밀교(密敎)의 대두와 불상관(佛像觀)의 변화: 소리, 진동, 현현

Abstract

What is the role of image in Buddhism? This paper investigates how the concept of image changed as the rise of a new trend of Mahayana Buddhism which is later defined as “early Esoteric Buddhism.” Emerging hundreds of years later since Buddha Sakyamuni’s nirvana, Buddhist images have been basically regarded as the means of accumulating merits. More positive roles of images are found in the scriptures such as Banzhou sanmei jing and Guanfo sanmei hai jing where we find the practice of visualizing images, which, according to the sutras, leads to the visualization of Buddha and finally to the enlightenment through samadhi. Meanwhile, translated into Chinese around the fifth to sixth centuries, the early Esoteric Buddhist scriptures present a different role of images. They relate that in a particular ritual setting where an image is enshrined and dharanis are recited comes the deity whom the image represents and comforts the practitioner with a voice. The images are also said to be shaken as a proof of divine manifestation. The first part of this paper traces the gradual appearance of such descriptions in the scriptures including the Dafangdeng tuoluoni jing, Wuliang men pomo tuoluoni jing, Da jiyi shenzhou jing, and Moli mantuoluo zhou jing. It also confirms that the most systematic mechanism is found in the Shiyimian Guanshiyin shenzhou jing, translated in the latter half of the sixth century. The second part of this paper traces the impact of the early Esoteric Buddhist scriptures on medieval Chinese Buddhists’ experience of images. While emanating light and sweating occupies the majority of miracles experienced from Chinese Buddhist images, shaking and uttering a voice are to be gradually found. Miracles relevant to the Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara increased. This paper also sheds light on the stories of Avalokitesvara images manifesting the compassionate bodhisattva’s marvelous body in response to the devotee’s prayer or incantation in India. Retold by Xuanzang (602-664) in his Da Tang xiyu ji, the story resulted in the translation of the Guanzizai pusa suixin zhou jing by Zhitong (active mid-7th century) in 653 and his own experience of the deity’s manifestation. With the observations, this paper finally argues that the novel concepts of images suggested in the early Esoteric Buddhist scriptures are significant in that they serve as the background of the emergence and popularity of images and beliefs of lesser gods and Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara in medieval China, and also in that they opened a way to the novel mode of image worship which requires an incantation of dharanis and mantras.