半跏思惟; 悉達多太子; 彌勒菩薩=Maitreya; 漢化風格; 褒衣博帶; 精神昇華; 自覺覺他; 佛教美學; the pose of the thinker; Siddhartha; sinicism; loose-fitting robe; spiritual transcendence; attaining enlightenment of neself and others at the same time; Buddhistic esthetics
摘要
半跏思惟菩薩以一手托腮. 一手撫腿. 頭略低垂的姿勢來表示思惟，稱為「思惟相」; 而一足垂下，一足屈盤其上，表現人物的輕閒悠然. 灑脫自在的坐姿，則稱為「半跏坐」，兩者結合起來稱為「半跏思惟」. 半跏思惟像源自於西元二至三世紀時印度西北的犍陀羅，興盛於中國南北朝時期，為中國佛教藝術中重要的造像內容之一，主代表意涵為悉達多太子或彌勒菩薩. 半跏思惟像在中國發展的進程，從早期樣式化的生硬造型，一方面接受外來形式的影響，一方面又融入民族的傳統理念，開始佛像民族化的進程. 到北魏中晚期，佛像已完全漢化. 南朝化，面容肢體等細節處理更加圓順，身材更為修長結實，且著日常生活的漢式褒衣博帶，衣裙褶紋重疊繁富，極富韻律及裝飾意味，更具中國風貌. 東. 西魏以後，佛像朝獨立自主的風格發展，因此對立體佛像的各部細節均能予以全面的關注與照應，更能表現出軀體結實的美感與肌膚彈性的潤澤，衣紋線條趨向簡潔明暢. 北齊與北周的造像，延續前期風格，再加以創新，尤其北齊的思惟像雕刻，幾乎達到空前完美的境界. 面容五官更為細緻玲瓏，身軀圓健，比例勻稱，衣紋疏簡概括，具抽象式的圖案表現. 這時期在造像題材的廣度和對造像表現個性的深度上，都較前代有著較大的突破. 半跏思惟菩薩是表現菩薩求取「悟道」之意，即尚未達於究竟解脫之地，故示以一手托腮. 一手撫腿及一足盤上. 一足下垂之思惟坐姿，以有別佛陀結跏趺坐來表示其已達究竟解脫; 以凡聖兼具的雙重面向，顯示一個在世俗與涅槃間努力精進及慈悲與智慧並行兼修的菩薩特性. 此造像在中國固有文化的激發下，揉和了全新的創意，發展出更豐富深遠的精神風貌，展現不同於原始半跏思惟像的面向. 不論從「形式」或「節奏」來看，思惟菩薩像所表現的是生命內部最深的動，是至動而有條理的生命情調. 這個「動」的意涵，透過似動非動的手足姿態，即定靜思惟的方式，表達著一種抽象的心理變化及精神昇華的過程，是由凡轉聖的比喻. 所以，半跏思惟之恣既是菩提智慧的顯現，也是慈悲宏願的實踐，它體現著一個「自覺覺他」的菩薩身行. 單純的手足姿態卻充滿著深邃的精神內蘊，直接指向人性最深處的自我實相之探索，以具體的「色」相表達抽象的「空」觀，以簡約的形式傳達空淨的美感，半跏思惟菩薩由此構成了佛教美學的相反相成的奇觀，並體現了中國民族的審美趣味和理想. The Contemplative Bodhisattvas is characterized by the right elbow resting vertically on the right knee，with two extended fingers of the right hand touching the right cheek and the left hand putting on the right ankle; additionally，the right leg crosses over the pendent left leg. Such an image，known as “the pose of the thinker,” belongs to the Ghandhara style of the Kusana period (1st–3rd century). This image，mainly denoting Siddhartha or Maitreya, prevailed in the Great Division Period of China (5th–6th century) and had become one of the significant Buddhist imageries in China. Stylistically，this image has undergone constant changes in China, beginning with a formative phase mainly relying on the stylistic influence from India. Not until the middle and late phases of the Northern Wei are the images sinicized. Details of heads and arms are rounder than those from the early phase of Northern Wei，while the loose-fitting robe assumes a life of its own—the cascade-like pattern of drapery folds forms a rhythmic pattern of great elegance. In the Eastern and Western Wei Dynasties, the images develops a new style in which every aspect of the figures is carefully treated as to reveal the beauty of the torso and the luster of the skin，while the drapery folds become simplified and lighter. The images from the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou are characterized by an unprecedented perfection—the facial expressions being subtler，the torso more mellifluous and their drapery lines more succinct and abstract. As the Contemplative Bodhisattva shows that the bodhisattva is seeking enlightenment，namely in the progress to attaining Buddhahood，the portrayed image is conceived often in the thinking posture with one hand touching the cheek and one leg crossing over the other pendent leg. Such a contemplative posture is different from that of the enlightened Boddha who appears in yogic postures known as padmasana or vajrasana. It denotes that this bodhisattva assumes a dual role of secularity and divinity，having compassion and wisdom exercised on its path to enlightenment. The contemplative figure is imbued with creations inspired by Chinese traditional culture to display the more profound essence of its spirituality，thus, resulting in meaning different from the original connotation. Though appearing motionless, the gesture of hands and legs set in motion implies the process of mental transformation and spiritual transcendence; it indicates that the bodhisattvas is about to attain enlightenment. From this point of view，the pose of the thinker not only reveals the bodhisattva’s wisdom but also embodies the loving-kindness of the bodhisattva who aims at attaining enlightenment of its own and the common people at the same time. With a simple posture，this image of the Contemplative Bodhisattava reflects the esthetic ideals of both Buddhism and Chinese tradition.
