On the evening of April 10, 2022, the "Series of Lectures on Antiquities and Art History" sponsored by the School of Art and Humanities of China Academy of Art and the Jinshi Literature and Artifacts Research Center was held online, and Professor Sha Wutian of the School of History and Culture of Shaanxi Normal University was invited to give a speech entitled "Cave Space Image: Exploration of the Dragon Body Pattern of the Fengshou Of xixia Zaojing in Cave 400 of Mogao Grottoes". The lecture was presided over by Associate Professor Zhang Shubin of the School of Arts and Humanities of china Academy of Art, and Professor Kong Lingwei, Vice Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities of China Academy of Art, Associate Professor Zhang Jianyu, Deputy Director of the Institute of Buddhist Art of Chinese Min University, and Associate Professor Chang Honghong of Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts were invited as guests.
Professor Sha Takeda's lecture, starting from the unique image of the phoenix-headed dragon body of Mogao Cave 400 Cave Inoi in The Western Xia, explored and explained the problems related to the space of the cave and the decorative pattern caused by it, and also paid attention to the history, culture, ideology and religious beliefs behind this image.
At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Sha pointed out that there were three research backgrounds. First, the late Dunhuang grottoes are the hot spots, focal points and bottlenecks in Dunhuang research. Its core questions, such as how to understand the "theological reconstruction" of Buddhist art in the context of the interaction of multi-ethnic art in song, Western Xia, Liao, Jin, Uighur and Tibetan in the 11th-13th centuries? In the context of "Reconstruction of the Divine System", how to identify the mural art of the late Cao clan of Dunhuang' Gui rebel army, the Shazhou Uighurs, and the Western Xia (Yuan) era? What is the manifestation of the influence of Indian Buddhist art in Dunhuang under the background of a new round of Dharma-seeking during the Song and Xia dynasties? How to understand the "Sino-Tibetan art" under the influence of Tibetan Buddhism and the new era of art it brings?
Mogao Caves Cave 368 top Western Xia decorative pattern
The main room of Cave 151 of Mogao Caves is repainted with murals in Western Xia
The face of Western Xia art is very complex, often there are some stylized grotto murals, in addition to complex plots, many characters, precise composition of prints, and Mogao Caves No. 465 caves such as a very representative, with a unique style of the times. In the context of "reconstruction of the divine system", the Artistic Styles of Western Xia are diverse and coexist in diversity, which is the basic appearance and artistic characteristics of Western Xia art, which is the characteristics of Western Xia in the true sense, which also reflects its artistic outlook under the integration of secrets and Sino-Tibetan circles.
The face of Western Xia Buddhist art in the context of the harmony of The Secrets and the Harmony of Han and Tibet
Since the 1960s, the Western Xia Caves have entered the research field of the academic circles, bringing great visual impact, but the study of the Western Xia Caves is quite unpopular in the Dunhuang academic circles. Even in the combing works of Dunhuang art history, they are often brushed over, or only cursory narration, and it is difficult to glimpse the true meaning of Western Xia art. The current situation of art history research in Western Xia is related to the overall environment of the study of Western Xia history. The Yuan people did not revise the history of Western Xia, resulting in Western Xia becoming a kingdom of annihilation. It wasn't until the blackwater city artwork was discovered that people gradually came to know the kingdom. Today, Western Xia studies are booming, but art history research is still insufficient. Only in the circle of Tibetan art history can we start from a relatively objective history and greatly promote the understanding of the history of Western Xia art, but the pure history of Tibetan art still cannot solve the soul and spirit of Western Xia art history. The grotto art of the Western Xia in the late Dunhuang period is a kind of art with a "thick background", rather than a single line. Ignoring this also trivializes the complexity of Western Xia Buddhism, which ultimately makes the cave paintings a historical image misled by historical appearances. The concept of "Sino-Tibetan art" is the key and key to interpreting the art of the Western Xia.
The second is the proposal of new research methods, that is, a new perspective on the study of grotto "space". Zhang Jianyu's "Research on spatial representation of Han and Tang Art" provides a very good example, and Wu Hong's latest publication "Dunhuang of Space" has a huge role in promoting the spatial research of Dunhuang.
Third, the study of cave mural patterns has entered a new era. The Dunhuang Grottoes contain a vast sea of patterns and patterns, and there are not many special studies, and the depth is not enough, so there is a large space for thinking.
Mogao Cave 400 Cave Top Algae Fengshou Dragon Body Lotus Pattern
Cave 400 of Mogao Caves is a typical late Dunhuang grotto, the middle of the cave roof is a moi, surrounded by geometric patterns, tuan patterns and other decorative effects, and the phoenix head dragon body pattern in the center of the algae well is quite unique, which is only seen in the Dunhuang Grottoes. Western Xia historians such as Shi Jinbo, Yue Jian, Chen Wei, and Li Yufeng all paid attention to this pattern, and mostly associated the dragon phoenix and its related images with the western Xia imperial politics. However, Professor Sha believes that Buddhist cave paintings have their own artistic paths of development, as well as the role and dominance of religious ideas, and are not all affected by real social politics. Although "taking pictures to prove history" is the basic idea of academic research, it is not possible to study all images in this framework. On the other hand, for a long time, the academic community has simplified the pattern of the five generations of Song Cao's return to the rebel army, the Shazhou Uighurs, the popular chess grid patterns in the cave roof of the western Xia period, and a large number of geometric patterns and various types of tangled branches. If you think carefully, as an image of the location of the well center of the cave, from the perspective of the architectural space of the cave, it belongs to the concentration point of the cave roof, and it is the highest point of the cave, which must be a visual focus point in the cave. But at the same time, as the highest point, its viewing in the cave is limited by height, angle and light, and it is also the most difficult place when painting in the cave. Even if the work in this position is designed as a decorative pattern, it must have its own special features and its special design ideas. In the Dunhuang Grottoes, the image of the phoenix-headed dragon body did not become popular, and cave 400 is only found in the material, which strongly suggests the deep historical and religious meaning behind the pattern.
Originally believed to belong to the Western Xia, it was actually the 16th cave of the Mogao Caves in the late Song Dynasty of the Rebel Army
The 130th cave of mogao cave repainted during the Cao Zongshou period
Cao Yijin "Great King Cave" Mogao Cave No. 98 Cave Zaojing, 914-925 years
Lady Cao Yijin Uighur Princess Gongde Cave No. 100 Cave Zaojing
In the caves of the Five Dynasties Song Cao clan and the Uighur caves of Shazhou, there are many algae wells painted with dragon and phoenix patterns, such as the 16th, 130th, 98th and 100th caves of Mogao Caves. On the basis of the statistics of the existing image data, combined with the existing pattern research, it can be seen that Tuanlong and Longfeng Algae Well were quite popular during the Song Dynasty of the Cao Dynasty and the Uighur Period of the Cao Dynasty, and continued to the Shazhou Uighur Period and the Western Xia Period. As Discussed by Kwan Youhui, Tuanlong, Tuanfeng, and Longfeng were more popular during the reign of the Cao rebels for nearly a hundred years, and the forms and combinations in the caves were not the same. Therefore, it can be considered that the similar patterns appeared in the Uighurs and the Western Xia Caves after the return to the Rebel Army, which is largely a continuation of the patterns of the Cao's return to the Rebel Army, which is also the basic phenomenon of the theme, style and artistic style of the Murals of the Western Xia Caves. Discussing the source of the picture of the dragon and phoenix pattern in the Western Xia period and the historical reasons for its appearance, it is necessary to realize that this image is not an original work of the Western Xia, but is inherited from itself, and belongs to the tradition of returning to the rebel army due to the Cao clan, so the view of linking this dragon and phoenix image with the Western Xia royal family and the politics of the Western Xia is not necessarily accurate.
As far as Cave 400 of Mogao Caves is concerned, although there are two different era judgments in the current academic circles, from a series of discussions on the construction of the Xixia Caves in Mogao Caves in recent years, it should belong to the Western Xia Caves. Its characteristics such as the absence of the portrait of the donor in the cave, the artistic style, image style, and combination relationship of the cave murals, including the recurrence of the pure land change, the three-way combination of the pure land change on the east wall of the main room, the unique style of the warp painting in the west niche and the north and south sides of the niche that together constitute the combination of painting and sculpture, and the way and method of the unique idea of a large lotus flower representing the statue of the lord in the niche are the common themes and styles of the Han chuan caves in the Mogao Caves in the Western Xia Period.
The dragon and phoenix motifs of Cave 400 of Mogao Caves can be traced back to Cave 401 of the Sui Dynasty and Cave 392 of the Tang Dynasty, the former is closer to a kind of auspicious image, but it is already in the form of a dragon and phoenix algae well pattern. Images of dragons and phoenixes can also be seen in the Yungang Grottoes of northern Wei, and images of tuanlong can often be seen in their patios. In the tombs of the fourth and fifth centuries of Goguryeo, the dragon pattern algae well can also be seen. This suggests that we should study these patterns with a broader perspective.
Mogao Cave No. 401 Cave Zaojing, Sui Dynasty
Mogao Caves Cave 392 Zaojing, Chu Tang Dynasty
The arch patio of Cave 12 of Yungang Grottoes
Jilin Ji'an Donggou Ancient Tomb Group Yushan Tomb Area Central Five Helmets Tomb No. 4 Tomb Dou Sizao Well Four Dragon Well Heart (Goguryeo, 4th century)
In general, the dragon and phoenix images are more combined with Xiangrui in historical and secular life, mainly showing the noble morality of the emperor and the clarity of politics, and do not strictly emphasize the supremacy of imperial power.
After combing through the source of the dragon and phoenix pattern, Teacher Sha further pointed out the necessity of observing the overall space of the cave. Previous studies have only discussed the moi pattern separately, and have not taken into account that the pattern is an organic component of the overall image of the cave, so that the moi image is isolated, so the result of the discussion is one-sided.
The west niche of Cave 400 of Mogao Caves
When the study expands to the internal spatial structure of the entire cave, several problems are found. First of all, the inner and outer paintings and sculptures of the west niches are combined to form a complete pure land warp painting. The lotus flower under the niche is a pedestal that supports all the statues inside the niche. Second, there is also a rare picture of the Pure Land Transformation of the Five Buddhas at the top of the niche, which may be the result of the development of the Five Buddhas to the Western Xia Period, which is expressed in the form of sutra paintings. Third, the east wall warp painting has a unique interpretation of the cave space, the door breaks the image world of the pure land change, and people enter the cave from the outside, that is, they cross the pure land to the cave world. This structure is already present in the 159th Cave vimalaya sutra of the Middle Tang Dynasty, and the cave gate is a city gate where Vishnu leaves the city, implying that through this gate one is to go to the world of Myoki.
Painting of the east wall of Cave 400 of Mogao Caves (yongdao in the middle)
Mogao Cave Cave 159 East Wall Vimal Sutra Transformation (the middle is the entrance and exit yongdao)
Combined with the previous discussion of the theme of the cave transformation painting, it can be seen that in the 400th cave, the entire cave is composed of a combination of multi-paved pure land transformation, forming a complex and complete pure land world as a whole. The lower parts of the four walls of the cave are arranged in a circle in the form of offering bodhisattvas and potted flowers inside the gate, which also forms a complete spatial offering relationship, which obviously emphasizes the solemnity of the Pure Land World. Therefore, the pure land space of the whole cave of Cave 400 is very meaningful, and the decoration of the chess group flowers on the top of the cave should also be part of the pure land world created, and the choice of the moi pattern must also serve the pure land world thought, which is the embodiment of the pure land past life belief and the soul ascension thought.
Return to the spatial significance of the cave algae well. As one of the ancient Chinese architectural structures, the moi is located at the top, and the top symbolizes the sky. In the concept of the ancients, there is the traditional philosophical idea of "using water to overcome fire", and its design is embodied in the algae well of the temple, often matched with the pattern of algae aquatic plants such as lotus, diamond and lotus, so as to achieve the purpose of fighting fire. Most of the algae wells seen in the Dunhuang Caves are based on lotuses or tuanhua as the center of the well, and the lotus flowers or tuanhua appear in the water, and the Pingqi Algae Well Lotus in Cave 428 of the Northern Zhou of mogao Grottoes and the metaplasia in water, including the various types of dragon and phoenix pattern wells discussed today, also appear in the lotus flowers, and the lotus flowers are also located in the water, in line with the original meaning of the algae wells.
Zhao Yanlin, a young scholar of the Dunhuang Research Institute, said in the "Three Circles and Three Squares" Cosmic Model in the Early Grottoes of Dunhuang: "The three circles and three square algae well patterns in the early grottoes of Dunhuang should be an application or simulation of the three circles and three square universe models formed since the pre-Qin Dynasty, and it is also an expression of Buddhist thought, which is the product of the combination of Buddhism and Traditional Chinese culture and art", which embodies the connection between traditional Chinese cosmology and Buddhist cosmology. The "three circles and three parties" universe theory and model since the pre-Qin Dynasty have been displayed in the form of images in the Dunhuang Cave Algae Well, which has an important enlightenment for us to understand the spatial thought and humanistic philosophy concept of the Cave Algae Well. Although the cave is small, it is the core of the grotto to express the cosmic space, and the basic characteristics of the complexity of the cave moi pattern, the multiplicity of the structure, the combination of square circles and so on, are actually the basic interpretations of the ancients on "heaven" and "universe".
In addition, according to the research of the Japanese scholar Yoshimura, the lotus flower at the top of the cave is the sky of the Buddhist Pure Land, and the lotus flower expresses the idea of the birth of the hope of being born into the Pure Land, which is a symbol of life and a symbol of light. The appearance of the lotus flower in the Buddhist image naturally has its Buddhist significance, and its appearance at the top of the cave is in line with the traditional thinking of the Central Plains. It can be seen that the ancients had sufficient theoretical and cultural basis when designing patterns. It can be seen that any image that appears in the center of the cave is worth further in-depth thinking and exploration.
The study of Cave 361 of the Mogao Caves by Zhao Xiaoxing, a researcher at the Dunhuang Research Institute, combines the image of the cave roof with the image of the twelve days, which further shows that the spatial problems inside the grotto are quite complex. On the whole, no matter how the cave algae well changes, even the most common types of lotus flowers and tuanhua well hearts, the core idea of presenting the concept of cave space should be unified, which is also the core idea of understanding the redrawn cave algae image of the cave in the Western Xia period, including cave 400.
Mural on the top of Cave 361 of Mogao Caves
After discussing the spatial problem of the algae well, Professor Sha proposed another research perspective, that is, the microscopic observation and practical significance of the well center image. The image of the phoenix-headed dragon body of cave 400 is not only to see the common dragon pattern characteristics around the two dragons, but also to see that this is the pattern of the well core group as a whole. The point here is that the Erlong is only an integral part of the well-centered flower, rather than a separate image of the Erlong, which also includes four clusters of flowers at the four corners of the square well-centered flower. By the time of the Five Dynasties of song and cao's return to the rebel army, although Tuanlong, Tuanfeng or Longfeng Jingxin's algae wells were more popular, their dragon and phoenix images were still an organic part of various styles of lotus flowers and Tuanhua, and there were few cases of dragon and phoenix diagrams appearing independently in the center of the well. Even in the Uighur period, such as the 310th, 207th, 245th and other caves in the algae well, the tuanlong was not in the center of the lotus flower or the tuanhua, considering that it was surrounded by lotus flowers or tuanhua, this type of tuanlong was still a dragon in the flower, and still belonged to the result of the development and change of the traditional flower well.
Therefore, the Tuanlong, Tuanfeng, and Dragon Phoenix patterns that appeared in the center of the Well of The Five Dynasties song dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty still belong to the common patterns that express "fighting fire with water", such as the auxiliary or collocation of lotus flowers and tuanhua in water. The lotus flower and the tuanhua as a variation of the lotus flower, as well as various other kinds of flowers, represent the image of water used to fight fire, which is the core element of the decoration of the Aoi building. At the same time, the lotus flower is also the symbol of the Pure Land of Buddhism and the only way for Buddhism to pass on, so the appearance of lotus flowers and tuanhua in the position of the algae well is also the need for the rebirth of the Pure Land. Mr. Chang Shana pointed out that in the Buddhist grottoes, the lotus flower pattern is a symbol of holy light, believing that the human soul can be regenerated from the lotus flower and enter the Western paradise world. The dragon main water, which is auspicious and sacred, is combined with the lotus flower that symbolizes water and the buddhist pure land, and at the same time appears at the top of the cave to express the ancients' conceptualization of the celestial realm and the universe, which is the inevitable result of the influence of multiple cultures.
Inspired by the Li BaYuanlai Grottoes of the Jin Dynasty in northern Shaanxi at the same time as Cave 400, Professor Sha believes that the cave images are related to the introduction of past lives. Located in a group of Songjin grottoes in Xiasiwan Town, Ganquan County, northern Shaanxi, the Li Ba Qiao Lao Grottoes are the remains of a rare Buddhist fistula. The pattern on the flat roof of the middle and back chambers of the cave should be consistent with the nature of the cave burials, and the image of the Arhat has the meaning of past life. There are images of celestial beings and other images at the top of the cave, and in addition to the common symbols of auspiciousness and wealth, peonies, lotuses, partridges, baoxiang flowers, and Jialing pinjia birds also hint at the common celestial charts in the top of the tomb. The three-layer circular structure of the algae well, which is similar to the roof of the bucket, and the outer box of the outer layer constitute a three-dimensional space, which can also be regarded as the change and development of the cosmic model of the "three circles and three sides" of the early caves in Dunhuang, and this spatial sense of the algae well eventually points to the Buddha kingdom in the sky. This means of expressing spatial structure became almost common practice in caves of the Ming and Qing dynasties in northern Shaanxi.
As a representative of the Songjin Grottoes, the patterns that appear on the top of the caves once again strengthen our understanding of the functionality of the cave top patterns, so the images of the Dragon and Phoenix Algae Wells that appeared in the Song and Xia dynasties like the 400th Cave of mogao Caves are closely related to the rebirth of the Pure Land and the connection of the soul.
The Li Ba Xi Lao Grottoes
Pattern of the top of the back chamber of the Li Ba YuanLai Grotto
Western Xia rebuilt the 14th cave of Yulin Cave
Another phenomenon that appears in the Yulin Cave also hints at the meaning of the introduction of past lives, that is, hanging banners. As the most common offering of Buddhism, a very important function of the banner is to receive the introduction of past lives, and the roof of the cave in the 14th cave of Yulin Cave is full of banners, and the meaning of the introduction is very strong, and the same is true of the immortals who hold the long banner in the 32nd cave of Yulin Cave. Returning to the dragon pattern of Goguryeo, its connotation is the same as that of the dragon in the mural of the Northern Qi tomb of Jiuyuangang, which is intended to attract the soul to ascend to heaven. In general, cave 400 Phoenix Head Dragon Body Algae Well, like other dragon and phoenix algae wells that appeared in this period, have the idea of expressing the pure land rebirth and the ascension of the soul into heaven.
At the end of the lecture, Teacher Sha also mentioned the protector of the World Protector's thoughts of the Dragon Phoenix Algae Well. In the Liao Dynasty, the late 1052 Fa thought trend was popular, and this trend of thought also spread to Dunhuang along with the close relationship between the Cao clan and the Liao of the Guiyi Army, and the cave construction was affected by the last Law, and this influence was also manifested in some grottoes, such as cave 29 and other caves, such as caves such as Cave 29, which appeared on the East Wall Gate to show the ten immortal images of the source of the Thousand Buddhas.
An image of the fresco of Cave 29, which represents the end of the Fa
The dragon of the main room of the 25th cave of Yulin Cave Maitreya is transformed into a protector of the Fa
In the Last Dharma, the dragon is also associated with Buddhism. In the Buddhist scriptures, the Dragon Clan has a unique role in supporting the festival and guarding the scriptures. In the Maitreya Sutra of Cave 25 of Yulin Cave, there is a picture of a dragon guarding the hidden treasure, and the dragon here is the dragon that protects the Dharma. Because the dragon has the function of guarding the Heavenly Palace and guarding the ambush, it was later absorbed by Buddhism as one of the eight protectors, and because the heavenly people and the dragon people are the most important, they are called the eight parts of the heavenly dragon. The prevalence of the Idea of the End of the Fa is often closely related to the idea of the Protector, and the characteristics presented by the Dragon Clan are very consistent with the desire of the believers for the Elements of the Protector in the context of the End Law.
In this lecture, Professor Sha took Cave 400 of Mogao Caves as an example to expound his new understanding and understanding of the images of Tuanlong, Tuanfeng and Longfengzaojing that appeared in the Dunhuang Grottoes in the Western Xia Period. On the one hand, this image closely revolves around the core idea of "fighting fire with water" in the traditional Chinese architectural concept; at the same time, it is also an important part of the Buddhist pure land space, which is closely related to the concept of pure land rebirth. The complex historical pulsation relationship between the appearance of such decorative patterns in the caves and their development and evolution inspires us to think more deeply about the Dunhuang Xixia Grottoes.
During the guest and discussion session, Professor Kong Lingwei showed great interest in some of the concepts proposed in the lecture, such as "Sino-Tibetan Art" and "Space Art". He believes that Professor Sha's methods and ideas that integrate cutting-edge research and apply them to his own research are very wonderful, and the lectures present general issues in art history, such as the mutation, reproduction and dissemination of images, and the problem of image evidence history. This is an open lecture, and the speaker does not make up his mind about the meaning of the pattern of the phoenix head dragon body algae well, but provides the audience with a considerable amount of information and leaves a lot of room for thinking. In addition, Professor Kong paid attention to the fact that many of the murals in the Western Xia, Five Dynasties and Liao dynasties are green, does this represent a characteristic of the times? Why is the green substrate used heavily? Teacher Sha responded that at present, green murals are commonly used in the staging of late Dunhuang murals, and they are also valued by the academic community. Green may also show the feeling of pure land in the water, and may also be related to pigments. There are also some murals with red bases in the Uighur period, which may also be related to buddhist choices.
Associate Professor Zhang Jianyu understands the lecture from two levels. First of all, as far as the research objects are concerned, the pattern of the 400th Cave Fengshou Dragon Body Mooi can be put into the case study of the cave, or it can be understood in the overall context of the late Dunhuang grottoes, and can also be understood in the context of western Xia art history, as well as the framework of pattern research. The second level of contribution is mainly in the methodology, and Professor Sha's research inspires us in three aspects: First, in the process of "mutual verification of pictures and texts", more attention is paid to the logic and inheritance of the image itself. Second, this study focuses on the integrity of the image. From the microscopic point of view, the image combination of the dragon phoenix and the lotus flower in the algae well is considered as a whole, and the image of the algae well is incorporated into the image system of the entire cave from the macro perspective. Third, the lecture notes the spatial dimension of the image, that is, the spatial properties of the image, making the conclusion more credible. In addition, he believes that there are many possibilities for the five Buddhas. Marylin Rhie has discussed Gandhara and the Five Buddhas of China, arguing that Gandhara is popular with the "Five Buddhas of Xiandh" composed of the past four Buddhas and Maitreya, which is the prototype of the Five Buddhas of Cave 169 of Bingling Temple and the Five Caves of Yungang Tanyao according to the Xiandhwa Sutra or the Chang'ahan Sutra. The other five Buddhas, the Five Buddhas, are the five Buddhas of the spatial sequence. The two combinations of the Five Buddhas represent two different dimensions of time and space. In addition, the meaning and cultural attributes of "world" and "universe" are different, "universe" is a native Chinese word, and "world" is a translation of Buddhist scriptures, although it also includes time and space, but the connotations of the two are different, and there may be mixing or even transformation in history. Whether it is the universe or the world, in addition to the spatial dimension in many caves in Dunhuang, there is actually a time dimension, which is sometimes integrated. The attributes of the Five Buddhas of Cave 400 are currently difficult to accurately judge, but can continue to be considered in the two dimensions of time and space.
Associate Professor Chang Honghong believes that during the Western Xia Period, the images of Tuanlong, Tuanfeng and Dragon and Phoenix appeared in large numbers, and the images of dragons and phoenixes were all painted on the top of the Mogao Grottoes, the Algae Well, or the top of the Yongdao Caves, which became a significant feature of the Western Xia Grottoes. In the past, the academic circles mainly focused on two aspects of the study of the dragon and phoenix at the top of the Dunhuang Caves: one is to investigate from the perspective of decorative patterns, and the other is to combine historical materials to believe that the dragon and phoenix images are related to imperial power politics. Teacher Sha took the Dragon and Phoenix Algae Well in Cave 400 of Mogao Caves as a case study, and verified that the four walls of Cave 400 are all pure land patterns. Teacher Sha made a new interpretation of the dragon and phoenix image in Xixia, proposing that the dragon and phoenix image belongs to the part of the pure land image in the grotto, which has the meaning of the pure land rebirth and soul connection, which has great enlightening significance for the entire Dunhuang dragon and phoenix image research. The image content of the Western Xia Grottoes is extremely complex, and the entire pattern source also has the characteristics of pluralism, multi-element and pluralism, which requires that each image be treated in the study of the grotto, which must be discussed as a whole in combination with the content and spatial layout of the entire grotto mural, rather than treated in isolation. Teacher Chang also introduced two systems of the Five Buddhas: in the Yongdao section of the back room of the East Thousand Buddhas Cave, there are five Buddhas of Chinese Buddhism, which has nothing to do with the Five Buddhas of the Vajrayogini. Another system is the Vajrapani Five Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism. The Five Buddhas of the Vajrapani Realm are usually at the top of the cave, which is a relatively simple Vajrapani mandala pattern composed of five Buddhas and four bodhisattvas. Teacher Chang also raised questions, the five Buddhas, the Haihui Bodhisattva and the simplified version of the Pure Land Transformation mentioned in the lecture also exist in many Western Xia Caves, in addition to the simplified version of dunhuang Pure Land Transformation, there is also a very fine and complex Pure Land Transformation, such as Yulin Grottoes, Dongqian Buddha Caves, etc. The phenomenon of simplification in the grottoes of the East Thousand Buddha Caves of Yulin Cave is relatively rare, so what are the characteristics of this simplified version of the Pure Land Transformation? And why?
Professor Sha responded that the simplified version of the image may be related to the sacred reconstruction and the background of the times, and the Xixia Caves of the Mogao Caves do not appear in the list, the information of the providers and the vows, and it is speculated that they were collectively planned and built collectively. In the past, grottoes were generally built by individuals or families, but later the entire background of knowledge dissemination changed, and the grottoes turned to express the universal beliefs of Buddhism and the universal needs of people. In addition, the social and economic aspects of Dunhuang in the early Western Xia Period were very unsatisfactory, and perhaps there were no conditions to build very complex caves, so a collective work was formed.
At the end of the lecture, the moderator, Associate Professor Zhang Shubin, thanked Professor Sha Wutian for his wonderful sharing and was full of expectations for carrying out in-depth fieldwork again after the epidemic.
(The above minutes are compiled by graduate students of the School of Arts and Humanities of the China Academy of Art, and the content has been reviewed by the speaker and the guests.) ）