다목적 禪窟: 敦煌 莫高窟 第285窟의 기능에 대한 재고 (The Multipurpose Meditation Cave: Rethinking the Function of Mogao Cave 285 in Dunhuang)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 중앙아시아학회
· 수록지 정보 : 중앙아시아연구 / 20권 / 1호 / 73 ~ 102페이지
· 저자명 : 권영우

초록

Dunhuang Mogao cave 285 has been considered as the cave that is highly likely to be sponsored by Yuan Rong (r. 525-542), who was the provincial governor of Guazhou at that time, because of well-preserved inscriptions including the absolute date(538, 539 C.E.) on the north wall. Regarding the function of cave 285, however, most scholars have not been able to come up with specific and critical solution more than this cave closely related with meditation practices for Buddhist monks. This speculation was certainly derived from the visual elements of cave 285. First and foremost, the cave is assumed to be modeled after Indian vihāra caves. In addition to this, there are two statues depicting monks in meditation enshrined in niches on the west wall, and thirty-five painted monks in meditation in the lower limit of the ceiling.
This paper re-examines the original function of cave 285 at the time of its foundation, which begins with the fundamental question what was the initial intention for the occupants at that time to construct this facility. To this end, I will rebuild the intrinsic uniqueness inherent in this cave by comparing with vihāra caves and meditation caves in China, Central Asia, and India which exhibit structural resemblance to that of cave 285 firstly. The uniqueness of the cave is found in two aspects. First, its structure seems to be intended more as a ritual space than just ‘dwelling’ and ‘meditative practice’ space. Second, the motifs of meditative monks, expressed in an exaggerated way, emphasized the sanctity of the monks.
Finally, I would like to maintain that it was highly possible for cave 285 to be considered as ‘the multipurpose meditation cave’ to practice the ritual ceremonies, such as ordination and repentance ceremony, including meditative practices as well. The two facts that these ritual ceremonies had indivisible relation with meditative practices and the sanctity of the monks, which is emphasized on cave 285 as I pointed out above, also had close link with these two ceremonies in medieval Chinese Buddhism support this assumption. To be more specific, the implicative meaning of hunting motifs on the ceiling and the south wall as well as Buddhist narrative paintings on the south wall also represent the ordination and repentance ceremony. Furthermore, these motifs and paintings might also be understood in the historical context of the period. From late Beiwei period, it was chaotic period for Buddhist community throughout the country that most, if not all, monks and nuns were violating precepts and regulations. Thus, it seems reasonable to assume that the facility to hold the ritual purifying monks, such as cave 285, was needed in the monastic community of Mogao at that time: the community’s will to renovate the precepts is actually shown by texts such as Dunhuang manuscript titled Regulations for the Local Religious Body (Dunhuang ben jiao tuan zhi gui).

영어초록

Dunhuang Mogao cave 285 has been considered as the cave that is highly likely to be sponsored by Yuan Rong (r. 525-542), who was the provincial governor of Guazhou at that time, because of well-preserved inscriptions including the absolute date(538, 539 C.E.) on the north wall. Regarding the function of cave 285, however, most scholars have not been able to come up with specific and critical solution more than this cave closely related with meditation practices for Buddhist monks. This speculation was certainly derived from the visual elements of cave 285. First and foremost, the cave is assumed to be modeled after Indian vihāra caves. In addition to this, there are two statues depicting monks in meditation enshrined in niches on the west wall, and thirty-five painted monks in meditation in the lower limit of the ceiling.
This paper re-examines the original function of cave 285 at the time of its foundation, which begins with the fundamental question what was the initial intention for the occupants at that time to construct this facility. To this end, I will rebuild the intrinsic uniqueness inherent in this cave by comparing with vihāra caves and meditation caves in China, Central Asia, and India which exhibit structural resemblance to that of cave 285 firstly. The uniqueness of the cave is found in two aspects. First, its structure seems to be intended more as a ritual space than just ‘dwelling’ and ‘meditative practice’ space. Second, the motifs of meditative monks, expressed in an exaggerated way, emphasized the sanctity of the monks.
Finally, I would like to maintain that it was highly possible for cave 285 to be considered as ‘the multipurpose meditation cave’ to practice the ritual ceremonies, such as ordination and repentance ceremony, including meditative practices as well. The two facts that these ritual ceremonies had indivisible relation with meditative practices and the sanctity of the monks, which is emphasized on cave 285 as I pointed out above, also had close link with these two ceremonies in medieval Chinese Buddhism support this assumption. To be more specific, the implicative meaning of hunting motifs on the ceiling and the south wall as well as Buddhist narrative paintings on the south wall also represent the ordination and repentance ceremony. Furthermore, these motifs and paintings might also be understood in the historical context of the period. From late Beiwei period, it was chaotic period for Buddhist community throughout the country that most, if not all, monks and nuns were violating precepts and regulations. Thus, it seems reasonable to assume that the facility to hold the ritual purifying monks, such as cave 285, was needed in the monastic community of Mogao at that time: the community’s will to renovate the precepts is actually shown by texts such as Dunhuang manuscript titled Regulations for the Local Religious Body (Dunhuang ben jiao tuan zhi gui).

참고자료

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