The Changing Images of Zodiac Animals in Medieval Chinese Buddhist Literature

Abstract

In a Buddhist text entitled Mahāvaipulya-mahāsaṃnipāta-Sūtra, that has only survived in its fifth century Chinese translation, twelve animals were portrayed as there incarnations of Bodhisattvas who traveled to teach and enlighten sentient beings who were reborn in the bodies of animals. In the seventh and eighth centuries, Chinese Buddhist commentators incorporated indigenous Chinese thoughts of Yin-yangand Five-Phase theories to reinterpret these animals as demonic spirits who could corrupt the morality of Buddhist practitioners. This new development manifested the attempt of medieval Chinese Buddhist monks to help Buddhist ideas take root in Chinese society. It shows how medieval Chinese Buddhist literature transformed twelve animals from compassionate deities into animal demons to accommodate foreignideas for serving the Chinese audience.

Keywords

• Twelve animals
• Bodhisattva
• animal demons
• demonic spirits
• medieval Chinese Buddhism

Ortaçağ Çin Budist Edebiyatında Zodyak Hayvanlarının Değişen Görüntüleri

Abstract

Sadece beşinci yüzyıla ait Çince tercümesi günümüze ulaşmış Mahāvaipulya-mahāsaṃnipāta-Sūtra adlı Budist metninde on iki hayvan, hayvanların bedenlerinde yeniden doğmuş duygulu varlıkları eğitmek ve aydınlatmak için seyahat eden Bodhisattva’ların reenkarnasyonu olarak tasvir edilmiştir. Yedinci ve sekizinci yüzyıllarda Çinli Budist tefsirciler, bu hayvanları Budistlerin ahlakını bozabilecek şeytani ruhlar olarak yeniden yorumlarken onu yerli Çin düşünceleri olan Yin-yang ve Beş Aşamalı teorileriyle birleştirdiler. Bu yeni gelişme Ortaçağ Çinli Budist rahiplerine ait fikirlerin o zamanki Çin toplumunda kök salması sonucunu ortaya çıkardı. Bu durum, Ortaçağ Çin Budist edebiyatının yabancı fikirleri aşinalıştırarak Çinli okuyucu kesimin istifadesine sunmak için on iki hayvanı merhametli tanrılardan hayvan şeytanlara nasıl dönüştürdüğünü göstermektedir.

Keywords

• On iki hayvan
• Bodhisattva
• hayvan şeytanlar
• şeytani ruhlar
• ortaçağ Çin Budizmi

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