研讀剖析今日隴東、西安及固原一帶留存的數通碑文,是理解明代前中期西北地區藏傳佛教發展特質的重要途徑。15世紀前中期,明廷為藏傳佛教制定了寬鬆的宗教政策,西北地區高僧如岷州班丹扎釋者,利用「直通京師」的特權,推動了藏傳佛教在南北兩京的發展,並重塑了隴東一帶的宗派格局。西安薦福寺僧人勺思吉監參則在修復寺廟的過程中,靈活利用王朝政策以實現利益最大化,在有限的制度空間內獲得更多的政治、經濟及宗教資本。須彌山圓光寺兩派藏傳佛教僧眾從正統持續到成化的紛爭,表面上是圍繞寺廟話語權的爭奪,背後則是地方社會不同宗教贊助群體關乎政教利益的糾葛。明廷提供的寬鬆制度空間、僧人對不同宗派及法律身份的靈活運用、地方勢力的鼎力贊助,是明代前中期西北地區藏傳佛教得以蓬勃發展的關鍵因素。
Scrutinizing the inscriptions on the steles preserved in nowadays eastern Gansu, Xi'an and Guyuan is an effective way to identify the characteristics of the development of Tibetan Buddhism in early-to-mid Ming northwest China. In the early to mid 15th century, the Ming court applied rather loose policies to Tibetan Buddhism practitioners, encouraging Buddhist hierarchs like Penden Trashi to promote the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Beijing and Nanjing as well as reshape the religious landscape of eastern Gansu. Chökyi Gyeltsen, a Buddhist monk from the Jianfu monastery of Xi'an, made full and flexible use of court policies to maximize his benefits on the ground, providing a vivid example of regulatory arbitrage. Examining the competition between two groups of monks from Mt. Xumi over hegemony in historical writing could indicate the power dynamics between royal princes, garrison generals and religious specialists. The loose court policies, flexible use of sect/legal identities by the monks and patronage from local powers constituted a significant catalyst for the fast development of Tibetan Buddhism in early to mid Ming northwest China.