.The situation generated some new materials for lit- erary works.Most non-Chinese monks in the fictions have a magic power.Writers simply classified them into two categories: “super capable people”,“incapable people”.Because of their religion different from Chinese people and their foreign nationality,writers at that time had such a unreal vision of them and simply treated them as a tool.