Research On The Statues Of Huayan Trinity And Top Ten Bodhisattvas In Huayan Caves Of Anyue County

Art and religion represent two different categories in people’s ideology, which exist and develop respectively in unique forms, but influences each other. The combination of art and religion greatly enriches Buddhist culture, endowing it with unique charm and guides us to explore it gradually. People create three-dimensional figures of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, the supreme deities in their hearts. With ideal and superhuman characteristics, they show people’s prayers and wishes for a wonderful future. Every part of a Buddha statue has a supreme symbolic meaning and conveys the enlightening thoughts of Buddhism. People find spiritual sustenance by observing these statues.This thesis, based on the Huayan Trinity and Top Ten Bodhisattvas in Huayan Caves of Anyue County as research target, is mainly by iconographic approach to analyze the natural postures, symbolic meanings and cultural backgrounds of these statues, and then further to dig out the underlying meaning. The thesis firstly elucidates the origin of the Huayan Trinity in order for whole understanding of Buddhism ideology. And then, it makes an detailed analysis on shaping of the Huayan Trinity and Top Ten Bodhisattvas, including coronets and jade necklaces symbolizing authority and nobility respectively, and the objects they hold in hand representing majesty and dignity, as well as the garments showing solemnity and making them rather unique, which fully make people a deeper and re-fresh understanding to Buddhism by such an in-and-out analysis. Finally, it makes a further annotation on the art value and Buddhism ideology behind the sculptures.In the long and profound Chinese civilization, we trace the marks of history; in the distant melodious sounds of bells and drums from temples, we comprehend the harmonious and subtle Zen principles and Buddhist texts; through the diversified artistic modeling of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, we reproduce the splendid civilization of the Chinese nation. This is of great academic significance and value for us to carry forward the artistic treasure of the Chinese nation.