香室考 -- 以漢譯「根有部律」和佛教遺址考古材料為中心=A study of 'gandhakuṭī' (perfume chamber): based on the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya and archaeological remains of ancient Indian Buddhist sites
'Gandhakuṭī' (perfume chamber) refers to a special house for Buddha in monastery. Like stūpa and caitya, 'gandhakuṭī' is a symbol of Buddha still in the world and has the functions of governing monastic community and uniting believers. Although in Buddhist canon there have been no relevant treatises on Buddhist buildings, some architectures or facilities in monastery are unavoidable topics when precepts and discipline are mentioned in Vinaya. Among Chinese translations of Vinaya from various schools, only Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya mentions 'gandhakuṭī' several times, and relevant records are also found in Jātaka, Pāli Aṭṭhakathās, Divyāvadāna, etc. Besides, the layouts and inscriptions of the ruins of ancient Indian Buddhist buildings and rock-cut monasteries corroborate the records in literature. There have been articles on 'gandhakuṭī' in the western academic circles a hundred years ago, but unfortunately, Chinese materials have not been cited, and less scholars have paid attention to it in Chinese academic circles. With the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya as the basic material, this paper considers other literature and archeological discoveries and explores the meanings and connotations of 'gandhakuṭī', hoping to enhance the understanding of ancient Indian monastery configuration and relevant discipline as well as the life of monks and to fill in gaps in the academic circles of Chinese Buddhism.
