【留美學子】第2836期
9年國際視角精選
仰望星空·腳踏實地
【陳屹視線】教育·人文·名家文摘
拉卜楞寺正月法會調查報告
作者： 白家睿
白家睿
北京四中國際部學生，熱愛社會學以及傳播學
【導語】
拉卜楞寺的宗教節慶活動眾多，時間均以農曆計算。主要有正月法會、七月法會、九月法會，其中正月法會規模最大、時間最長、內容最豐富、參加人數最多。正月大法會也稱拉卜楞寺毛蘭木法會，源於1407年宗喀巴大師在拉薩舉辦的祈願法會，第二世嘉木樣久美昂吾（1728年-1792年）時流傳至拉卜楞寺。
法會自每年農曆正月初三晚上開始，至正月十七日結束，歷時15天。拉卜楞寺毛蘭木法會在國內外享有一定的知名度，其隆重、神秘的法事活動吸引了眾多的旅遊者。每逢法會期間，拉卜楞寺周圍乃至世界上其他國家的朝拜者都會遠道而來，人山人海，場面極為壯觀。
本文照片由作者提供
藏傳佛教因為活佛、灌頂、密宗儀軌、面貌兇狠的護法神，充滿了神秘感；藏地步行數月去寺院朝聖的信教徒也引人敬畏；而藏族僧人在宗教活動中的言行舉止穿戴更令人著迷。
我身邊的藏族人，每一個都是虔誠的藏傳佛教信徒，藏傳佛教文化似乎滲透在他們生活的方方面面。參加盛大的宗教節日無疑是探索藏傳佛教文化的有效途徑。
2020年正月十三（農曆），我專程赴甘南藏族自治州夏河縣，參加拉卜楞寺正月法會。
一、
拉卜楞寺正月祈願大法會
夏河縣位於青藏高原的東部邊緣，甘肅省的西南部，東經102度31分，北緯35度12分，海拔2800米，拉卜楞寺院就在縣城邊緣。
1710年，受青海和碩特前首旗蒙古親王濟農邀請，第一世嘉木樣協巴俄旺宗哲來到此地，建立了拉卜楞寺。經他親自堪輿，此地群山環抱、流水潺潺、青草豐美、林木成蔭、石料豐富，風水佳妙，因此在當地蒙藏首領的供養佈施下興建了寺院。
拉卜楞，佔地遼闊、寺院僧人眾多、佛殿林立、屬寺眾多[1]、寺內僧官體系完備。寺院六大札倉為聞思、醫藥、時輪、金剛、上密院、下密院，寺院內精通佛學的活佛高僧湧集。寺院佛殿後山坡上分散坐落的白色小屋，即為密宗修習場所。它也是全蒙藏地區藏傳佛教寺院中顯宗密宗修習體制最完備的。
正月法會，藏語音譯“默朗姆欽波”，源自藏傳佛教格魯派創始人宗喀巴大師1409年在西藏拉薩舉辦的祈願法會。
拉卜楞寺正月法會，是寺院一年一度最重要的法會，旨在向佛祈願，求佛保佑新的一年風調雨順、吉祥如意。
它也是寺院舉行的講經說法、供養佛僧、弘揚佛法的大型集會。正月法會，不僅是寺院佛僧最盛大的宗教節日，也是周邊信仰藏傳佛教的藏族人最盛大的宗教節日。
法會期間，我發現平日只有僧人居住的拉卜楞寺寺院周邊的僧舍，不斷有穿著藏袍的男女老少進進出出。
詢問多名寺院僧人後獲悉，像拉卜楞寺這樣的藏傳佛教格魯派寺院，每年大型法會期間，為了方便禮佛，寺院僧人才可以允許家人留宿在自己的僧舍。法會期間，最為繁忙的就是活佛了。
一年之計在於春，很多信眾早早守候在活佛囊欠外，等著襄佐通報，請活佛打卦卜算家中諸多事務。他們在向活佛呈現的哈達中捲上一定數目的現金，請襄佐轉達。哈達中的現金數目可多可少，據詢問當地信眾目前普遍在500元左右。
襄佐將他們請教的事情向活佛報告，再將活佛卜算的結果轉達他們。當然，也有個別有威望、地位、身份的人會得到活佛的親自接見,活佛為他們摸頂、祈福、乃至打卦，為他們新出生的孩子起名、為他們卜算蓋新房的時間等。也有不少信眾只是前來拜訪，虔誠地送來酥油、曲拉，就又悄無聲息地走了。
拉卜楞寺有多名活佛，周邊的藏人是按照自己家族乃至村莊信仰供奉的活佛，選擇供奉活佛的。寺院管理委員會進出的，多為以拉卜楞寺十三莊為主的附近藏族村莊的村長，他們代表整個村莊請寺管會安排僧人，在新的一年去村莊祈福誦經、或者舉辦佛事活動的情況，他們會與寺管會管理相關事務的負責人商議，到本村莊的具體日期、時間長短、僧人人數多寡、佛事活動規模大小，以及村莊對寺院的供養情況。
正月法會歷時十五天，自正月初三至正月十七。大型的宗教活動有正月十三的曬佛節，正月十四的法舞法會，正月十五的酥油燈會、正月十六的“轉強巴（彌勒佛）”，因為規模盛大、寺院僧人與寺院周邊的供養者都參加，具備較強的觀賞性。
對於寺院僧人，正月法會，各種宗教儀軌、大型宗教活動，費時耗力，他們每天還需要參加六次誦經活動，誦經時間、地點、經文俱有嚴格明晰的儀軌戒律。法會期間，沒有特殊情況，寺院僧人一律不得請假外出，也不得無故缺席誦經活動。
中華人民共和國成立前，寺院曾是藏族社會的教育中心，“舍寺院外無學校，舍宗教外無教育，舍喇嘛之外無教師”。正月法會，在拉薩，又被稱為傳昭大法會，活佛高僧講經、僧人辯經，都可以允許信徒在外旁聽，也是對佛法的傳授和弘揚。
法會上的各種宗教活動，都有固定的儀軌。法會上僧人的行為舉止，則是信徒禮佛的學習榜樣。寺院教育以大小五明為研習物件，以藏傳佛教文化為核心，培養出了眾多的碩學之才。
與此同時，藏族聚居區，特別是遠離中央王朝各級政權中心的邊遠地區，藏族人學習文化知識甚至識文斷字，只能是入寺為僧，或者入寺求學。因著寺院的神聖性與對外的封閉性，藏傳佛教的俗家弟子很難學到文化知識。1928年，夏河縣才有了第一所藏民小學，還是拉卜楞寺五世嘉木樣活佛的兄長黃正清，藉助寺院的力量，聘請外來教師創辦。
法會期間，群山環抱、夏河纏繞的寺院，打破了原本的寧靜。熙熙攘攘的人群，三三兩兩的高頭大馬，絡繹不絕的外地車輛，源源不斷地向寺院匯聚。
四面八方趕來的藏族人穿著嶄新的藏袍，他們大多拖家帶口，間或有青年人三五結伴。漢族人大多是被藏傳佛教文化深深吸引的遊客乃至藏傳佛教信徒，其中也有扛著長槍短炮的攝影愛好者。
回族人最值得一提，他們全部是來擺攤做小生意的，各種水果飲料零食，各類遮陽帽禦寒衣物，統一擺放在人群外圍不太擁擠的地方。民族之間，雖稱不上涇渭分明、大相徑庭，但服飾舉止明顯不同、各有特色。
蓋因各民族的文化差異,宗教信仰不同,生計方式有別。正應了費孝通先生所講：“各美其美，美人之美，美美與共，天下大同。”
二、
曬佛節實為瞻佛節
正月十三上午八點多，高原的冬日天氣還很寒冷，我和其他虔誠的信教人員一道，早早等候在拉卜楞寺大佛殿前的廣場上。終於從人群的喧囂騷動中盼到了曬佛節的序幕拉開。數十名身著紅色僧袍、頭戴黃色雞冠帽的僧人，抬著金黃絲綢包裹的佛像卷軸，從寺院的佛殿方向緩緩走來。這個佇列堪稱壯觀！
佛像卷軸長約百米，不僅有穿著繁複的僧官開道，還有穿戴花裡胡哨的“土地爺”[2]（漢族民間信仰的地方保護神），這是由寺院內的兩名小僧人裝扮，他們今天的一舉一動都經過寺院專門的培訓演練。
更有甚者，一隻高大威猛的老虎在佇列前左右奔跑，驅趕夾道相迎的人群向兩邊散開，為行進的僧人佇列讓出道路，裝扮老虎的僧人既維持了法會的秩序，也逗得圍觀者尖叫鬨笑成一片。這使得莊嚴的佛教法會，平易近人了許多。
拉卜楞寺的僧人佇列在圍觀人群的迎接、簇擁下，在茫茫白雪覆蓋的草原上宛如蜿蜒的游龍，從佛殿行至寺院東南面的曬佛臺，在眾人的期盼中跌跌絆絆爬上山坡，佛像卷軸終於被放置曬佛臺頂端。
曬佛臺下平整的場地，是專為寺院僧人誦經而備的，當地群眾會在僧人的指揮下留出一塊長方形的空地。寺院法臺（藏語稱赤巴）率領的一干僧官（即拉卜楞寺六大札倉的堪布[3]、格貴[4]、翁則[5]等人）早已拉開陣仗，準備唸誦經文。經後來請教，才得知曬佛日，法臺主持所誦經文為“浴佛儀軌文”。我推測，這類似於漢地，信徒在禮佛之前，需要沐浴焚香。
僧人們的梵音佛號一響起，喧囂的人群立刻肅靜了。因為他們使用藏語、又在拖長聲調唸誦經文，我是一個字兒也聽不明白。
引人注目的是僧人們使用的法器，除了鐃鈸等發聲樂器、有白海螺、藏地最特殊也最多見的金剛杵[6]。此外，還有一形似孩童玩具撥浪鼓的法器[7]，藏人稱為達瑪如，誦經時僧人手持左右搖擺，使鼓槌擊打兩側鼓面。因為這些法器形制奇特，只有藏地、藏傳佛教寺院宗教儀軌中使用，它們不僅吸引了外地遊客的目光，也令曬佛節平添了神秘色彩。
拉卜楞寺曬佛節，目前展示的佛像有三幅，分別為佛祖釋迦牟尼、未來佛阿彌陀佛（往生佛）、宗喀巴大師的堆繡像，每年選擇其中一幅展示，據當地人稱，佛像是三年一次、輪流展示的。誦經結束後，巨大的佛像由僧人徐徐拉開金黃色的絲綢，禮佛的僧俗頓時喧騰起來，曬佛節到達了高潮。圍觀人群層層疊疊，簇擁在曬佛臺周邊。
當地藏族僧俗，既有向著佛像磕長頭的，也有手持轉經輪、小聲唸誦六字真言的。更有個別老年人由家人揹著來瞻仰佛像的。曬佛節，對於寺院僧眾，是為展佛，對於寺院周邊的信教人員實為瞻佛。
擠近佛像的青年男子紛紛向佛像投擲哈達，哈達內或多或少都包裹有錢幣，他們中有不少人以額頭碰觸曬佛臺的邊緣，以示頂禮佛祖、活佛。人群外圍，婦女、老年人則在遠處向著佛像磕頭膜拜。大約中午兩點左右，瞻仰佛像的人員陸續散去，僧人將佛像卷軸抬回佛殿。
“宗教是一種與既與眾不同又不可冒犯的神聖事物相關的信仰與儀式所組成的統一體系。…這些儀式將所有信奉他們的人結合在一個被稱之為‘教會’的共同體內。”[8]禮敬佛法僧、供養寺院僧佛，既是藏族人虔誠的宗教信仰表達，也已融入他們的民族傳統文化習俗。藏地，步履蹣跚的老年人、幼齡孩童，禮佛、唸誦六字真言、轉動大小經筒，都隨處可見。對於聚居在甘南藏族自治州的藏族，隨時隨地禮敬佛法僧，是他們日常生活模式的重要組成部分。
三、
法舞法會與酥油花供燈法會
法舞法會，旨在祈願和降魔驅邪。法舞，藏語音譯羌姆，法舞法會，藏語稱羌姆欽。不同寺院的法舞，因為宗教儀軌沿襲的傳統不同[9]，內容多有不同。拉卜楞寺法舞，基本雷同於扎什倫布寺法舞，系沿襲四世班禪在扎什倫布寺時興的法舞。
大約上午十一時，法舞表演在大經堂前的廣場正式開始，僧人頭戴面具，身穿固定的表演服裝，飾演法王、王妃、鹿等角色，在莊嚴的法樂伴奏下，表演斷斷續續分為三場要進行將近五個小時。以寺主活佛嘉木樣為首的寺院活佛高僧，根據活佛的佛位高低、品級高下，分別列坐在寺院前殿樓二樓的前廊觀賞。僧俗人員則面向前殿樓呈半包圍的圓圈，圈內大經堂左側是五十餘名盛裝僧人整齊排坐的法舞樂隊，率領僧眾表演的法臺，就坐於特質木椅上。中間是法舞表演者的場地。維持秩序的僧人手持十餘米長的長杆，在圈內邊緣走動。
法舞壓軸的表演，看起來更像是驅魔儀式，是將妖魔鬼怪集中到三角形“朵兒瑪”[10]身上，法臺率領所有的法舞表演者，在拉卜楞十三莊（拉卜楞寺院建寺伊始，最早、最根本的供養者，人員就居住在拉卜楞寺周邊，系青海河南蒙古親王劃撥給拉卜楞寺的當地牧民）的信教人員裝扮的護衛隊跟隨下，將這座朵兒瑪移送到寺外荒灘，用烈火徹底焚燒，意味著邪魔鬼怪被祛除消滅，寺院不受侵擾、信徒吉祥平安，祈願來年人畜平安、諸事順遂。
伴隨著熊熊烈火，在鞭炮聲（據僧人介紹藏地以前還鳴槍，目前風俗習慣已經與時代發展同步並進了）、藏族青年的吶喊聲中，法舞表演落下帷幕。
正月十五晚的酥油花供燈法會，藏語稱“美多卻傑”，是宗喀巴大師為慶祝佛祖釋迦牟尼與其他教派辯論勝利而設立。僧人需用冰水浸泡的冷手反覆揉搓酥油，分別染色，捏製成精美的佛像、鳥獸、花草、人物，乃至呈現佛教故事的大型酥油花，連同酥油供燈奉獻在佛前。拉卜楞寺的酥油花燈會，一般為七架花燈，系嘉木樣活佛囊謙、寺院的六大札倉，分別製作。
絢麗多彩、美輪美奐的酥油花，是藏傳佛教傳統藝術的傳承，也是寺院各札倉僧人酥油花製作手藝的較量和比拼。一年一度的酥油花燈會，在大經堂前舉辦。色澤豔麗的飛禽走獸、花鳥蟲魚，給茫茫白雪映照下的隆冬草原，帶來了勃勃生機，喚醒了沉睡的蒼茫大地；細膩柔和、栩栩如生的佛像滿足了草原深處藏族牧民的信仰需求。虔誠的僧眾和信眾排隊誦經磕頭膜拜，直至深夜才漸漸結束。
正月十五晚的酥油花燈會，還是藏族青年男女結伴出遊的時機。花燈點燃後，閃爍搖曳，為莊嚴肅穆的寺院平添了鮮豔奪目的輝煌色彩，他們徜徉於燈海人流之中，通宵達旦地遊玩，也不必擔心家人的苛責。
四、
轉強巴佛祈願未來
正月十六轉強巴佛，是正月法會大型集會的最後一項活動。強巴，或者香巴，都是藏語音譯，指彌勒佛，即未來佛。佛有縱三世，即按照時間劃分的前世、今世、來世，分別為過去佛-燃燈佛，它是釋迦佛修行尚未成佛之前的老師；今世佛即釋迦牟尼佛，來世佛，即彌勒佛。
佛經講，彌勒佛在兜率天宮，將來某一時刻會接替釋迦牟尼佛的地位和職責，教化眾生，因此彌勒佛有時也成彌勒菩薩。因此彌勒佛像分為“佛相”和“菩薩相”。直觀地講，就是佛像的造型不同。藏傳佛教寺院轉強巴佛，所抬佛像都是善跏趺坐[11]的坐佛。拉卜楞寺乃至藏傳佛教很多寺院都有轉強巴佛的習俗，旨在歡迎未來佛的出現。
上午八點多人群就陸續地聚集在大經堂前的廣場上，因為煨桑的人絡繹不絕，桑煙[12]嫋嫋、松香陣陣，空氣中瀰漫著松柏的香味，法會的儀式感頓增。大約十點，僧人從彌勒佛殿抬著一大一小的彌勒佛像列隊而出，其後為穿戴黃色袈裟的僧人，另有僧人抬著兩個裝有彌勒佛像的佛龕小轎子緊隨其後，盛裝的法樂隊吹吹打打、隨行進的佇列伴奏著佛樂，頭戴黃色雞冠帽的僧人簇擁著彌勒佛莊嚴前行。
由僧人裝扮的老虎在佇列稍後兩側，騰挪躍動、維持秩序，使禮佛的人群留出通道，維持轉強巴佛的僧人佇列有序前進。但看閃光燈的頻次，攝影愛好者人數之多，就可以想像。洶湧的人群中，與身著簇新藏袍的藏族人摩肩擦踵的，既有操著多種方言的外來遊客，還有說著本地方言的漢族，間或有著蒙古袍的男女。寺院周邊空地荒灘停車場的車牌，顯示遊客來自全國各地，藏傳佛教文化的魅力可見一斑。
轉強巴佛的佇列，要順時針[13]繞行拉卜楞寺整整一圈，期間僧人會在寺院的東、南、西、北四個角停頓，分別舉行小型的祈願活動。繞行結束，強巴佛被放置在寺院中心的大金瓦佛殿前的講經臺，接受信徒的頂禮膜拜觀瞻。
這一天禮佛的藏人，大多會在拉卜楞寺的轉經廊上轉動經筒[14]。因為人員眾多，長長的轉經廊上2000多個轉經筒，不停地被轉動，場面極為壯觀。當壯觀的僧人佇列將強巴佛抬回彌勒佛店，這一天的宗教活動就結束了，拉卜楞寺正月法會中所有僧俗共同參加的集會活動也就結束了。
【結論】
“宗教”作為客觀存在的事實，無論就時間的綿延或空間的廣袤看，都是人類現象的首要特徵。我們可以毫不誇張地說：有人群聚居之處，必有宗教痕跡。宗教信仰決定和影響著民族的風俗習慣。它作為民族傳統文化特徵，增強了民族內部的凝聚力。
在藏族歷史上，那些較大規模的寺院是集政治、經濟、文化、教育功能於一體的，併成為廣大藏區層次不一、程度不同的政教合一制度的權利核心。走進甘南藏區，你會發現藏傳寺院可謂星羅旗布，藏族農牧民集中的地區周邊總會有建築規模大小不等的寺院，而林林總總的靜修院、佛塔等藏傳佛教儀式性建築更是數不勝數。2008年甘南藏族自治州分佈藏傳佛教寺院121座，在寺活佛170人，在寺僧尼8000餘人[15]。
拉卜楞寺院做為甘南藏區乃至周邊蒙古族群眾精神信仰的社會物質形態，既是宗教組織更是全體信教眾進行宗教活動的場所。它作為格魯派的六大寺院之一，制定了嚴格的僧規戒律，僧人過著與世俗世界隔絕的寺院生活，他們眼中只有“佛、法、僧”。拉卜楞寺做為當地藏民族傳統教育的重要場所，為信教群眾提供了一種與從事農牧業生產截然不同的生活方式，個別僧人在宗教寺院社會中的成功，又為藏族群眾展示了一種美好的生活前景，使虔誠的教徒紛紛落髮效仿。
寺院僧人做為藏族社會的一個特殊階層，透過對藏傳佛教格魯派門類眾多的學科的潛心鑽研和學習，做為藏民族最重要的知識分子，傳承和弘揚著民族傳統文化，受到周邊信教群眾的禮遇和尊崇，他們對周邊農牧民的思想起著重要的影響。寺院在共同的民族宗教文化的基礎上，透過大型的宗教活動，加強了當地藏族群眾的凝聚力，傳播著以藏傳佛教為核心的民族傳統習俗文化。
習俗文化以藏傳佛教文化為核心，從物質文化生活、人生儀禮到節慶禮儀的風尚習俗中，對於生活在其中的人，透過日常生產、生活中的細微瑣事來滲透、影響個人形成一套從經濟行為、家庭生活、宗教儀式到政治傾向的相輔相成的和諧一致的價值觀念，並透過家庭[16]內部言傳身教的方式完成了代際傳遞。表現在外部形式上就是該區域內個體行為方式、思維方式、文化心理的一致性。
對於出生於斯、成長於斯、生活於斯的每一個藏族個體來說，當地風尚習俗浸潤到他們的日常生活中，他們對此耳熟能詳、駕輕就熟，並在共同的宗教信仰和共同的宗教生活指導下不斷規範個體自身的言行使之更加適應集體生活的一致性。
正月法會一類的大型宗教活動，既滿足了信教群眾的宗教情感；寺院僧眾的言傳身教，又使得藏族習俗文化依託著藏傳佛教文化這一核心，得以傳播、乃至浸潤到藏族人生活的方方面面。
[1]屬寺號稱有108座。不過據我調查，108似乎是藏傳佛教，乃至佛教喜用的一個吉祥數字，不少規模較大的寺院談及屬寺，都喜用108，就連僧人指稱寺院藏寶也常說108件。
[2]拉卜楞寺所處的甘南藏族自治州，位於青藏高原東麓，是漢藏交屆的地帶，費孝通先生稱之為“青藏高原的視窗”，這裡是中華民族大雜居小聚居的典型代表地區。根據夏河縣政府2022年公佈資料，拉卜楞寺所在的夏河縣，全縣總人口9.03萬人，藏族人口7.2萬人，約佔總人口的79.7％。因為與漢族農耕區毗鄰而居，當地藏族農牧業生產乃至宗教活動，使用漢族的農曆。當地藏傳佛教的宗教儀軌中，也吸收了很多漢族道教信仰乃至民間信仰崇拜的神祇，譬如土地爺、五冠佛。
[3]堪布，是寺院各札倉即各學院的主持人，由佛教知識淵博的僧人擔任，大多已經取得格西學位。在拉卜楞寺系通曉顯宗五部大論並通過了寺院公開的辯經等選拔考試。堪布是寺院各札倉和學院的管理者，施行任期制。
[4]格貴，藏傳佛教寺院的僧官名稱，亦即執事僧，他負責參照宗教儀軌、寺院傳統，頒佈任職期間各札倉僧人應遵守的清規戒律，管理僧人在寺院的學習生活，並在一定程度上負責解釋維護札倉的清規戒律。
[5]翁則，藏語音譯，意為法會的領誦經師。他們不僅要能熟練背誦經文，最關鍵誦經時聲音高低起伏、抑揚頓挫，能有效把握誦經節奏，聲音聽起來雄厚有力。翁則，多為寺院的札倉推選。偶遇一位僧人笑著解釋，因為翁則領誦很費氣力，一般任期只有一年。
[6]金剛杵，又稱降魔杵，藏語稱多吉。它源自古印度的武器，在藏傳佛教裡，代表所向無敵、無堅不摧的智慧和佛性，能夠阻斷愚痴妄想、摧毀內外魔障，象徵著牢固、不滅、降服。藏人名字中多吉、多傑、道傑、道吉，都是取金剛杵，長壽或英勇無畏之意。形狀有獨股、三股、五股、九股等，大小也不等。金剛杵最常見的為三股，底部為銳利三稜柱、中間為人手持部分，頂端為三色的三面佛，分別是三位菩薩的忿怒相，代表諸佛的身、語、意。
[7]達瑪如，系藏語音譯，又稱骷髏鼓（以前藏地用人的頭蓋骨製作），嘎巴拉鼓。這是一種無木柄的小型雙面細腰鼓。鼓面多蒙以墨綠色的羊皮、牛皮。鼓腰兩側有鼓繩所繫球狀鼓墜。達瑪如，鼓體大小不等、規格不一。鼓面以圓形居多，也有橢圓形。據傳，該法器最早來源於印度教，後被藏傳佛教密宗吸收，宗教活動僧人誦經時手持使用。
[8] [美]包爾丹著，陶飛亞等譯《宗教的七種理論》第121頁，摘引涂爾幹《宗教生活的基本形式》
[9]藏區藏傳佛教寺院，不僅因教派不同而區分。在格魯派內部，雖同為黃教，寺院一年一度的宗教儀軌、宗教活動，不僅因著寺院大小、僧人多少，時間安排、經濟能力而有所變通。更重要的是，寺院宗教儀軌，因寺院歷史上活佛高僧，師出不同的寺院，而有著“門戶”之見。最根本的，是達賴活佛所領拉薩甘丹、色拉、哲蚌寺，與班禪所率扎什倫布寺的各種細微差別，分別影響著各寺的活佛高僧，乃至潛移默化地影響著藏地其他寺院前來學經的僧眾。拉卜楞寺作為藏傳佛教格魯派六大寺院之一，建寺最晚，宗教儀軌中細微不同之處，基本沿用扎什倫布寺。雖說，社會生活現象位於一切宗教的彼岸，宗教活動卻不能完全脫離社會生活的俗世。
[10]朵兒瑪，系藏語音譯，是酥油糌粑製作的麵糰，即食子。在藏傳佛教的宗教活動中用途甚廣，既是禮佛的供品，又可在山神祭祀時做施食，還是各種祛魔的武器。朵兒瑪作為驅魔使用時，密宗有專門的儀軌經文。
[11]善跏趺坐，是佛像上身端坐與蓮花寶座，兩腳自然下垂。強巴佛善跏趺坐，意指彌勒佛將隨時起身，接替釋迦牟尼佛教化眾生的重擔。實事求是地講，佛像的造型，坐姿、手印、手持等，紛繁複雜，很難完全搞懂。
[12]桑煙，桑，是藏語音譯，本意為淨，類同薰香。煨桑，在藏區多用側柏的樹枝，來源於藏地的苯教習俗，敬山神必不可少。無論佛教寺院的宗教活動、苯教祭祀山神、藏人家中祈福，都必不可少。
[13]順時針旋轉，對於藏傳佛教四大教派格魯派、噶舉派、薩迦派、寧瑪派，乃至最早的教派噶當派都非常重要。至少從外在形式講，即禮佛的各類宗教儀軌中，這是與藏地原來宗教–苯教的根本區別之一。儘管藏傳佛教中，各種忿怒像的護法神，都源自苯教。
[14]轉古拉，當地老年人和婦女禮佛的一種儀式，他們會圍繞寺院佛殿，或者轉經廊一圈一圈轉動大大小小的經筒，意為誦讀了經筒中的經文。這是他們日常生活中必不可少的一部分。拉卜楞寺轉經廊，號稱為世界上最長的轉經廊，長約3500米，建在寺院南側。高原的陽光下，銅製的轉經筒格外耀眼，在人煙稀少的草原上實在是一道靚麗的風景。
[15]來自當地宗教局資料
[16]核心家庭甚至是家族。
Dharma Assembly in Tibettan Buddhism ：
An Immersion into a Modern Day “Sound of Silence”
Abstract: there are a variety of religious festival activities in Labrang Lamasery that are counted by the lunar calendar, including the Rural January Dharma Assembly, July Dharma Assembly, and September Dharma Assembly. Rural January Dharma Assembly is of the biggest scale, the longest term, the richest contents, and the most attendees. Rural January Dharma Assembly also called Labrang Lamasery Monlam Dharma Assembly that could be traced back to the prayer meeting held by Master Tsongkhapa in Lhasa in 1407 when such an event was spread to Labrang Lamasery during the epoch of Kumei Ango of Second Jamyang (1728-1792). The Dharma Assembly starts on the night of the third day of rural January and ends on January 17, lasting for 15 days. Monlam Dharma Assembly of Labrang Lamasery has enjoyed quite a big popularity and a mass of tourists for its solemn and mysterious religious rites and activities. During the assembly, the pilgrims around Labrang Lamasery or even other countries all over the world would rush to come in an extremely spectacular style.
Due to its living Buddhists, Abhiseca, Tantric Sadhana, and Fierce Dharma Protectors, Tibetan Buddhism is full of a sense of mystery; the Buddhists in the Tibetan region that have spent months walking to the temples have been so formidable; the behaviors and dressings of the Tibetan Buddhists in the religious activities look fascinating. Every Tibetan that I've met in the daily life is a devout Tibetan Buddhist, therefore, it seems that Tibetan Buddhism has affected their life in all aspects. Attending such a magnificent religious festival definitely will be an effective way to probe into the Tibetan Buddhism culture. Eventually, on rural January 13, 2020, I made a special trip to Xiahe County of Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to attend the Rural January Dharma Assembly of Labrang Lamasery.
I. The prayer meeting in Labrang Lamasery in rural January
Xiahe County is located at the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the southwest of Gansu Province, of a latitude of 35degrees 12'north and an altitude of 2800meters, of which Labrang Lamasery is on the edge. In 1710, invited by Ji Nong, the former first banner Mongol prince of Qinghai Hesuote Horde, Xiebaewangzongze of First Jamyang came and established Labrang Lamasery. According to his geomantic omen, this place was embraced by mountains, gurgling water, lush green grass, shady woods, and abundant aggregated rocks, therefore, the temple was built under the donations and support of the Tibetan and Mongol leaders at the local. As a result, Labrang Lamasery enjoys a vast land, a mass of Buddhists, a forest of Buddhism palaces, several annex temples, and a complete Buddhist-level system. The six biggest Buddhism study rooms are Meditation Monastery, Medicine Monastery, Kalachakra Monastery, Warrior Monastery, Gyuto Monastery, and Gyumey, which are fulfilled with living Buddhists and eminent monks. The white small house on the slope behind the Buddhism palace is the place for esoteric Buddhism to learn and practice. It's the most complete learning and practicing system for exotic Buddhism and esoteric Buddhism among the Tibetan Buddhism temples in the whole Mongol and Tibetan region.
Rural January Dharma Assembly, “Mo-Lang-Mu-Qin-Bo” in Tibetan transliteration, could be traced back to the prayer dharma assembly held by Master Tsongkhapa- the founder of Tibetan Buddhism Gelug Sect in Lhasa Tibet in 11409. The rural January Dharma assembly of Langbrang monastery is the most significant yearly assembly of the temple, to pray for good weather for the crops and good luck and happiness in the new coming year. It’s also a mass gathering for expounding the texts of Buddhism, worshipping Buddhists and monks, and spreading Buddhist doctrines. Rural January dharma assembly is not only the biggest religious festival for the Buddhists and monks in the temple but also the most magnificent religious festival for the Tibetan people nearby believing in Tibetan Buddhism.
During the Dharma assembly, it was found that the monk dormitories in which only the monks lived in ordinary times around Labrang Monastery would welcome a lot of people of all ages in Tibetan robes. It's said by the monks in the temple that, for the temples of Tibetan Buddhism like Labrang Monastery, the monks of the temple would be allowed to bestow their family members in their dormitories for the Buddha worshiping convenience. During such a period, the busiest ones are the living Buddhas. Since the whole year's work depends on a good start in spring, many religious believers waited outside the living Buddha's houses for the notification of assistants and fortune telling. A certain number of cash would be hidden in the rolled hada that was presented to the living Buddha by the assistant. According to the local believers, it's a proper number that was about 500RMB. The Buddha assistant would report their questions and deliver the results of fortune telling. Of course, the ones of a certain fame, status, or identity would be received by the living Buddha who could touch their heads, pray, tell fortune, and the name of the newly-born children, as well as determine the timing for construction commissioning. Many believers would just pay a visit with butter and milk serums and just leave in silence. There were many living Buddhas in Labrang monastery, therefore, the Tibetan people nearby would choose the living Buddha according to the faith of the family or even the whole village. Entering and existing the temple management committee were the village heads of the Tibetan villages nearby, with Thirteen Village of Labrang Monastery as the core, they would invite the temple management committee on behalf of the whole village to arrange the monks, who were to pray for fortune, chant sutras, or even hold Buddhism activities in the village in the new year. They would discuss with the leaders of the temple management committee about the detailed time, duration, monk volume, Buddhism activity scale, and the worshiping situation of the village.
The rural January Dharma Assembly lasts for 15 days from January 3 to January 17. The large-scale religious activities include Buddha Demonstrating Festival on January 13, the Dancing Dharma Assembly on January 14, Butter Lantern Show on January 15, and the "Rotating Strong Buddha" on January 16. All of these were of large scale and big volumes of monks and believers, so they deserved an ornamental value. For the monks in the temple, the rural January Dharma assembly meant a lot of religious ritual procedures and activities that took time and effort, every day they may need to attend six sutras chanting. Strict ritual procedures and rules had been applied to the sutras chanting's time, location, and texts. During the Dharma assembly, it's not allowed for the monks in the temple to go out for vacation or be absent from the sutras chanting activities at all.
Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the temple used to be the education center of Tibetan society, for "no school out of the temple, no education out of religion, and no teacher out of lama". The rural January Dharma Assembly was also called the big spreading dharma assembly, in which the living Buddhas, the eminent monks, and the Buddhists would lecture sutra, debate Buddhist scriptures, allow the believers to learn from outside, teach and spread the Buddhism dharma. Every religious activity at the dharma assembly would bear its fixed ritual procedures. The behaviors of the monks at the Dharma assembly were the learning model for the believers. With five Clearness as the study objects and Tibetan Buddhism culture as the core, the temple had cultivated a mass of scholars and talents. In the meantime, the Tibetan colony was far away from the political center of the central dynasty, when Tibetan people desired to learn cultural knowledge, they had to be monks of the temple or enter the temple for study. Due to the sanctity and closure of the temple, it was hard for the secular disciples of Tibetan Buddhism to learn cultural knowledge. In 1928, the first Tibetan primary school was established by Huang Zhengqing in Xiahe County, who was the older brother of the living Buddha Fifth Jamyang of Labrang Monastery and hired foreign-land teachers to teach.
During the dharma assembly, the silence of the temple embraced by mountains and wrapped by Xia River was broken. The bustling people, the horses in twos and threes, and the endless foreign vehicles kept gathering in the temple. These Tibetan people coming from far and near put on new Tibetan robes, with their whole family or friends. Most people of Han Nationality were tourists attracted by Tibetan Buddhism culture or believers of Tibetan Buddhism, and some were shutterbugs with professional equipment. It's worth mentioning that, all of the people of Hui Nationality came to set up stalls and run a small business, so it's not difficult to discover a variety of fruits, drinks, snacks, caps, and clothes that were unified to set out in the places of fewer people. Although people may not be too obviously distinguishing from each other, they were different in clothing with their nationality characteristics. Due to cultural diversity and religious belief differences, people lived in different ways. It's just as what Mr. Fei Xiaotong said, "when everyone is beautiful with her features, appreciates the beauty of others, and shares the beauty, there will be a shared world of peace."
II. Buddha Demonstrating Festival was the day to worship the Buddha
At about 8 a.m. on rural January 13, it was very cold in the winter days of the highland. Together with those devout believers, I was waiting on the plaza in front of the Buddha Palace of Labrang Monastery. Buddha Demonstrating Festival kicked off with the passion of the people. Dozens of monks, who wore yellow cockscombs and golden silk clothes, came at a slow pace from the Buddha palace of the temple. It was so magnificent. The scroll of the Buddha figure was about 100m long, demonstrated by the troops of monks and "gods of land"(local protectors believed by the folks of Han Nationality) in colorful clothing, which was played by the well-trained small monks in the temple. What's more, a big and fierce tiger was running in front of the troops, so the crowds were forced to divide into two sides and give away to the marching monks. The monk acting as a tiger not only kept order but also pleased the audience, making the solemn Buddhism dharma assembly approachable.
The queue of Buddhists of Labrang Monastery welcomed and flocked by people, walked like the winding dragon on the grassland covered by snow. From the Buddhism palace to the Buddha demonstrating platform in the southeast of the temple, these Buddhists climbed on the slope in the expectation of people, so the scroll of the Buddha figure was put on the top of the Buddha demonstration platform. The flat place under the Buddha demonstration platform was prepared for the Buddhists of the temple to chant sutras, an open area was reserved by the local people under the guidance of Buddhists. The one thousand Buddhists (i.e. Kangbu, Gegui and Wengze of the top six study places of Labrang Monastery,) lead by the dharma platform (Chi-Ba in Tibetan) were well prepared for sutras chanting. It's said that the day of Buddha demonstrated the chanted sutras was "Article of Buddhism Ritual Procedures". Maybe the believers had to have a bath and burn incense before worshipping the Buddha just as those in the land Han Nationality.
As long as the horn for burning incense was sounded, the bustling people would be in silence. Since they chanted in Tibetan in a long tone, I failed to understand even a single word. The Buddhist mass used by the Buddhists included vocalization instruments, conches, and vajry pestles that was unique and popular in the Tibetan region. Besides, the Buddhist masslooked like the rattle-drum for the children was called as Da-Ma-Ru, by which the Buddhists would hold and swag to hit the drum. Due to the special shapes of these Buddhist masses that were used in the ritual procedures of Tibetan land and Tibetan Buddhism temples, they were not only an attraction for foreign tourists but also a mystery in the Buddha demonstrating festival.
For the Buddha demonstrating festival of Labrang Monastery, the shown Buddha figures were Sakyamuni, Amitabha of Future Buddha (future-life Buddha), and Tsongkhapa. Only one of these three figures would be demonstrated once three years by turns. After the sutras chanting, the huge Buddha figure would be rolled with golden silk by the Buddhists, and the monks worshipping the Buddha would be excited. This was the highlight of the Buddha demonstrating festival. The Buddha demonstrating platform was surrounded by levels of people. According to the customs of the local Tibetan Buddhists, they would kowtow to the Buddha, hold the prayer wheel or chant the ommani pedmehum in a low voice. Some older people were carried by their families to worship the Buddha. Buddha demonstrating festival was to show the Buddha to the Buddhists in the temple and to worship the Buddha for the believers around the temple.
The teenagers near the Buddha would throw hadas, which more or less would carry cash or coins. Some even touch the edge of the Buddha demonstrating platform with the forehead, to worship the Buddha and the living Buddha. In the external rounds of the people, women and old men were kowtowing to the Buddha from a far distance. At about two o'clock, the people worshipping the Buddha would dismiss, and the Buddhists would carry the scroll of the Buddha figure back to the palace.
"Religion is an integration of faiths and rituals related with the unique and sacred things…such rituals gather the believers in the body of 'church'." Worshipping the Buddha and Buddhists was not only the expression of Tibetan people's religious faith but also their traditional national and cultural custom. In the Tibetan region, it's common to see the elder and the children who would worship the Buddha, chant the sutras, and rotating prayer wheels. For the Tibetan people in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, worshipping the Buddha and Buddhists at any time and anywhere would be a significant component of their daily living mode.
III. Dancing Dharma Assembly and Butter Lantern Show
Dancing Dharma Assembly aimed at praying, conquering demons, and driving out evil spirits. Dancing Dharma Assembly, in the Tibetan language, was called as Qiang-Mu-Qin. The dharma dances of different temples would contain different contents for the different traditions inherited as religious rituals. The dharma dance of Labrang Monastery, basically similar to that of Tashilhunpo Monastery, could be traced back to that of Panchen of the fourth generation. At about 11 a.m., the dharma dance would be started in the plaza in front of the sutras palace. The Buddhists would put on masks and typical performance costumes to play Dharma King, Queen, and Deer, and give out three performances in the solemn dharma music for nearly five hours. The living Buddhas led by the major Jamyang, would sit according to official rank and appreciate in the narthex on the second floor of the Palace Building in front of the temple. The monks and laymen would be in a half-open circle, and the 50 monks in splendid attire would sit orderly on the left side of the Sutras Palace, the dharma leader mastering the whole performance would sit on a wooden chair. The performance place would be in the middle of the circle. The monks to maintain the order would hold a pole that was about 10 meters long to walk along the circle.
The last performance of the dharma dance looked like the rituals to cast out demons to the triangle “Duo-Er-Ma”. The dharma dance leader would guide all dancers and be followed by the guards of Labrang Thirteenth Manor (they were the earliest and most foundational believers in the very beginning of Labrang monastery, living nearby Labrang Monastery. They're the local herdsmen appropriated by Henan Mongolia Prince in Qinghai to Labrang Monastery) in religious believer dressing, sending this Duo-Er-Ma to the remote beach outside of the temple and burning it into pieces with fire. It has borne the meaning of eliminating demons, evils, and ghosts, protecting the temple and believers from danger and trouble, and praying for safety and smoothness in the coming year. With the music of firecrackers and the sounds of Tibetan teenagers, the dharma dance came to an end.
Butter Lantern Show on the night of rural January 15, "Mei-Duo-Que-Jie" in Tibetan, was founded by Tsongkhapa to celebrate the victory of Sakyamuni in the debates with other sects. The Buddhist must keep rubbing the butter with cold water repeatedly, to dye and make exquisite buddhas, animals, plants, and figures, which are large-scale butter flowers to present the stories of Buddhism and sacrifice in front of the Buddha. Butter Lantern Show of Labrang Monastery included seven festive lanterns that were made by Nangqian-the living buddha of Jamyang and the top six study places of the temple. The colorful and beautiful butter flowers were the inheritance of Tibetan Buddhism traditional art and the comparison of butter flower manufacturing workmanship among the Buddhists of the temple. This yearly-held butter lantern show was held in front of the sutras palace. The colorful animal handicrafts were the vitality to the snowy grassland and the sobering to the sleeping land; the exquisite, gentle, and lively Buddhas had met the faith demands of the Tibetan herdsmen deep into the prairie. The devout Buddhists and believers would chant sutras and kowtow by queue until late at night.
Butter Lantern Show at the night on January 15 was the perfect time for the Tibetan teenagers to gather and travel together. The lightened lanterns sparkled in the breeze and dyed the solemn temple with distinguishing colors, while the teenagers went through a stream of people and played overnight without worrying about blame from the family.
IV. Rotate Strong Buddha to Pray for Better Future
Rotating Strong Buddha in rural January 16 is the last event in the large-scale Rural January Dharma Assembly. Qiangba, or Xiangba, is a Tibetan transliteration that refers to Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of the future. Buddha has three life, i.e. previous life, present life, and future life that are divided according to time. In other words, Past Buddha-Dipamkara Buddha is the teacher of Sakyamuni Buddha who practices before becoming Buddha; Present-life Buddha is Shakyamuni Buddha. Future-life Buddha is Maitreya Buddha. As the Buddhist texts say, Maitreya is commanding the whole heavenly palace and may take over the post and responsibilities of Shakyamuni Buddha to educate the mass. Therefore, sometimes Maitreya could be Maitreya Bodhisattva. Therefore, Maitreya Buddha's pictures could be of "Buddha" or "Bodhisattva". Intuitively, his figures could be various. When rotating the Strong Buddha in the Tibetan Buddhism temple, the lifted buddha is the sitting buddha in the cross-legged full-lotus posture. Labrang Monastery, or even many temples of Tibetan Buddhism, bears the custom of rotating Strong Buddha to welcome the appearance of Future Buddha.
Later than eight o’clock in the morning, the people gathering in the plaza in front of the sutras palace became more and more, the whole place was fulfilled with bustling people burning aromatic plants, curling-upwards smokes of aromatic plants, and the rich fragrance of pine. At about 10 o'clock, the monks lifted a big Maitreya buddha and a small one and came out of the Maitreya Palace, followed by the monks wearing yellow cassocks and the Buddhists holding niches for Maitreya Buddhas. The Buddhism music played by the dharma band in full dress rang along the queue, and the Buddhists wearing yellow cockscombs forged ahead around the Maitreya Buddha. The tiger dressed up by the monk would jump along the queue, maintain the order, and make a way among the worshipping people. Therefore, you could imagine how frequently the camera was used and how many photographers there were. Among the crowd, beside the Tibetan people wearing new Tibetan robes were the tourists from foreign lands, the people of Han Nationality mastering local dialects, and the people in Mongolian robes. Seen from the license plates of the cars in the parking lots around the temple, the charm of Tibetan Buddhism culture had attracted tourists from all over the country.
The queue to rotate Strong Buddha would detour Labrang Monastery in a clockwiseway and the Buddhists would stop in the four corners (eastern, southern, western, and northern) to give out small-scale praying activities. Strong Buddha would eventually be put on the sutras platform in front of Dajinwa Buddhism Palace in the middle of the temple, to be worshiped and witnessed by the religious believers. Most of the Tibetan people worshipping the buddha on this day would rotate Prayer Wheel in the prayer, wheel-rotating gallery of Labrang Monastery. Due to the big volume of believers, the long gallery was equipped with more than 200 prayer wheels that had been rotated continuously to create a magnificent scene. When the Buddhist queue moved Strong Buddha back to the Palace of Maitreya Buddha, it meant the ending of the religious activity of this day. In other words, the gathering activity attended by all monks and laymen in the Rural January Dharma Assembly of Labrang Monastery came to an end.
Conclusion
No matter whether it's seen from the version of continuous time or vast space, "Religion", as an objectively-existing fact, has always been the primary feature of mankind's phenomenon. It could be said without exaggeration that: the inhabit of mankind bears religious traces. Determining the manners and customs of a nationality, Religious belief will be the characteristics of ethnic traditional culture and the enhancer of ethnic internal cohesion.
In the history of Zang nationality, the large-scale temples would have integrated politics, economy, culture, and education to be the right core of the unification of the state and the church at different levels and degrees on the vast Tibetan land. As long as you enter the Gannan Tibetan region, you would discover the Tibetan temples scattered all over like stars in the sky. The region where the Tibetan agro-pastoralists inhabit will be equipped with temples at different scales, as well as a mass of retreat houses, and pagodas that are the ritual buildings of Tibetan Buddhism. By 2008, 121 Tibetan Buddhism temples scattered were scattered in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan, 170 living Buddhas, and more than 8000 Buddhist monks and nuns.
Labrang Monastery, as the social and physical form of the spiritual faith of the Mongol people in the Gannan Tibetan area or even the nearby, is not only a religious organization but also a place for the whole believers to conduct religious activities. As one of the top big temples of the Gelug Sect, it has formulated strict regulations and rules for the Buddhists who have lived a life only with "Buddhism, Dharma and Monk" that is isolated from secularity. Labrang, as a significant place for the local Tibetan people to conduct traditional education, has provided a living way that is different from the agricultural and animal husbandry production to the religious believers. The success of some monks in the religious society has inspired a beautiful living prospect for the Tibetan people and driven the devout believers to imitate one another. The monks in the monastery, as a special hierarchy in Tibetan society, have learned and probed into the mass of disciplines of the Buddhism Gelug Sect. As the most important intellectuals among the Tibetan people, they have inherited and spread the traditional national culture and been worshiped and respected by the surrounding believers, having an important influence on the farmers and herdsmen nearby. Based on the shared national religious culture, the monastery has promoted the cohesion of the local Tibetan people and spread the traditional national customs and culture with Tibetan Buddhism as the core.
With Tibetan Buddhism culture as the core, the custom culture has permeated and affected the people in the region with materials, cultures, etiquette, and festivals. As a result, the people in such an environment, have been affected by the trifles in daily production and life and formed up a set of values and concepts that supplement harmoniously and consistently in economic behaviors, family life, religious rites, and political tendency, as well as achieving the intergenerational transmission through the family internal words and deeds. The manifestation in the external form is the consistency of the individual in such regions in the behavioral pattern, thinking mode, and cultural psychology. For everyone that has been born, grown up, and lived here, the local customs have well integrated with daily life, therefore, they could master well and continuously regulate their behaviors under the guidance of shared religious belief and life, to better adapt to the group living.
The large-scale religious activities like the Rural January Dharma Assembly, not only met the religious feelings of the religious believers, but also made the core of Tibetan Buddhism culture help the Tibetan customs and culture to spread, or even dye the life of Tibetan people at all aspects.
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