Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008.

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 S?tra 觀音經, i. e. the Chapter of the Universal Gateway of Avalokite?vara Bodhisattva 普門品 from the Saddharmapu??ar?ka S?tra 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 S?tra 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 Avalokite?vara 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. / published_or_final_version / Buddhist Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Harvard University, 1997. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 323-347).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Berkeley, 1989. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-175).

Revision and expansion of the author's Thesis (Ph. D.--Sichuan da xue, 2003). / "Sichuan da xue shi wu '211 gong cheng' zhong dian jian she xue ke xiang mu." 880-07 Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Yale University, 1985. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (v. 1., p. 258-272).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duke University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 424-457).

No description available.

No description available.

rDzogs chen, the "Great Perfection", is a philosophical and meditational system of Tibetan Buddhism. It is the counterpart of the Ch'an in Chinese Buddhism and Zen in Japan. Western writers on Tibetan Buddhism have viewed it as a survival of the Ch'an which was once known in Tibet in the eighth century A.D., but declined after the breakup of the Tibetan empire in the mid-ninth century A.D. This view is mainly derived from the attitude of the Tibetan Buddhist orthodox schools who regarded rDzogs chen as a resurrection of Ch'an the practice of which according to the Tibetan historical tradition was officially banned after the famous Sino-Indian Buddhist controversy around 790 A.D. in Tibet. The other interesting aspect of rDzogs chen is that it is a teaching adhered to by the Buddhist school, the rNying ma pa as well as by the Bonpo (followers of the Bon religion in Tibet). Although studies in Tibetan Buddhism have advanced much in recent years, the origin and historical development of rDzogs chen has remained totally unknown. The present Study therefore focuses mainly on the origin of its theories such as "Primordial Purity" which it sees as the basis for spiritual development, and its historical and literary development. The sources for this study are mainly ninth century documents from Central Asia and texts belonging to the tenth and eleventh centuries from Tibet itself. They shed new light on the origins of rDzogs chen and its philosophical conceptions.