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
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:HKU/oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/167208 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Lok, Wai-ying., 駱慧瑛. |
| Contributors | Jing, Y |
| Publisher | The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) |
| Source Sets | Hong Kong University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | PG_Thesis |
| Source | http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B48199321 |
| Rights | The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works., Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License |
| Relation | HKU Theses Online (HKUTO) |
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