2024年第41卷第3期
中世紀季風亞洲的密教信仰風潮──以東爪哇甘竹出土金剛界曼荼羅青銅造像為例 International Esoteric Buddhist Movement in Medieval Maritime Asia: a Case Study on Nganjuk Bronzes
賴依縵
本文聚焦東爪哇藝術史上素負盛名的甘竹出土金剛界曼荼羅青銅小像，然而百年來，此批窖藏出土文物全貌、性質、圖像學、製作時代與歷史脈絡等議題，仍待釐清。本論蒐羅包含一世紀以前之甘竹相關舊圖版及全球公、私典藏，參照原始宗教經典，並以風格分析方法，嘗試釐清上述議題。結論以為兩組曼荼羅分別應為辛鐸王與愛爾棱加王時代所造，而窖藏中有中爪哇時期造像，透露此批造像應為東爪哇王國相當重要的宗教文物。密教曾是中世紀季風亞洲的國際性信仰，進一步理解甘竹造像內涵，不僅裨益闡釋東爪哇之宗教信仰，並可供觀察密教在亞洲各地信仰實踐的共相與殊相。
A group of bronze statuettes of Vajradhatu mandala found in Nganjuk district in east Java, Indonesia, in the early twentieth century are the rare evidence of esoteric Buddhism being practiced in East Java. However, this group and other associated images excavated from Java still merit more study. This project is aimed to clarify the style, date and iconography of this group of bronze statuettes. Vajradhatu mandala is derived from the first section of an extensive Sanskrit esoteric Buddhist text, Sarvatathagatatattvasamgraha namamahayanasutra, the Compendium of Truth of All the Buddhas, believed composed in eighth-century India. Several other holy texts and commentaries have been composed in India. A critical approach that uses above-mentioned sacred texts will be adopted to discuss the iconography. With aid of ancient inscriptions and historical texts found from Java, these images will be perceived as an entirety within a clear frame of reference, and explanatory principles will be used from actual exegesis within a proper hermeneutic, thereby revealing the images’ implications and their roles within their appropriated cultural contexts. This study will facilitate to reveal the responses and appropriations that esoteric Buddhism encountered in the archipelago, which will also help to fathom the propagation of esoteric Buddhism in other Asian regions.