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The Significance Of Dunhuang Iconography From The Perspective Of Buddhist Philosophy: A Study Mainly Based On Cave 45 |
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| Author |
Lok, Wai-ying (著)=駱慧瑛 (au.)
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| Date | 2012.01 |
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| Pages | 425 |
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| Publisher | University of Hong Kong |
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| Publisher Url |
https://www.hku.hk/
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| Location | Hong Kong [香港] |
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| Content type | 博碩士論文=Thesis and Dissertation |
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| Language | 英文=English |
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| Degree | doctor |
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| Institution | University of Hong Kong |
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| Department | Buddhist Studies |
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| Advisor | Bhante Professor K. L. Dhammajoti; Venerable Dr. Jing Yin; Professor Y. Karunadasa |
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| Abstract | This study explores the significance of Dunhuang 敦煌 iconography from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy. The time span of the Dunhuang iconography of the Grottoes runs from the 4th to the 14th centuries. This wide coverage makes it extremely valuable for revealing the developments in art, history, culture, and religious activities in China, and neighbouring regions along the Silk Road. Most scholars have approached the Dunhuang Grottoes from the perspectives of art, history, or archaeology. However, studying the Dunhuang Grottoes from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy has remained under-researched, and therefore, less exhaustively dealt with. It is in Dunhuang Mogao 莫高 Cave 45 that one can see the most well preserved Buddha statue group, and the only Guanyin Sūtra 觀音經, i. e. the Chapter of the Universal Gateway of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva 普門品 from the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra 妙法蓮華經, painted on one entire wall. This dual association has rendered Cave 45 the most ideal source for this research. In this research, Buddhist iconography will be studied in the light of Buddhist philosophy. The study also takes into account triangulation of data collected through various sources, namely: (1) Field trips in Dunhuang and related areas for primary data collection; (2) Image analyses of data collected from primary and secondary sources; (3) Verification of data in the light of both ancient and modern Buddhist literature. The research will be focused on identifying Buddhist philosophy from the mural paintings of the Guanyin Sūtra and on the conceptualized understanding of the material as presented in the paintings. The causes of suffering will be identified after examining the thirty-three manifestations / appearances of Avalokiteśvara as depicted here. The scenes of various desires as identified and conceptualized in the mural painting of the Cave 45 will also be studied. The Buddha statue in the centre of the statue group portrays cessation of suffering. The statues of bodhisattvas and disciples along both sides, with different facial expressions and body gestures, portray the different levels of cessation of suffering, all leading to ultimate awakening and full emancipation. In this connection, the missing pair of statues in the statue
group will also be explored and identified. It is true that Dunhuang iconography, as exemplified through Cave 45, can be approached from many perspectives. However, the primary objective of this study is to show that the
Dunhuang iconography is designed as an artistic portrayal of the fundamental teachings of Buddhism. |
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| DOI | 10.5353/th_b4819932 |
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| Hits | 251 |
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| Created date | 2023.03.01 |
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| Modified date | 2023.03.01 |
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