A Study Of Buddhist Affairs Involved In The Construction Of The Xixia Caves In Dunhuang

For a long time,the studies of the construction of Dunhuang caves durning the Xi Xia ?? period has been a weak point.Meanwhile,the lack of historical literature leads to an uncertainty understanding of Gua Zhou ?? and Sha Zhou ?? ' social situation in Xi Xia.Based on the above,this doctoral dissertation aims to seek a certain exploration in this field in terms of murals,inscriptions and unearthed literature preserved in Dunhuang Caves of Xi Xia.This dissertation includes an introduction,seven chapters and a conclusion.The introduction mainly explains some fundamental problems such as research origin,object,the reviews of research academic achievement,materials,methods and so forth.As to details,chapter one "A Comprehensive Discussion of Dunhuang Caves in Xi Xia",to be start,which focuses on investigating the social background of Xi Xia around the construction of Dunhuang caves.Under the guidance of the problems,this chapter firstly narrates the overall situation from two angles listed as distribution situation and popular themes.Secondly,it issues all the problems such as Pure Land illustration and belief,eminent monk images and whose worship.At last,it put the construction of Dunhuang caves into the perspective of multi-ethnic cultural exchanges from 11th-13th century,and analyses multi-ethnic cultural dements of Song Dynasty,Liao Dynasty and Tubo reflected in the caves of Xi Xia.After that,the main body of the paper is from chapter two to seven.According to different research objects,this part can be divided into two sessions:Mogao caves and Yunlin caves,and each has three chapters.The former is discussed from chapter two to four,and the later is from chapter five to seven.Chapter two is known as "Investigation of Huangqing Temple in Mogao caves Constructed in Xi Xia".Taking Huangqing Temple ??? as an example,it explains the construction activities of temple in Gua-Sha states of Xi Xia.Huangqing Temple was an important temple located in Mogao caves.On the occasion of 50th anniversary of Weiming Renxiao ???? to the throne in Qianyou Twentieth year ?????(1189),the government held major Buddhist activities such as the building of temples,the publishing and donation of the Buddhist cannon scriptures.Seizing this extraordinary opportunity,the Buddhist leaders in Dunhuang represented by Weiming Zhihai ???? and Zhai Weiming Jiu ???? bulit Huangqing Temple in Mogao caves to celebrate for it.The temple was completed in June 24th,1191 and destroyed by Mongolian conquest of Sha State during the war.Next,Sulaiman the King of Xining?????? reconstruct the temple in the Zhizheng Tenth year ????(1350)in the late of Yuan Dynasty,while the next year he was dead.After the completion of the temple,the monk Shou Lang ?? who was in charge of the constrxction work made the stele "Reconstruction of Huangqing Temple Monument" ??????? for commemorating.Chapter three is known as "Dunhuang caves Construction from the End of Xia to the Early of Mongol Empire Period(1213-1271)based on the inscription of Dao Hong in Mogao Cave 38".It interprets the unknown time,the identity of author and the value of inscription in judging the age of Mogao Cave 38.This inscription is an Bodhi image???? inscribed by monk Dao Hong ?? in Dong Xia ?? which occupied the Northeast part in Jin and Mongol Empire Period.Dao Hong was most likely a craftsman who mastered the art of sculpture.He established a pola style statue of the Bodhi image which was popular at that time in the cave.Chapter four is "Path Murals in Mogao Cave 61 and Xi Xia Royalty".it discusses the repainting murals in the path of Mogao Cave 61.This cave was an merit cave constructed by Cao Yuanzhong who was the Jie-du-shi of the Gui-yi-jun Regime ??????,and was reconstructed the path and constructed an temple during the reign of Xi Xia.Emperor Renzong who called himself the Chakravartin ???,adhered to the belief Manjusri ?? of his ancestors in Mountain Wutai.In Qianyou Fifteenth year ?????(1184)and Twentieth year ?????(1189),he held two large scale dharma ceremonies and the spread of Buddhist scriptures.In Dunhuang,the Buddhist leaders represented by Weiming Zhihai presided over the establishment of Huangqing Temple to celebrate for the emperor.On the second anniversary of Emperor Renzong's death in 1195,Empress Dowager Luo once again held a large scale dharma ceremony.She hoped that Buddha 's light shined on Emperor Renzong or provided a path for him to the heaven.The local Buddhist leader in Dunhuang artfully painted it on the south wall of the path in the form of blazing Buddha transformation ?????.In January of Tianqing Thirteenth year,Weiming Anquan ???? who was the nephew of Empress Dowager Luo launched a rebellion under the pretext against the failure of Mongolia invasion.While Empress Dowager Luo was forced out of the power,so her mural image in Mogao Cave 61 was repainted.The rest chapters have a discussion on the materials of Yulin caves.Chapter five is known as "Study on the Xi Xia society based on the Inscription of Huicong???? in Yulin caves”.It conducts an study on social life history of Gua-Sha states in Xi Xia through preserved inscription of Huicong in Yulin Cave 15&16.The inscriptions was about Master Huicong of Ashoka Temple and his students made a padipata for more than forty days there,but the academic scholars haven't conducted an interpretation of the recorded texts.This chapter records the texts again based on the predecessors' interpretation,and explains the value of ethnic composition,clothing system,Buddhist identity and socio-economic situation in Xi Xia.It comes to an conclusion that the ethnic composition of Gua State was complicated.Fu Xing ??and An Zhu ?? of Huicong group might be left Sogdians in the mediaeval times.The clothing system inherited from Tang and Song Dynasties.The Hui Cong group had a variety of identities.For example,Zhu Shizi ??? was a disciplined monk,Fu Xing ?? was a monk living at home,Wang Wenshun ??? was a layman,and An Heshang ??? who provided money and food for the group was a laywoman.Gua State in Xi Xia had a low overall economic level,but there were also many aristocratic families which were main sponsors for the Buddhist cause.Chapter six is known as "Manjusri Illustration in Yulin Cave 3 and Customs Praying for Rains in Xi Xia".It pays attention to the representative works of Tangut Buddhist art,Manjusri Illustration and Samantabhadra Illustration in Yulin Cave 3.The former scholars have already answered the questions about inscription content and painting style very well.However,there is still a need for further discussion on the reasons of the illustrations.On Buddha's birthday of Jiaqing Third year in Qing Dynasty,the local people of Tashi Town ??? carried out a Buddhist activity under the leadership of the Buddhist abbot of Longwang Temple ???.The author believes that the inscription was related to the five dragon King figures in Manjusri Illustration image ???,and explained why it appeared in the cave,which coincides with the local demand for raining.The climate of Gua-Sha States in Xi Xia was similar to today,so the people absorbed the style of dragon King image from Song in Xi Xia.Chapter seven is known as "Yulin Cave 29 and Huayan Chanyi????".It focuses on the construction time and the function of Yulin Cave 29.For a long time,the construction time was in accordance with the painter Gao Chongde's inscription who was from Ganzhou in the path of Yulin Cave 19.But the content of esoteric images was only Vajrapani Bodhisattva ????? and Acalanatha ???? in the cave.Therefore,it was not the "Esoteric Buddhism" as the inscription recorded.In addition,the image content of the cave was inextricably linked with "Huayan Chanyi"which was compiled by Yixing Huijue ????,a monk born in late Xi Xia and dead in Yuan times.So it might be an ashram to hold "Huayan Chanyi" activity.The national teacher master,meditation eminent monk,Pure Land Illustration ???,Manjusri Illustration ??? and Samantabhadra Illustration ???,Vajrapani Bodhisattva ????? and Acalanatha???? in the cave had played different roles in Buddhist activities in order to make believers go to the heaven with lotus worshiped by Huayan under the help of Pure Land and esoteric images.The conclusion summarizes the research of Gua-Sha states in Xi Xia from four perspectives of politics,economics,Buddhist activities and multi-ethinic cultural exchanges.