A Study on the Manuscripts of "Kuan-yin Sūtra" in Dunhuang and Its Cult

• Main Authors: Hsiulien Chen（Dashan Shi）, 陳秀蓮（釋大參）
• Other Authors: Atsai Cheng
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/22d5ra

博士 === 華梵大學 === 東方人文思想研究所 === 96 === Abstract of the Dissertation The widespread of the Kuan-yin cult has been mostly under the influence of Samantamukha-parivarta (The Universal Gate of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara), 25th chapter of the Saddharma-pundarika (The Lotus Sūtra) translated by KumArajIva. Because in the sūtra, Avalokitesvara, known as Kuan-yin bodhisattva, is said to have distinguishing characteristics of “perceiving sound to relieve people from suffering” and “being spiritual responsive boundlessly”, the particular chapter of the Sūtra has been receiving particular fondness from secular world, and being circulated as an offprint named “Kuan-yin Sūtra.” Though ancient books and records handed down for generations have records of activities of “Kuan-yin Sūtra” preaching, annotating, chanting, and picture offering, the data is yet incomprehensible, especially the data before Song Dynasty is almost nonexistent. However, the documentations discovered in 1900 from the Buddhists texts depositary cave in Dunhuang that keeps a large number of documents about the Sūtra in the forms of sūtra transcribing, commentaries, stories retold, preface to Buddhist worship assembly, pieces of writing for penitential offering, and paper and silk scrolls of stories retold in pictures; as well as the documentations of the 57 shops of metamorphoses, Buddhist stories told in pictures, of “Kuan-yin Sūtra” that were kept in Mogao Grottoes, are mostly not collected in the Tripitaka through the past years of editing, and thus become the first hand data in the study of Dunhuang Kuan-yin cult. This dissertation, by exploiting the ancient books and records and the abundant Dunhuang documentations, closely examination of the frescos on the spot of Dunhuang, and the integration of the methods of research on the documentations, history, doctrine reasoning, and arts of Buddhism, is hoping to draw the outline of the multiple aspects and threads of development of the Kuan-yin cult in the period of Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties in China, and to supplement the existing historical data as well. From the findings of the study, we would know that: “The Lotus Sūtra” had been in vogue during the period from Southern and Northern Dynasties to prosperous era of Tang Dynasty, and “Dharma-Lotus cult” had gained its golden age during this period as well. The dissemination of the separated print of “Kuan-yin Sūtra” in all places around Dunhuang had lasted for as long as at least 460 years during the period from Northern Wei Dynasty to Northern Song Dynasty. In Dunhuang area, the period from late Tang Dynasty to Five Dynasties was the golden age of the “Kuan-yin Pu-Men Cult” derived from “Kuan-yin Sūtra.” The features of the cult could be seen on the following: the sūtra had been embraced by all levels of people in Dunhuang, up from the highest imperial rulers, down to the extensive common people, and even the ethnic minority. People who were providing worship offerings in the forms of sūtra transcribing, painting on silk, and frescoes were mainly out of the motives of “making offerings to the Three Jewels, expiating the sins of the dead, praying for blessings, dispelling calamity” that are closely related to the benefits of the present life. Furthermore, secular Buddhist or Taoist priests had even contributed the distribution of “Kuan-yin Sūtra” in various ways such as making annotations in “both internal and external aspects”, chanting and explaining “Kuan-yin Sūtra” in plain words enthusiastically, and preparing the ritual and rules for ceremony in Kuan-yin worship and penitential offering, where by chanting and prostrating oneself people hoped to offer penitence and to extinguish sins or sufferings. During the dissemination process in Dunhuang, “Kuan-yin Sūtra” had been inevitably get involved with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism thus had resulted in the evolution of the cult. Being influenced by the Pure-Land cult and the filial piety thought of Confucianism and Buddhism, people had been used to make offerings of sutra transcribing or silk paintings as a wish to expel sins for the dead on the days of death anniversaries, festivals of Buddhism, and Days of the Eight Commandments. Therefore, the function of “Kuan-yin Sūtra” had been transformed from being a pure sutra that the intelligentsia had been using to explore the Kun-yin thoughts, to being a sūtra for meritorious work that was closely linked to devices that were used by people for “nurturing the living and seeing the dead off.” When it had come to the era of governance by Cao Yuan-zhong of “Gui-yi-jun” in Dunhuang area around late Tan Dynasty, it had even become the state sūtra that had been used by the authorities in worship assembly to pray for blessings. And following the introduction of esoteric sect Buddhism into Dunhuang and the development of Tubo Buddhism, the sūtra transcribing, silk painting and frescos of “Kuan-yin Sūtra” as worship offerings all appeared to have “fusion of the exoteric and esoteric” phenomena. Even more, during late Tang Dynasty there had emerged huge number of pictures of “Kuan-yin in Eight Calamities” that had appeared to have close relations with the “formatted” style of painting school of “Gui-yi-jun.” Besides, “Kuan-yin Sūtra” had been negotiating with various apocryphal sūtras, Taoism and civil cults, as a result it had emerged phenomena that Kuan-yin bodhisattva had become a god that is conferring mind calming and transforming, protection and blessing to all folk people, and indications that the status of Kuan-yin bodhisattva had been promoted as well.