巴利=Pāli; 尼柯耶=Nikāya; 定型文句=fixed units of wording; 公式=formula; 定型句=fixed sentence; 固定片語=套詞=set phrase; 口傳=oral transmission
摘要
本論文主旨在於探討代表印度初期佛教的巴利經典文獻(Pāli sutta literature)中所呈現出來的一種特殊文體—－「定型文句」－—所具有的一些特色，並且討論這些文句在初期佛教研究中的意義和重要性。本文首先指出所謂「定型文句」在學術界中尚未有嚴謹的定義，以及學者之間非常不統一的制定，由此顯示其界定的困難性。接著本文採取了自己的方式，按照文句長短不同的單位作三種分類，以此來確認經典文獻中可能屬於「定型文句」者。在此定位基礎上，則舉出具體的用例來做分析與探究，其中又以可被歸為特別類型的「定型文句—禪修公式句」(meditation formulas)，以及單一經典中（以《長尼柯耶》之《沙門果經》為例）所呈現的各種「定型文句」來作為研究和說明的對象。進一步，我們可以去考量這些文句所可能扮演的角色，如教義之規定、經文的形成與易於記誦或傳持等等，以增進我們對口傳文獻、經典編輯或集成過程的了解。
This paper seeks to explore some characteristics of a kind of stylistic textual expression, the ‘fixed units of wording’ (定型文句), occurring very frequently in the Pāli sutta literature of Indian early Buddhist canon. Although scholars have studied the presentation of these words, which are sometimes called ‘formulas’, a definite classification on the variety of their appearances and detailed description of their nature is still lacking. This study attempts to use a model of ‘three-units’ of classification, in order to identify different wordings, by means of the lengthy of their expression. A number of cases are listed, and the analysis based on this useful method is shown. For example, several meditation formulas and statements happening in various suttas, and different fixed units of wording seen in the Sāmaññaphala-sutta are examined. One interesting finding is, the fixed units of wordings under investigation are repeated throughout many suttas, and they seem to have undergone slight changes in a regular pattern. We then propose that the changing is indeed based upon the ‘units’, as well as some applicable rules probably for the purpose of memorization. With further investigation some significant principles might be recognized, which can be in turn helpful for the understanding of the composition and transmission of Pāli oral literature.
