超凡即聖──從密教觀點探討民間視李靖為毗沙門天王之思考進路

From the Worldliness into Sainthood─A Buddhist Mysticism Reading on the Plausibility of Li Jin’s Becoming Image as Vaisramana

佛教東傳與中國文化接觸，不僅為中華文化帶來許多衝擊，卻也撞出了許多難能可貴的火花，不論從口頭上的語言用辭、說唱藝術乃至到文字上的詩歌、散文與小說，造型上的壁畫、塑像，都產生許多深遠的影響。而佛、菩薩的相貌隨著佛教東傳至各個國家，因應當地文化而有所改變，其中「毗沙門天王」的形象轉變，是值得注意，畢竟作為佛教護法的身分，其形象就不免要與民眾所認識具有「護法」的能力結合，所以護法與不同文化圈內的武將、英雄形象結合，是可以預想的發展方式，故本篇要討論的問題是透過佛教裡密教系統中的「三密相印」以及佛教宇宙觀──「天」的兩種理論，討論李靖何以成為毗沙門天王的可能原因。

With the eastward transmission of Buddhism, the clashes between Buddhism and Chinese culture have brought forth immense influences on vernacular speeches, chanteable story-telling, literary works such as poetry, prose, and novel, as well as mural art and sculptures. As Buddhism spread eastward, the images of Buddha and Bodhisattva alter and are appropriated to fit into the local culture in different counties. Among these image appropriations, the transformed image of Vaisramana is worth noticing. Being a patron deity, Vaisramana is often known by the folk culture as a role of protector or guardian. In this sense, it is anticipatable that the image of Vaisramana may absorb the images of martial general or hero in diverse cultures, merging into a heroic figure. Through the two theoretical grounds of the Buddhist Mysticism of Three Disciplines as well as the Buddhist cosmology (or the concept of “tien”), this paper thus aims to explore the possibility of how Li Jin, a martial general, may become Vaisramana.