南北石窟寺的造像思想初探

陇东地区的南北石窟寺,是六世纪早期营造的两个重要石窟,两窟规模较大,都以过去七佛造像作为主尊,造像题材与造型等主要源于云冈石窟;南北石窟寺中没有出现北朝时期常见的释迦多宝二佛并坐像,其中的造像与法华三昧禅法可能没有直接的关联;从窟内空间、造像体量等方面来看,南北石窟寺的过去七佛等造像,主要可能是作为礼拜忏悔的所缘对象;两窟造像的总体设计,可能体现了藉助于修习礼忏等相关法门,以便往生弥勒净土的思想;在两窟中,僧人们可以进行每半月的集体诵戒活动,平时也可以在佛像前礼拜,或诵持七佛等所说陀罗尼,由此可以忏悔业障,护持净戒,从而更好配合禅修.

On the Icon Creation of the Northern Grotto and the Southern Grotto in East Gansu

The Northern Grotto and the Southern Grotto in east Gansu Province were excavated in the early 6th century and the main images there are the seven Buddhas. There are no sculptures of the Sukyamuni and Dobo sitting together, which is common in the grottos dug in the Northern Dynasty Period, thus the creation of the icons in the two places may have nothing to do with the Fahua Zen school. The internal spatial structure and the size of the icons indicate that they were probably used for confession purposes.