「盂蘭盆經」から「目連變文」へ - 講經と語り物文藝との閒 - (下)

Abstract

There are many works which are related to oral literature in the Dunhuang manuscripts. In this article, I intend to analyze the literary works that are based on the ceremonial lecture of Buddhist texts in the Dunhuang manuscripts. Mulian 目連 is one of the most distinguished disciples of Buddha. The famous story of Mulian's rescue of his mother, who suffered in the hell, first emerged in the Sutra of Yulanpen 盂蘭盆經. This sutra has no Indian original text, it may be inferred to be written in China. From the Weijin-Nanbeizhao to the Sui-Tang period, the ceremonial lectures of Buddhist texts were very popular in China, and based on this ceremony there were produced many notation books which were called Yishu 義疏. It may be inferred that the Jiang-jing-wen 講經文 in the Dunhuang manuscripts also derive from the popular lectures of Buddhist canon. Bianwen 變文 had common elements jointly with Jiang-jing-wen, but it introduced new elements derived from picture telling literature originated in the West. Mulian's story temporary fixed its form in Mulian-bianwen 目連變文.