During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Buddhism was introduced to the Central Plains from the Western Regions through Tianzhu, deducing a magnificent chapter in the eastward spread of Buddhism. However, in this wave of eastward circulation, a striking phenomenon has emerged - the eastward expansion of the grottoes.
In the eighth year of Yuanxi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (412), the king of Beiliang, Fuqu Mengxun, moved the capital to Guzang (now Wuwei City, Gansu). He not only financed the translation of Buddhist scriptures, but also vigorously built monasteries. He was a visionary and recognized that stone was stronger and more durable than traditional civil construction. So, fifty kilometers south of the city, he decided to dig a grotto and shape a Buddha statue to ensure the permanent preservation of the Buddha.
The Xiongnu-born Northern Liang monarch may not have realized that his decision had become the foundation of China's grotto-building – the royal model. The two most important grottoes in history, the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Shanxi Province and the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan, relied on the vigorous promotion of the royal family to usher in the heyday of grotto construction.
Liangzhou Tianti Mountain Grottoes: Behind the honor of the originator of the grottoes.
The excavation of the Tiantai Mountain Grottoes immediately attracted the attention of the Buddhist circles and attracted the monks of the Western Regions to come one after another. These monks taught Buddhism and translated Buddhist scriptures in Liangzhou, which made the Tiantai Mountain Grottoes famous. However, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty conquered Northern Liang in June of the seventh year of Yonghe (439), ending the prosperity of the Hexi region for more than 140 years.
Tuoba Tao moved 3,000 monks from Guzang to Pingcheng (now Datong, Shanxi), who were the builders of the Tianti Mountain Grottoes in Liangzhou. They became the backbone of the Northern Wei Dynasty's construction of Pingcheng and Yungang Grottoes. According to the records of the Book of Wei Shi Lao Zhi and the Book of Wei Shi Zu Ji, the Liangzhou monk Shixian served as the Taoist leader in Pingcheng and proposed and presided over the study of the imperial Buddhist stone statue in 452.
In 460, Shixian died, and the Liangzhou monk Tan Yao took over, and the diverter was unified as Shamentong, and continued to preside over the statue work. It took him only a few years to complete the construction of the representative work of Yungang Grottoes, "Tanyao Five Caves", of which the fifth cave Buddha has become the most magnificent statue in Yungang Grottoes. Later, the Yungang Grottoes experienced generations of excavation, becoming one of the largest grottoes in China, carved magnificently, the crown of the grottoes in the country.
Yungang Grottoes: An opportunity for the sinicization of grotto art.
The Yungang Grottoes mark the beginning of the "sinicization" of grotto art. In the middle period, the grottoes appeared in the carvings of Chinese palace architecture, and the Chinese-style Buddha niches developed on this basis. The layout and decoration of the cave chambers in the later period of Yungang Grottoes highlight the strong Chinese style of construction and decoration, reflecting the deepening of the "sinicization" of Buddhism.
Before Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang in the eighteenth year (494), the monks and craftsmen of Liangzhou completed the most important project of the Yungang Grottoes. After Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang, the Longmen Grottoes ushered in a vigorous development. After the successive construction of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Northern Qi Dynasty, the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Longmen Grottoes have become a large-scale grotto group.
With the relocation of the capital of Emperor Xiaowen, a group of eunuchs, monks and craftsmen entered the Hexi Corridor again. They made the grotto statues with the Han style of the Central Plains become popular in Dunhuang, and made Dunhuang another Hexi Buddhist center after Liangzhou, and the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang developed and flourished during this period.
Buddhist Grottoes: Witnesses of the Road to the East.
Although the Tianti Mountain Grottoes are not included in the four major grottoes in China, it is known as the "originator of grottoes" in China because of its far-reaching influence on Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and Mogao Grottoes. The Buddhist grottoes are not only a springboard for the eastward spread of Buddhism, but also a microcosm of the continuous sinicization and secularization of Buddhism.
The Buddhist grottoes gradually moved eastward, digging from Liangzhou all the way to the east, including the Sumeru Mountain Grottoes in Ningxia, the Maijishan Grottoes in Gansu, and the Yungang Grottoes in Datong. Eventually, it penetrated deep into the Central Plains to the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, where these tall and majestic cave Buddha statues greatly contributed to the spread of Buddhism in Han China.
Overall, the Buddhist caves are both witnesses of the transmission of the Dharma and miracles of the road to the east. These exquisitely sculpted and large-scale Buddha statues, created by monks and craftsmen in Liangzhou, have built the magnificent splendor of Chinese cave art.
The inheritance of the Buddhist grottoes has been profoundly and thoroughly elaborated in this article, especially the Liangzhou Tianti Mountain Grottoes as a starting point, unfolding a rich and magnificent historical picture. Through the vivid depiction of historical events, the author gives readers a clearer understanding of this journey of spreading Buddhism to the East.
First of all, the article emphasizes the importance of the eastward expansion of the grottoes, especially the excavation of the Tianti Mountain Grottoes in Liangzhou, which became the foundation of China's grotto construction. In the process, the author describes in detail the decision-making process of the Northern Liang king, Fuqu Mengxun, thus demonstrating his unique insight into the spread of Buddhism. This method of propaganda using the grottoes as a vehicle not only allowed Buddhism to flourish in the local area, but also laid the foundation for the later royal model.
Secondly, the article focuses on the efforts of the builders of the Tiantai Mountain Grottoes, such as monks such as Shixian and Tan Yao, as well as craftsmen. This group plays a vital role in the transmission of Buddhism, providing solid support for the spread of Buddhism through activities such as translating Buddhist scriptures and sculpting Buddha statues. Their efforts were not only recognized in Liangzhou, but also played a key role in the construction of Pingcheng and Yungang Grottoes during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
When narrating the history, the article highlights the special status of the Yungang Grottoes, marking the beginning of the "sinicization" of grotto art. The detailed description of the architectural style and carving art of the middle and late period of the grottoes enables readers to have a deeper understanding of the uniqueness of the Yungang Grottoes. The development of Yungang Grottoes is not only an innovation in an art form, but also a concrete embodiment of the "sinicization" of Buddhism, which is fully presented in the article.
Finally, the article focuses on the entire process of the eastward expansion of the Buddhist grottoes, from Liangzhou to Luoyang, and then to Dunhuang, forming a grand map of the eastward transmission. In the process, the builders of the grottoes left magnificent Buddha statues belonging to their respective eras in different regions, which promoted the spread of Buddhism in Han China. The article skillfully uses historical records to present a journey of Buddhist inheritance across time and space.
Overall, this article profoundly presents a magnificent picture of the history of Buddhism in the eastward spread of Buddhism in China through a vivid narrative of the history of the transmission of Buddhist grottoes. The author uses delicate descriptions and specific historical facts to present readers with a unique and rich journey of cultural inheritance.
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