The official number of Buddhist statues in Sichuan is earlier than Yungang Grottoes, but the grotto temples are later than Yungang, Longmen, Tianlong Mountain, Gongxian County, Western Regions and Hexi Corridor. Therefore, scholars at home and abroad ignored or even despised the Sichuan Grottoes when dating the China Grottoes by stages.
In the early 1980s, the grottoes in Dazu, Anyue, Qionglai, Dan Ling, Zizhong, Pujiang, Jiajiang, Hechuan and Renshou were gradually discovered by scholars and known to the world. These sculptures, which are dominated by Buddhism and Taoism, are exquisite in shape and huge in number, which are obviously different from the northern grottoes and add a lot of color to the grottoes art in China.
In particular, the image modeling, carving skills and composition patterns of various Buddha statues, flying buddhas and bodhisattvas in Anyue and Dazu Buddhist Grottoes in the Song Dynasty completely broke away from the grottoes art norms of India, the Western Regions, northern China and the early Central Plains, fully reflected the folk color and aesthetic taste of China, and created a self-contained period of grottoes art staging in China.
And why are grottoes blooming everywhere in Sichuan? It is recognized by academic circles that after the Anshi Rebellion, the North and the Central Plains fell into a long-term war, and Tang Xizong fled to Shu twice, bringing with them a large number of officials, businessmen, painters, poets, monks and even some ordinary people. Naturally, they also brought the sculpture tradition popular in the Central Plains, and Sichuan has been rich since ancient times, and the stone carving art began to take root here before the war broke out.
Guangyuan and Bazhong in northern Sichuan are located in Jinniu Road and Micang Road, which are the main roads for the Central Plains to enter Sichuan. They started building caves and statues earlier, and then this trend became popular in Bashu.
When the statues of northern grottoes gradually stopped, Sichuan grottoes began to blossom everywhere.
It used to be said that the grotto statues in China can be summarized as "prosperous Tang Dynasty and declining Song Dynasty". However, the cliff statues in Sichuan reached their peak in the Song Dynasty and continued to this day in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
There are nearly 6,543,800 grotto statues in Anyue area, with 654.38+ 005 distribution points. Founded in the early Tang Dynasty, the earliest existing statue is engraved with "Eleven Years of Kaiyuan" (723). There are 9 national key cultural relics protection units, namely, reclining Buddha Temple, mysterious temple, Qianfo Village, Jue Yuan Cave, Huayan Cave, Pilu Cave, Mingshan Temple, Peacock Cave and Wooden Door Temple. I'm here to visit four of them, and I'll discuss the orientation and statues in detail below.
Route planning: Pilu Cave-Huayan Cave-Mingshan Temple-Peacock Cave
How to get there: Due to the inconvenient transportation, it is recommended to drive by car or take a bus from Dazu, Chongqing (although the stone carving is in Anyue, it is closer to Dazu) and rent a motorcycle to visit all the places. The statue points are not far apart, and they are all near Shiyang Town. If you want to take a closer look, you can plan to spend a day, and the Jue Yuan Cave, which is a little farther away from these four statues, can also be planned in your itinerary.
Piludong
Pilu Cave is located in Tazi Mountain, Youping Village, Yun Chi District, Shiyang Town, southeast of Anyue County, 50 kilometers away from the county seat. In fact, it is more convenient to go from Dazu than Anyue. If you drive according to Baidu navigation, you can drive directly to the mouth of the cave. If you take a bus, you can go to Shiyang Town first, and then take a motorcycle to Pilu Cave.
There are 20 Buddha statues in Pilu Cave, with a size of 446. According to the three-year inscription of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, it was built in the Five Dynasties (907-965), but from the analysis of the statue style, the statue here is also the earliest work in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Aspect: Liu Benzun's Ten Fine Pictures, Purple Bamboo Guanyin (Romantic Guanyin)
There are two large-scale "Ten Fine Paintings of Liu Benzun" in Sichuan Grottoes, one in Pilu Cave and the other in Cave 2 1 in Dazu Baoding. Pilu Cave is 560 meters high, 140 wide and 450 centimeters deep. Liu Benzun, an eleven religious figure who lived in West Shu in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, lacked accurate written records of his life stories.
In the tenth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1 140), Zen master Huayan Zujue of Zhongyan Temple in Qingshen County, Meizhou wrote the Biography of Liu Tang Jushi according to the basic biographies.
It is recorded in the book that Liu Ben abandoned his baby, became a layman when he grew up, recited the five-character mantra of the big wheel, preached in Chengdu, Xindu and the area, and built a temple in the new city.
Zhao Zhifeng, a native of Daliangxi, Dazu, was born in Shaoxing in the 29th year (1 159) and traveled in Mimouyun for three years. After returning to Dazu, he created a cliff statue of Baoding Giant Buddha Bay. It is said that he has been in business for more than 70 years and respects Liu Weizu.
Liu Ben Zun's Ten Essentials
The main statue in the center of the cave is Piluzena Buddha, which is divided into dharma body, body report, incarnation and dharma body three-body. The dharma body Buddha is Piluzena Buddha.
Lotus cheese, Liu Shi is covered with a towel, wearing a robe with a wide collar and sleeves, squatting and sitting, with a fire burning on his fingertips.
It's snowing. In the picture, Liu's face is not wearing a headscarf, his hands are sealed by meditation, and Pu Xian stands by as evidence.
During ankle training, Liu wore a scarf and a gown with wide sleeves and an oblique collar. He is in a crouching posture, with flames on his left and right ankles, and there are two heavenly kings everywhere as evidence.
Gouge out your eyes. In the picture, Liu gouged out his right eye with a knife, and carved Buddha on the upper left to prove it.
Cutting the ear, Liu cut the ear with a sharp knife in his right hand, and the mound relief in the upper left corner is proof.
In order to improve a person's mind, Liu leaned back and opened his chest, and a flame was exposed on his chest. On the upper left stands a statue of the Great Wheel King Ming, and on the upper right stands a Buddha overlooking it.
Even the top, Liu's bareheaded towel, overhead flame, the great king of light standing on the left.
Give up the arm, Liu put his left arm around his left knee, and his right hand raised a knife for chopping. On his right, Amitabha is set as proof, and on his left, he wears a flat-footed man named "Shi Xiang Xie Hong". Liu's head is engraved with various musical instruments to show "singing without drumming", and the woman in Xiaqiu on the right holds a plate as an acceptance.
Lian Yin, Liu's recumbent body, a flame emerged from his genitals, and an official stood on the right with his feet spread and hoe. He was Teng Gong who played Liu's deeds on the street.
Knee training, right eye in a daze, left arm missing, sitting posture. A flame came out between the knee and the fingertip of the right hand.
The Guanyin Sutra in Cave 19 is transformed into a statue, and the left and right reliefs have Guanyin's eight difficult pictures. Purple bamboo Guanyin, also known as Shuiyue Guanyin. The statue sits sideways in a cave 200 cm above the ground, 300 cm high, with a crown on its head, its left hand resting on the mat, its right hand caressing its knees, and its bare arm like a lotus root. Bow to the right, eyes slightly open, eyes downward, beautiful and dignified appearance, plump and symmetrical figure, chest like a child's chest. The clothes are gorgeous but not bright, backed by lotus petal-shaped flame backlight, body lamp, purple bamboo and clean bottle. There are eight relief pictures of Guanyin on both sides to save the suffering of all beings. There are falling rocks on the right, encountering fire, encountering animals and being slaughtered. The original inscription on the left was not preserved because of the collapse of the niche wall, and it was rebuilt and supplemented in Qing Dynasty.
Buddhist statues are less solemn and more secular and romantic, which is one of the important characteristics of Bashu Grottoes.
Guanyin carved on the rock wall has a feeling of falling at any time.
Guanyin's right hand has been repaired many times, and now it is obviously different from the original left hand.
The smart blue ribbon is very dynamic, which shows that ancient craftsmen have superb skills.
Beautiful nails
There is an old man in Pilu Cave who has been explaining this for more than 30 years. He will take you to appreciate the romantic Guanyin from different angles. According to him, Guanyin can present both female characteristics and male and juvenile characteristics. Just listen. Everyone has different appreciation and understanding of beauty, but don't forget to give the elderly a little hard work.
Huayandong
Huayang Cave is located in Box Cover Mountain, Yun Chi Township, Shiyang Town, and it only takes ten minutes to drive from Pilu Cave. Here the mountains are rolling, the trees are lush and the vision is wide. It's a treasure trove. There are 159 statues in Huayan Cave, and there are 24 inscriptions in the past dynasties. More than ten original houses in Dongwai Temple have collapsed or been occupied due to disrepair. Huayan Cave was excavated earlier than Jue Yuan Cave in Dazu Baoding. The names of the Twelve Bodhisattvas are the same as those of Jue Yuan Cave. The palaces, terraces, pavilions and figures embossed on the heads of two rows of bodhisattvas are also "Hua Yan 53 Ginseng". Named after the Three Sages of Huayan, the cave is 620 meters high,10/2 wide and12 deep. Huayan Cave has also experienced many disasters in the long river of history. 1984, a boulder on the top wall of the cave collapsed, destroying the Ming Dynasty Dashi incense burner and then rebuilding it. On the night of 1997 12 17, all the eighteen arhats in the lower left wall of Prajna Cave were stolen, and their whereabouts are still unknown.
The elephant rider is Samantabhadra, and the lion rider is Manjusri.
Pilufo sits in the middle, flanked by two Manjusri Bodhisattvas, Pu Xian, who are collectively called the three sages of Hua Yan. In the Huayan Sutra, Manjusri Bodhisattva assisted Sakyamuni Buddha's dharma body, Pilu Zena Buddha, with wisdom and samantabhadra Bodhisattva, also known as the "Three Great Buddha Statues".
Three statues are a form of placing Buddha statues in Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism believes that every Tathagata has a large number of bodhisattvas to serve under threat, so as to transform all beings. Most of the statues will be represented by two bodhisattvas who serve under threat, such as the three saints in the pure land of the west and the three saints in the pure glass world of the east.
There are five Bodhisattvas on the left and right walls, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva on the right wall, a total of twelve Bodhisattvas, with the same names as the twelve Bodhisattvas in Baoding Jue Yuan Cave. From right to left, the statues on the wall on the right side of the picture are: the founder, Maitreya, ordinary eyes, Wade's freedom, clearing all karmic obstacles, and Jue Yuan. On the wall above is a photo of Hua Yan's 53-year-old boy who scattered his wealth.
The theme of the palaces, balconies, pavilions and figures embossed above the head of the Bodhisattva is Huayan Fifty-three Ginseng. From left to right, the statues on the left wall of the picture are: the founder, the King Kong Zang, the pure wisdom, the sound discrimination, the knowledge, and the virtuous first.
Varokana Buddha
Manjusri Bodhisattva, also known as Manjusri Bodhisattva, Manjusri Bodhisattva, also known as Miaoji Bodhisattva, is one of the four major Buddhists. The left-handed Buddha of Sakyamuni Buddha represents wisdom. Because of his outstanding ability and political integrity, he ranks first among all bodhisattvas, so he is called Prince Fa. The name of Manjushri is literally translated as "wonderful and auspicious"; horse "Ju", "Manjusri" or "Schumann" mean beauty and elegance. Rρ, the benefit of the teacher or the benefit of the room, means auspicious, beautiful and solemn. Dalagni, the tantric king, said, "The wonderful auspicious bodhisattva is the mother of the awakened three generations, hence the name Manjusri Bodhisattva.
Samantabhadra, once translated as Samantabhadra, is one of the four great Buddhas in Han Buddhism. It is a bodhisattva symbolizing morality and virtue, corresponding to the wisdom and righteousness of Manjusri Bodhisattva.
Mingshansi
Mingshan Temple is located at the top of Hutou Mountain, more than 60 kilometers southeast of Anyue City. It only takes more than 20 minutes to drive from Huayan Cave. According to Baidu navigation, you can go to a flat on the top of the mountain, go up along the road on the left side of the flat, and you can reach Mingshan Temple hidden in the mountain. There are 97 statues in Mingshan Temple, 34 of which are not in the grottoes. There are 29 famous inscriptions in Qing Dynasty; Although the number of statues is small, but the area is as long as 350 meters, the momentum is magnificent and the stone statues are tall, all standing on the top of the cliff, which brings great visual shock to the audience. Most of the statues here are works of the Northern Song Dynasty.
You can get there along this road. There is a newly-built temple by the roadside. The statue inside is so ugly that you don't even want to take pictures.
Although it is a national security, the status quo of protection is worrying.
Hutou Mountain is covered with mountains, and the mountains are arched. Hutou Mountain stands alone among them, looking like a swarm of peaks.
Patron saint
Buddhism and Taoism niche 1 cave is a flat-topped square cave with a height of 5 meters and a depth of 2 meters. In the middle of the cave, on the left is the statue of Emperor Dong Jian, and on the right is Pilu Zena Buddha, with a crown on his head, a slightly exposed bun and a seal on his hand.
Flail sitting on the lotus platform.
Pilu Zen Buddha. I feel that the Bashu statue lacks the solemnity of Buddhism and adds a little more interesting elements, such as this statue, which looks very cute and cartoon.
Taoist statues in Sichuan are interspersed among many Buddhist statues. Although it is not as systematic as Buddhist statues, it is very precious.
Lovely double chin haha, play in minutes.
No.2 niche, Guanyin, is a bodhisattva statue. On the left, Guanyin has a round face and a high crown. There is a standing Buddha statue in the crown. She was wearing a double-collared coat, a shawl over her shoulders, a skirt inside and a prayer mat in front of her hand. The general trend on the right is more beautiful than Guanyin, wearing a high crown, with a seven-story pagoda in the crown and a niche at the bottom for the Buddha to meditate. Its dress, sitting posture and sitting on the lotus platform are similar to Guanyin on the left.
Guanyin Bodhisattva, transliterated in Chinese as "Apo Lujidi Shepo Luo", whose name means "Avalokitesvara, enlightenment" and also translated as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, is often regarded as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara Master and Bai Master in folk beliefs. He is the last bodhisattva under the seat of Amitabha, the founder of Mahayana Buddhism. He serves the left and right bodhisattvas of Amitabha, and is also known as the "Three Saints of the West" and one of the four great bodhisattvas.
When the great trend came, it was also translated into Great Trend Bodhisattva, Great Diligence Bodhisattva, Great Spirit Bodhisattva and Great Happiness Bodhisattva for short. Illuminate everything with the light of wisdom, so that all beings can get rid of the three paths and gain supreme power; When he went again, all the places in the ten realms shook, so it was called the general trend. "Infinite Life Sutra" says, _ Always remember Amitabha, and shine all things with the light of wisdom, so that people can gain supreme strength and power, and then lead all beings to the pure land. Bodhisattva, the right-hand man of Amitabha in the western paradise, is one of the eight great bodhisattvas. Because of his Buddhist practice, he was regarded as the ancestor of Buddhism by Pure Land Sect.
No.3 niche, manjusri bodhisattva statue. The Bodhisattva stands, wearing a five-leaf Buddha crown, a topless coat on the right shoulder and a shawl on the right shoulder, with a skirt inside and a short chest decoration. Place your right hand in front of your chest and abdomen, and extend your left hand out of the body to hold the meridian 150 cm. The cassock hanging from the forearm supports the weight of nearly a thousand kilograms, so it will not fall for a hundred years. There are four small circular niches on the left and right sides of the back wall, in which Buddha statues are carved. The left side is well preserved and the right side is severely weathered.
Weathered stone carvings have extremely shocking visual effects.
The traces of the wheel corridor are clearly visible, which is simply amazing!
Although the five small buddhas in the crown have weathered, they can still see the exquisiteness of the original. The scale of the statue is huge, and the ancient craftsmen solved the support problem seamlessly with amazing wisdom and the mechanical principle of hanging cassock and gravity support.
The weathering on the left side is not too serious.
The fifth niche, the Buddha of Pelushana, has a damaged nose, which makes it look a little cute.
The texture of the wheel corridor formed by the weathering of red sandstone sets off the Buddha statue, which is shocking!
grotto of peacock
The whole line runs from north to south. After visiting Mingshan Temple, you will pass Peacock Cave when you return to Dazu. If you take the shuttle bus from Shiyang Town to Dazu, you can get off at the roadside. Because the gate was locked and unguarded, we couldn't visit at close range because no guards were found.
Among the grottoes in Sichuan, Cave 155 in Beishan, Dazu is a single-read peacock king statue, while Cave 8 in Shimen Mountain, Cave 14 in Baodingshan, Cave 2 in Wangtan and the Peacock King statue in Guobao Temple in Shuanglongchang, Anyue are all in Song Dynasty. The main plots are from Buddha mother, peacock and Ming king. According to scripture, when Bhagavan entered Doreen, Sri Lanka, to listen to the Buddha's words in the lonely garden, there was a village (Sanskrit, meaning Buddhist disciple) named Shadi. Shortly after becoming a monk, he was recently accepted as a monk. He learns from prawns and bathes all the monks. A big black snake came out of a hole in rotten wood and stung Shadi Bhikkhu's right thumb. Shadi bhikkhu was greatly troubled by poisoning. The Buddha told Ananda that I have Maha Maha Power, the mantra of Wang Ming Dalagni, the mother of the Buddha. It has great power and can destroy all poisonous gases, some poisons and disasters, heal all sentient beings and achieve happiness.
Once upon a time there was a farmer named Zhou (it is said that he is now the keeper of this cave). It's a pity that the cave of Peacock King Ming turned into a kitchen. Looking at the smoked peacock Wang Ming, oh, hey. There are two arms on one side of the statue of Peacock King here. The face and costume are similar to those of Anyue Gaosheng Buddha Rock and Mingshan Temple Bodhisattva, but they are similar to the statue of Peacock instead of Baoding Peacock King. This deity did not show the plot of Shadi Bhikkhu being stung by a big black snake in Buddhist scriptures.
The Monkey King on the roof.
There is a pig and Bajie sitting under the eaves.