佛像网

尺寸：H. 83.8 cm x W. 48.3 cm x D. 24.1 cm
年代：9-10世纪(850-950)
质地：石雕
风格：印度 帕拉
来源：旧金山亚洲艺术博物馆
参阅：外部链接
鉴赏：
The Buddha triumphing over Mara

InscribedThe upper inscription is the “Buddhist creed,” which infuses the image with the Buddha’s teachings: The Buddha has explained the cause of all things that arise from a cause. He, the great monk, has also explained their cessation. Lower inscription: This is the pious gift of senior monk Prajnaprabha.

佛陀降魔成道像, 降服魔罗

铭文

上方铭文为“佛教法身偈”，将佛陀的教法融入此像之中：

诸法从缘起，如来说是因。
彼法因缘尽，是大沙门说。

下方铭文：
此乃上座比丘般若光之虔敬施物。

After many lifetimes of spiritual and intellectual preparation, the Buddha-to-be neared the achievement of Enlightenment, and thus of buddhahood, as he sat meditating under a tree. The demon Mara, an embodiment of death, violence, and uncontrolled passions, approached at the head of a monstrous army, intending to put a stop to the Enlightenment. Mara and the Buddha-to-be repeatedly challenged each other’s power and past accomplishments. Finally, the Buddha-to-be said,

“Mara, who is witness to your having given donations?” Said Mara, “All these,” and he stretched out his hand in the direction of his army. Then Mara said, “Who is witness to your having given donations?” The Buddhato-be replied, “I have no animate witnesses present. However, the great seven-hundred-fold donation I gave in my immediately previous existence will be testified to by the solid earth.” And drawing forth his right hand from beneath his priestly robe, he stretched it out towards the mighty earth. And the mighty earth thundered, “I bear you witness” with a hundred thousand roars. And the followers of Mara fled away in all directions.*

This sculpture was made in northeastern India, very near where the encounter with Mara is said to have occurred. Buddha images seated with the right hand reaching down at the knee to touch the earth memorialize the victory of the Buddha-to-be over the forces embodied in Mara and the success in overcoming the last obstacles to attaining buddhahood.

For two thousand years a shrine called the Mahabodhi (the “Great Enlightenment”), at Bodhgaya in northeastern India, has marked the exact spot where the Buddha’s victory over Mara and achievement of Enlightenment were thought to have occurred.

The nearby video shows this temple and its present-day use as the holiest site in the Buddhist world, which is visited by pilgrims from many countries.

*Adapted from Henry Clark Warren’s 1896 translation of an ancient Buddhist text.

历经无数生世的精神与智慧积集，当菩萨于树下结跏趺坐，即将证得正觉、成就佛果之际，魔罗——这一象征死亡、暴戾与烦恼的化身——率领魔军汹涌而至，意图阻挠其成道。菩萨与魔罗再三较量彼此的神力与宿世功德。最终，菩萨言：

“魔罗，汝之布施，谁为见证？”
魔罗答道：“此诸大众皆是见证。”言毕，伸手指向其魔军。
魔罗复问：“汝之布施，谁为见证？”
菩萨答言：“此处我无有情的见证者。然我于前世所作大千七百布施之行，此坚实大地可为见证。”
言毕，从袈裟中伸出右手，直指大地。顷刻间，大地震动，发出百千巨音，如雷震吼：“我为汝作见证！”
魔罗眷属，仓皇四散。*

此像制作于东北印度，地近传说中的降魔成道处。佛像结跏趺坐，右手覆膝、指尖触地，这一手印（触地印、降魔印）正是为纪念菩萨降伏魔罗所代表的诸障、最终超越一切阻碍而证得佛果的胜利。

两千年来，东北印度菩提伽耶的摩诃菩提寺（大菩提寺）作为佛陀降魔成道、证悟正觉的确切圣地，香火绵延不绝。

底座上的铭文表明，这座雕塑是由高僧般若波罗跋摩捐赠的。

参考:外部链接