パガン, ピンヤ, インワ時代のビルマ人仏教徒の呪詛

Abstract

The Burmese inscriptions written in the Pagan, Pinya, Sagain and Ava periods reveal religious mentalities of the Buddhist Burman. They dedicated numerous lands and slaves as their offerings to the Buddha's images, the Doctorines, the monasteries, and prayed to obtain Nirvana. Simultaneously they cursed those who rob or destroy the donor's valuable dedications. The curses are classified five categories. (1) Sinner will never be redeemed even if the Maitreya comes down from the heaven Tusita in order to rescue all the creatures. (2) May the sinner be under the earth. (3) May the sinner fall to the hell. (4) May the sinner suffer eternally in four states of punishment. (5) May the sinner suffer like Devadatta suffered in the bottom of the hell. According to the inscriptions, the Burman in those days regarded the hell as follows. There are eight Great Hells, and each hell is surrounded by sixteen small hells. Those great hells are located beneath the earth one above another. Order of the Eight Hells does not necessarily however coincide with those mentioned in the Chinese translation of the canon.