唐代彌勒信仰與佛教諸宗派的關係

The Relationship between the Maitreya Cult and the Buddhist Schools in the Tang Dynasty

汪娟(Jiuan Wang)

《中華佛學學報》 5期 (1992/07) Pp. 197-237

https://doi.org/10.6986/CHBJ.199207.0197

摘要

彌勒信仰約在四世紀時傳入中國，極盛於南北朝，是中國早期最為流行的淨土法門。但是目前的淨土行者，大都以西方極樂世界為依歸，對於彌勒淨土卻顯得十分陌生。由彌勒信仰逐漸轉向彌陀信仰的過程演變，在中國佛教發展史上無疑是一個值得深入研究的課題。而唐朝可以說是正統的彌勒信仰由盛趨衰的關鍵時期，更有詳細探討的必要。本文擬由宗派方面加以考查，藉以明瞭彌勒信仰在唐代正統佛教中的發展情形，作為研究的初步。主要有以下幾個重點：一、法相宗對彌勒信仰的大力提倡二、淨土宗導致上生信仰日益衰微三、天台宗與彌勒信仰之間的互動四、禪宗流傳彌勒的事典及新形像五、華嚴宗借助彌勒菩薩提高地位六、律宗嚮往彌勒益於信仰的流行七、密宗為彌勒信仰注入新的成份

並列摘要

Around the 4th century CE the cult of Maitreya was introduced into China. Flourishing during the Northern and Southern Dynasties it became the most popular pure land faith in early Chinese Buddhism. Today, however, pure land practitioners strive for rebirth in Sukhavati and have no affinity to Maitreya's pure land. This shift from Maitreya to Amitabha is doubtlessly an aspect of the history of Chinese Buddhism worthy to be researched in depth. The Tang Dynasty which might rightly be called the pivotal period when the Maitreya cult began to decline deserves special attention. The present paper aims at understanding the development of the Maitreya cult within orthodox Tang Buddhism by studying the schools as a first step. The main points covered are: 1. The vigorous propagation of the Maitreya cult by the Dharmalaksana School. 2. Its decline caused by the Pure Land School. 3. The interrelationship between the Tien-tai School and the cult of Maitreya. 4. The new Maitreya image of the Chan School. 5. How the Hua-yen School elevated its position through the cult of Maitreya. 6. The Vinaya School's inclination toward the Maitreya cult for the sake of the propagation of the faith. 7. New aspects of the Maitreya cult introduced by the Esoteric School.

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