Page 73 - Contenplating the Divie Buddhist Art Christies Hong Kong

月曜曼荼羅
羅文華
佛教傳統有九曜之說，即：日曜（太陽）、月曜（月亮）、
火曜（火星）、水曜（水星）、木曜（木星）、金曜（金
星）、土曜（土星）、羅睺（月亮盈滿之星，也是日、月
蝕的製造者）、計都（彗星，月亮虧缺之星）。在印度古
老的吠陀文明中，日月二曜都是重要的祭祀物件。
月曜往往跟蘇摩（Soma，一種具有興奮作用的黃色汁液）
有關，在傳統吠陀祭祀中扮演著重要的角色，被視為與不
死甘露（nectar）相似。月亮的光輝促進萬物生長，同時
產生甘露 , 月亮的盈虧分別象徵著甘露的盈滿與缺失。另
外，月亮盈虧這種自然現象影響到印度的曆法，印度將一
個月分為黑月和白月，正如玄奘所說：「月盈至滿，謂之
白分，月虧至晦，謂之黑分。」簡單說，初一至十五日為
白月，十六日至月末為黑月。月神往往代表財富和吉祥，
但是又有盈虧，即有吉凶之轉換，因此月神的祭祀不僅非
常重要而且非常頻繁。尼泊爾的加德滿都河谷印度教與佛
教長期共存，印度教對於月曜的崇拜也影響到它在佛教的
流傳。
這是一幅尼泊爾風格的月曜曼荼羅，雖然結構較為複雜，
但內容十分清楚。正中圓輪是月曜曼荼羅。白色身，雙手
持蓮花的是月曜天，腳著黃色皮靴，菩薩裝，坐於大車上，
與前面御夫 Ambara 同樣身著鎧甲，一副武士打扮，御
夫雙手攬韁繩，拉車的是七隻大鵝。兩位綠色身菩薩正在
張弓搭箭向四下射擊，傳統二位均是月曜的明妃，但是右
CHANDRA MANDALA
Luo Wenhua
In the Buddhist tradition, there are nine planetary deities: Surya (Sun),
Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter),
Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu (the waning Moon), and Ketu
(comet). The Sun and the Moon especially, were important objects of
worship during the Vedic period (circa 1500–600 BC) of ancient India.
Chandra (the Moon) is often associated with soma (a kind of stimulating
yellow juice), which is similar to the nectar of life, and played an important
role in Vedic rituals. The Moon light nurtures the growth of all things
and produces the nectar, while full Moon and new Moon symbolise
the fullness and exhaustion of nectar respectively. Furthermore the
progression of the lunar phases also determines the Hindu calendar. As
explained by the monk Xuanzang, who made the pilgrimage from China
to India during the Tang dynasty: “from the waxing crescent to the full
Moon is called suklapaksa, and from the waning gibbous to the new
Moon is called krsnapaksa.” Since the Moon god embodies fortune and
auspiciousness, but such fortune can be easily reverted as the moon
phases progress, sacrifices to the Moon-god became crucial and had
to be done very frequently. Such practice of Moon-god worship spread
from Hinduism to Buddhism as these two religions had long coexisted
in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal.
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