文／燕卜荪译／彭发胜

双 面 佛 像（中）

文／燕卜荪1译／彭发胜

输入到中亚、东南亚和远东的佛像正是这种样式。在中国，多数现存最早的佛像来自于公元5世纪建成的云冈石窟，位于北京西北。石窟的崖壁上主要是一座巨大无比的佛像，样子单调而又极度冷漠，还有许多专注而虔诚的小佛像。但是，中国早期的佛像也有其特色，它们已然体现出一种亦庄亦谐、高雅不凡的气质。这些端庄矜持而又笑意融融的佛像看来正在亲切交谈，他们（如同中国古代诗人一样）摆脱了世间生活的俗气，但并没有脱离世间。我觉得，中国后来的佛像在保持宗教威严的同时，逐渐丧失了这种新鲜的神态。观音菩萨在中国改变了性别，成为女性，但通常只不过是一位衣着时髦的贵妇。为了公允起见，我还是要说，观音菩萨志得意满的长相仍然不失其伟大的道德力量。佛已经出离世间，看起来高高在上，但是他也在告诉你，你也可以成佛。菩萨出现于基督教兴起的时期，意思是舍己度人，为了所有人皆能离苦得乐，他宁可不入涅槃。

It was this convention which was exported to central Asia, South-east Asia and the Far East. In China most of the earliest surviving work is from the Yunkang caves, northwest of Peking, and was done during the fifth century. The cliff of the caves is dominated by a dull but extremely ruthless2ruthless无情的。colossal3colossal巨大的。Buddha, and many of the smaller statues are very devoted and concentrated. But the novelty about the fi rst Buddhas in China is that they have already a suggestion of ironical politeness and re fi ned superiority. Delicious conversation pieces are found in progress between these reserved but winking fi gures, withdrawn (like the classical Chinese poets) from the vulgarity of active life rather than from the world. The later Chinese work, I think, tends to lose this freshness even while keeping considerably religious power; and the Kwan-yin, the Bodhisattva of Mercy, who changes sex in China and becomes a woman, is often hardly more than a sort of fashion plate4fashion plate衣着时髦的人。of the court lady. It is only fair to add that even in its complacent forms the work has great moral strength; the Buddha has freed himself from the world and may well look superior to it, but he is telling you that you can do the same; and the idea of a Bodhisattva is in its way sacri fi cial (it was formed in the same age as Christianity) because a Bodhisattva has renounced the peace of nirvana till he has helped all mankind to get there fi rst.

[2]后来，佛教传入日本，与当地业已形成的高级文明相融合。当时在日本，学习阅读和书写的主要目的就是为了阅读佛经。在公元七八世纪，日本文明刚开始形成，见证了佛教经典的鼎盛时期。尽管日本的大多佛像是由外来的工匠制作的，但是形制独具特色，主要源头是经过高丽文化渗透的云冈造像传统。……