慕梵而尊礼: 隋唐时期汉传佛教僧众的丧葬制度

Admiration for the Indian Brahman Traditions and Reverence for the Rituals：The Burial Systems of Han Buddhism Monks during the Sui and Tang Dynasties

摘要:

隋唐时期汉传佛教僧众的葬制，梵华嫁接的色彩非常明显。僧众丧葬模式主要有水葬、土葬、火葬、露尸葬等，但每种葬式的流行程度有别。土葬是此时最主流的僧尼丧葬模式，且最符合中华礼制的基本要求，是调和华梵之间文化矛盾的比较好的手段。颇有特色的露尸葬，因其最有印度佛教特色，在此时的僧众葬制中占据非常重要的地位。选择水葬或火葬的僧众则相对较少。在汉传佛教历史上，只有隋唐时期才有如此多种类的僧众丧葬模式，这是隋唐这个绚烂时代赋予的特殊的文化特征。在佛教中国化的大背景下，这些僧众葬制既都无一例外地受印度佛教的影响，建构在佛教义理的基础上，又努力寻求着中华礼制的认同，佛教的信仰与儒家的五常在此时已经有了很好的融合。

Abstract:

The burial systems of the Han Buddhism monks during the Sui（581- 618）and Tang（618- 907）Dynasties in China were distinctly characterized by a blend of Chinese and Indian Brahman traditions. The main modes of monk burials included the water burial，earth burial，cremation，and exposure burial，each with varying degrees of popularity. Water burials were relatively less chosen by monks， as the bodies submerged in water left no_“mementos_”worth commemorating or mourning making it difficult for future generations to accept. Earth burial was the most mainstream burial mode for monks at that time and it best met the basic requirements of Chinese rituals. Some monks had to relocate their graves due to family or clan reasons，but even so，their burial systems had to retain Buddhist characteristics. Earth burial is a good means to reconcile the cultural contradictions between Chinese and Indian Brahman traditions. Cremations are also not uncommon，with the basic form being the placement of cremated bones（Buddhist relics) into a stupa. Moreover，the cremation during the Sui and Tang Dynasties can also be seen as a kind of _“ultimate burial system_”. That is，after deceased monks underwent earth burial or exposure burial，it is possible that they may be reburied after they are exhumed or their Buddhist relics are collected by disciples. This often involves first cremating their bones and then placing them in a stupa for burial. Therefore，the burial system of some deceased monks is composite which is a unique feature that distinguishes it from the burial rituals of common people. The distinctive exposure burial due to its strong Indian Buddhist characteristics occupies a highly important position in the burial system of monks at this time. This is also the most prominent manifestation of the influence of the Indian Buddhist concept of almsgiving on the burial system of Chinese Buddhism. The burial customs of monks during the Sui and Tang Dynasties vividly demonstrated the concept of filial piety in traditional Chinese rituals. In the descriptions found on tomb inscriptions there is hardly any discord between filial piety and Buddhism. On the contrary many monks? tomb inscriptions not only record the monk?s family background and career but also express the filial piety of their disciples. The description of filial piety even becomes the core content of the tomb inscriptions such as the extreme portrayal of the mourning and grief of the descendants and the mourning attire emphasized in Confucian burial rituals also becomes an important feature of Chinese Buddhist burial rites. If the Chinese adaptation of Buddhism is the ultimate result of the spread of Indian Buddhism in China then the recognition of filial piety revealed through Buddhist burial customs is a concrete manifestation of Buddhism ? s adaptation to China. The burials of Buddhist monks and nuns reflect various demands from individuals，families，and religious groups，and also carry distinct subjective features of the deceased. What they are considering is how to put into practice their understanding of Buddhist beliefs，but when it comes to specific burial systems， they also have to take into account the requirements of ceremonial rituals. In the history of Chinese Buddhism，only during the Sui and Tang Dynasties were there so many different monastic burial modes，a unique cultural characteristic bestowed by this splendid era. Against the backdrop of Buddhism_’s adaptation to China, these monastic funeral rites were all influenced by Indian Buddhism without exception，constructing their unique features on the basis of Buddhist doctrines，while also striving for recognition of Chinese ceremonial rituals. At this time，the integration of Buddhist beliefs and Confucianism_’s Five Constants had already been well established.