墓幢──經幢研究之三

Mortuary Pillars and the Cult of the Dead in T'ang-Sung China

本文是筆者研究經幢的系列論文之一，主要討論「墓幢」──包括置於俗人墳域的經幢、置於僧人塔側的經惶，以及在經幢中藏有僧人茶毗後遺骨的「舍利經幢」。依次就墓幢的種類、墓幢的形制、墓幢與埋葬制度討論，再就墓幢流行的原因做深入的探討。在現今所知的經幢中，以墓幢所佔的數量為最多；經幢之所以歷數百年而不衰，和初唐以後地獄信仰的流布、「尊勝陀羅尼」的破地獄功能、盛唐以後密教陀羅尼的流行、墓幢和孝道的結合，以及墓幢功能的多元化諸因素有關。近半個世紀以來，在唐五代以迄元代的墓葬中，陸續出土了一些手寫經咒絹畫和雕版經咒，以及在棺木土刻有「陀羅尼」的「陀羅尼棺」，本文稱之為「墓葬陀羅尼」；並且認為它是一種墓幢的變形──即用來濟拔亡者地獄之苦的「陀羅尼」，以另外一種形式傳達給死者，而唯有從墓幢這個角度來看，才能找出它們在墓葬中的淵源和意涵。

This paper is the third in a series of articles that I have written about dharani pillars (ching-ch'uang 經幢), Fo-ting tsun-sheng t'o-lo-ni ching (佛頂尊勝陀羅尼經), and the development of Tantric Buddhism in T'ang-Sung China. It focuses on the most popular type of dharani pillar of the medieval era, mortuary pillars engraved with dharani (mu-ch'uang 墓幢), which were erected at stupas housing the remains of members of the sangha, as well as the tombs of lay Buddhists. I begin by describing various types of mortuary pillars, as well as their different forms, but devote most of the paper to exploring the factors that contributed to the rapid spread of mortuary pillars during the T'ang-Sung era. My research reveals that mortuary pillars became highly popular at this time in large part due to the increasing influence of Buddhist ideas about the underworld, as well as the belief that certain dharani (particularly the Tsun-sheng t'o-lo-ni 尊勝陀羅尼) were an essential element of rites to free the souls of the dead from torment. Thus, the merging of practices linked to mortuary pillars with indigenous Chinese concepts like filial piety (hsiao 孝) served to enhance the overall function and significance of such dharani pillars. In recent years, archaeologists working at tombs dating from the T'ang to the Yüan dynasties have unearthed silk paintings or wood carvings of Buddhist scriptures and spells (ching-chou 經咒), as well as wooden coffins inscribed with dharani. I refer to these objects as burial dharani (mu-tsang t'o-lo-ni 墓葬陀羅尼), and argue that they represent a modified form of mortuary pillars designed to provide another means for rescuing the souls of the dead from torment in the underworld. Moreover, considering burial dharani in the context of the historical development of mortuary pillars allows us to better appreciate their origins and overall significance.