金剛界五方佛壇城的意義及其造像基本原則初探

A Study of the Meaning of the Mandala of Five Dhyāni-Buddhas of Vajradhātu and the Basic Principles of Making Its Image

由五方佛組成的修法壇城具有完成行者轉識成智的重大功能與意義，是佛教實踐體系中一個非常重要的修法壇城，但歷來的研究大多是從藝術或歷史的角度切入，鮮少對其所富含濃厚的宗教實踐意義進行深度的探索。為了揭示五方佛壇城在大乘佛教實踐層面中重大的修證意義，本文從宗教學的角度出發，根據相關的經典，專門探究「五方佛壇城」的內在意義與精神。至於「五方佛壇城」的造像，由於其是以具象的方式，展現該壇城的內在機理，具有重要的象徵意義，因此其成立的基本原則亦一併容攝在本文探討的範圍之內。

The mandala of five Dhyāni-Buddhas of Vajradhātu (金剛界五方佛): Vairocana ( 又作Mahāvairocana, 毘盧遮那佛或大日如來), Aksobhya (阿閦佛), Ratnasambhava (寶生佛), Amitābha (無量壽佛), Amoghasiddhi (不空成就佛) which is capable of transmuting a Buddhist practitioner’s worldly wisdom into Buddha-wisdom is essential in Buddhist learning system. In the illustration of their figures, their vows and different capabilities are conveyed by their varied hand gestures, seats as well as different colors of their bodies and clothing. The illustration of the mandala of five Dhyāni-Buddhas of Vajradhātu thus offers us not only a chance to obtain a certain degree of understanding their individual differences, but also a knowledge of the religious significance of the mandala.