관음신앙의 중국적 變容과 그 문화적 특징

Abstract

The belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara of China has a very long history. It had made various religion cultures in China during naturalization period. This paper considers the feature and the acculturation of the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara which came to China from India, on the separated aspects as the fusion of the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara and Niάng niάng shén(娘娘神, the goddess giving offspring in the taoism), the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara and texts on the good deed, and the relation between the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara and folklore. The features are as in the following. Firstly, the fusion of the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara and Niάng niάng shén had developed in two ways. The first is that, around the interior of China, through the fusion with the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara, the goddess who giving offspring and prosperity in the taoism had changed to Avalokitesvara-Niάng niάng. This means that the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara was naturalized to China after Chinese had acknowledged Avalokitesvara as the Bodhisattva who helps people's worldly wish. The second is that, around seaside and southern area of China, Tiān hóu-Niάng niάng(天后娘娘, the goddess helping a seaman and a castaway) had changed to the sea god-Avalokitesvara from the fusion with Avalokitesvara. The sea god-Avalokitesvara was also called as the master of southern sea(南海大師), and in A.D. 10-16c, a phenomenon that put the cart before the horse occurred, it was that people acknowledged that Chinese indigenous god, Tiān hóu was born from the pray to Avalokitesvara. It shows that the difference of buddhism, indigenous religion, and taoism disappeared completely, and a new cultural form appeared in China. Secondly, the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara and the publication of texts on the good deed helped to strengthen chinese people's ethics through interaction. And the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara had been fused with the activity for worldly prosperity through texts on the good deed. This cultural form is a complex product from the fusion of the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara, the traditional thought on the text on the good deed, and buddhist tantrism. Meanwhile, the boom of the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara brought about the publication of the books on mysterious experience which are closely related with the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara. We can understand it as the new cultural form produced from traditional chinese thoughts fused with the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara excellently. Thirdly, the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara have given many influences to Chinese folklore. We can say that it is the result of buddhist domination toward Chinese people's culture, or the fusion between the Chinese common people' worldly wish and simple hope, and buddhism created different seasonal customs. Originally, the belief in the bodhisattva of Avalokitesvara came about in India, after it was naturalized to China, it was recreated as different forms in popular culture of the day.