ブックタイトルRILAS 早稲田大学総合人文科学研究センター研究誌

概要

RILAS 早稲田大学総合人文科学研究センター研究誌

The Role of a Thousand-Eyed Thousand Armed Avalokitesvara Imagesin Shuiluhui水陸会RitualsSuijun RAAbstractAmong the Tang-Song images of the Thousand-armed Avalokitesvara in China, several works in Sichuan standout from others due to their exceptional size. These statues were created from the end of the Tang until the beginningof Song dynasties, and are argued to have functioned as the main icon of the Buddhist ritual of Shuiluhui水陸会. This paper aims to consider specifically how the images may have been used in the ritual, and the historicalbackground that lead to the selection of this image as the main icon.An examination of the relevant historical records revealed that many such enormous statues were created duringthe 11 th and 12 th century, in prominent Chan sect temples that were authorized by the Imperial House. Therecords also indicated that during the 12 th century when the Shuiluhui became exceptionally popular and many ofits manuals were edited, the emperor himself created a daocheng道場in the Chongfusi崇福寺temple located inthe capital, Lin’an臨安. The main icon of this daocheng was the Thousand-armed Avalokitesvara. The remainingsections of a Shuiluhui manual from Song suggested that a main icon was placed in the middle of the ritual spaceand shuiluhua水陸画were hung on the four surrounding walls. The Thousand-armed Avalokitesvara promisesand visualizes in its attributes numerous types of power that realize what the contemporaries hoped to achievethrough the convening of shuiluhui. Thus, the paper concludes that the large images of this deity was most likelyplaced in the center of the daocheng, and the attendees projected onto the image, what they hoped to achievethrough the ritual.WASEDA RILAS JOURNAL215(12)