キジル石窟に描かれた大乘の神變佛について

Abstract

This paper tries to clarify the identity of the so-called Cosmological Buddha of the Kizi cave 17 in Kucha, which was one of the most flourishing Buddhist kingdoms on the northern route of the Silk Road in Central Asia. There are two not yet clearly identified Buddha images of the cave dating to the 6th century CE or earlier. Both images show the Buddha wearing a robe decorated with cosmological scenes, which in their entirety represent a (i. e. one) world with Mt. Sumeru. Therefore, the Buddha is now generally known as the ʻCosmological Buddha'. The particular iconography has caught the attention of quite a number of scholars internationally. At present, there are two contradictory interpretations. One is that the image shows Buddha Vairocana of the Mahāyāna. The other is that it depicts Cosmological Buddha Śākyamuni of the Śrāvakayāna. In recent years, the latter has seemingly won more acceptance, since the Sarvāstivāda School of the Śrāvakayāna was the most influential Buddhist school in Kucha at the time. However, this paper shows strong support for the former Mahāyāna interpretation, while pointing out some crucial problems in the latter.