The Vairocana Buddha image is a special dharma-realm renzhong statue of Huayan ones. This paper will compare the images found in Dunhuang and Central China to analyze the characteristics and meanings of the Vairocana Buddha images in the Ah-ai Grottos. In addition, the relationships between the Vairocana and other images depicted in the cave are also discussed. This article argues that the Vairocana Buddha who manifests all sentient beings in the dharma-realm inside of Himself embodies the dharma-realm essence of the dharmakāya of Vairocana expounded in the Huayan Sutra. Despite some Han-style wall paintings in the Ah-ai Grottos, the Vairocana images show some local Xinjiang flavors such as Khotan and Kuche. The traditions of incorporating all sentient beings within the Buddha image in Kuche and Kizil as well as the wild horse which represents the essence of prajña were followed while the sun and moon as the symbols of wisdom in Khotan were changed into a drum and a bell. The phenomenon described above suggests how the designer of the caves perceived the dharmakāya concept of Vairocona Buddha. The development of the dharmakāya concept as seen from the dharmacloud stage of Bodhisattva explicated in the Da?abhūmik to the world and sea of lotus-garbha, is connected to the prajña essence of the freedom/omnipotence anavrti dharmakāya. Based on the concept of dharmakāya, the Vairovana Buddha in the Ah-ai Grottos further develops the meaning of dharmakāya with the prajña essence that encompasses all dharma-realm. Furthermore, the Bodhisattva Nianfo samadhi was expanded into the Pure Lands of the Ten directions with the concept of the Buddhas of the Ten directions. Hence, to emerge in the Western Pure Land of the main wall through practice and wisdom, and ,eventually in the Ten Directions, is then possible. In other words, this reveals that under the matured Huayan context during the Tang Dynasty, the dharmakāya of Vairocana Buddha evolved from the Bodhisattva Nianfo samadhi into the state of Buddha. At the same time, the situation of Bhaisajyaguru acting as a bridge to connect to the Tantric Bodhisattvas sets up a foundation for the later Yulin Cave 25 where we see the development of Vairocana Buddha with a Eight Bodhisattva Ma??ala.
