A Comparative Study Of Dunhuang Bianwen And Hexi Baojuan

Dunhuang Bianwen is a kind of folk rap literature that flourished in the late Tang and Five Dynasties and early Song Dynasty,while Hexi Baojuan was a folk rap literature that developed in the Southern Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Due to their chronological formation,similar genres,and the same Hexi culture,most scholars believe that they have deep roots and have a direct inheritance relationship,but some scholars also hold objections.Dunhuang Bianwen and Hexi Baojuan both have obvious "stylized" features in the style structure.At the same time,it also has the characteristics of combining rhyme in the narrative.They have a high similarity in stylistic structure.From the perspective of subject matter,the Dunhuang Bianwen are mainly Buddhist.There are also many Buddhism-related themes in Hexi Baojuan,but in terms of conten,they are not directly related to Buddhism,but used by folk religions to promote their own doctrines.Therefore,these texts,which scholars call Buddhist treasures,should actually be folk religious Baojuan.The most important theme of Hexi scroll is the secular theme,which is much broader than the Dunhuang Bianwen.The Dunhuang Bianwen and Hexi Baojuan have religious thoughts such as “retribution for cause and effect” and “Hell suffering”.However,the Dunhuang Bianwen is supported by Buddhism,while the Hexi Baojuan promotes folk religious thoughts and secular ethics.In addition,folk religious thoughts such as "No Birth Mother" and "Vacuum Hometown" are also absent from Dunhuang Bianwen.There are more papers in Hexi Baojuan to promote the secular family ethics.The performers and authors of Dunhuang Bianwen are mainly monks,and the performance venues are mainly Buddhist temples.The authors and performers of Hexi Baojuan should mainly be priests and believers of folk religions,and the performance venues are mostly in folk religious dojos or believers' homes.Folk artists with a certain cultural level are the main authors and performers of Hexi Baojuan.Communities and families should be the most important places for such activities.The Dunhuang Bianwen serve mainly Buddhist beliefs,while the Hexi Baojuan serve various folk religions.This is the biggest difference between the two in their religious role.Both the role of persuasion and entertainment are provided by both,but the Dunhuang Bianwen more relies on the form of religion,which is basically Buddhist,and the form of Hexi Baojuan is more colorful and closer to people's lives.Based on the comparison of the above aspects,it is concluded that there is no direct inheritance relationship between Dunhuang Bianwen and Hexi Baojuan.