佛教教育中的美育：以佛教艺术为中心

美育构成中国佛教教育体系的要素之一。广义的佛教教育，更侧重对信众的薰陶与感化。佛教艺术是培育信众虔诚信仰的重要手段，是感化世俗凡人的精神食粮。本文首先回顾了中古时期佛教寺院如何成为社会的文化中心，接着从建筑、雕塑、绘画三个方面，论述了佛教东传入华后，如何创造性地发挥了其艺术的美育功能，使信众在顶礼膜拜的同时，进入一个超凡脱俗的精神世界，从而对佛教在中国本土的弘扬作出了巨大贡献。那种肯定佛教艺术的美学价值却否定佛学理论安抚灵魂的精神价值之观点，是站不住脚的。中国历史上佛教艺术产生了震撼人心的效果，信众由此对佛陀之美感同身受，这是佛教得以扎根中华大地的重要原因之一。中国佛教艺术的特点是形因神生，寓神于形；物由心生，不由物碍。相应地，中国佛教艺术的美育功能，其所蕴含的理性成份大于感性成份。通过这样一种极富特色的美育，信众获得了神高于形，心高于物的精神升华。

關鍵字

美育；佛教艺术；形与神；建筑；雕塑；绘画

並列摘要

Firstly, this article looks back on Buddhist temples becoming social-cultural center in China during the middle ancient times. The following issues of discussion are that Buddhist art gave full play to its aesthetic education; then the believers prostrated themselves in worship, meanwhile they detached themselves from reality and were taken into a new spirit world. At all events, architecture, sculpture, and drawing became the Buddhist arts which attracted and moved people in the ancient China. It is incorrect for somebody to deny Buddhism although he affirms Buddhist arts. However, Buddhist art was one of the most important reasons for promoting Buddha worship among ancient Chinese. Buddha spirit was more important than its appearance. Then believers had at heart Buddha, and it is not very important for them to worship Buddha in form. If someone discusses sensibility and rationality among aesthetic education of Buddhist art in ancient China, he would find that the latter is more than the former. The abovementioned views have showed the characteristics of Buddhism during Middle Ages in China.