運用結構主義解析佛教圖像：以法國國立吉美亞洲藝術博物館藏〈降魔成道圖〉MG. 17655 為例=A Structuralist Approach for Deciphering Buddhist Paintings: The Case of The Assault of Māra (MG. 17655) in the Guimet Museum, Paris
The silk painting The Assault of Māra, accession number MG. 17655, in the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris is composed of the central scene, the minor scenes on both sides, and the scene in the lower band. For over a hundred years, academic circles used to consider the painting as the subject of “The Assault of Māra” according to the central scene. Knowledge about the integrated meaning of its triple composition, however, is limited. In fact, exploring sutras is the “nuts and bolts” of deciphering Buddhist paintings. Facing the mystery of MG. 17655, it should not be limited to the general idea of “The Assault of Māra,” but be enlarged to include studies on doctrinal texts and to have “empathy” with the painter’s religious thoughts in searching for the answer. This article borrows theories of Structuralism from the 1970s, namely “internal relations,” “correlation,” and “opposition,” to look for textual contents related to “The Assault of Māra” and “The Enlightenment of Buddha.” That resulted in the finding of a trifold textual structure commonly existing in more than ten sutras which narrate the biographical stories of Buddha: three kinds of the Buddha’s virtues and powers are described before, at the instant of, and after His enlightenment. The triple composition in the painting MG. 17655 – the central scene, those on the both sides, and that on the lower band – depicts exactly these three virtues of different natures and different time points. For convenience, we can relate them with the terms “The Innate Virtue of Seven Treasures,” “The Wisdom Virtue of Conquering Demons,” and “The Supernatural Power after Enlightenment.” They are the respective meanings of the three parts. It is to convey these three kinds of the Buddha’s virtues that constitutes the complete meaning of MG. 17655.
