蒙元時期河西地區的文殊信仰初探 - 以出土文物為中心=A Preliminary Study on the Manjusri Belief of the Hexi Region in the Yuan Dynasty - Based on Evidence of Unearthed Cultural Relics
In the Mongolian-ruled Yuan dynasty, the ruling class set a good example for believing in Buddhism, which in the Hexi Region strengthened belief in Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom. The growth of this belief is evident from various activities such as the translation and collation of scriptures on Manjusri, the renovation of Buddhist caves and murals, and engravings of tablet inscriptions. There are three reasons underlying the popularity of Manjusri belief in the region. First, the nature of Manju sri belief, a central tenet of which was that faithful practice would be able to protect both the country and the people from harm, not only met the spiritual demands of people who sought religious protection, but also met the political needs of the rulers who sought ideological tools with which to cement the legitimacy of their power. Secondly, it was promoted by the Han-Tibetan system of Buddhism already present in the Yuan dynasty. Finally, Manjusri belief was influenced by the ethnic blending and mutual cultural learning between the ethnic groups that had been coexisting in Hexi since the Later Tang and Five Dynasties periods.
