A Study Of Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Belief In Dunhuang During The Tang And Song Dynasties

In the Early Tang dynasty,Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani Sutra,which was famous for the functions of eacaping form the hell and eliminating crime,began to be popular in China.And it created a trend about Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani belief.In the High Tang dynasty,Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani belief was introduced into Dunhuang.People who lived in Dunhuang started to transcribe Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutras and Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani Sutra illustrations began to appear in Dunhuang grottoes.Henceforth,Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief had been promulgated in Dunhuang over 300 years until the Northern Song dynasty.According to statistics,there are 304 pieces Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani Buddhist documents in the Library Cave.Among of them,the number of Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra translated by Fotuoboli is the largest.Moreover,the Library Cave preserves 4 types,a total of 11 pieces Usnisa Vijiaya Qiqing documents,3 Usnisa Vijiaya mandalas and some scriptures related to Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani.Usnisa Vijiaya Qiqing documents and Usnisa Vijiaya mandalas explain Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani rituals held in Dunhuang.After analyzing and studying,we know that transcribing Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutras and holding Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani rituals are the important representations of Dunhuang people’s Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief activities.There are 8 Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani Sutra illustrations in Dunhuang grottoes.They are located in the caves built in the High Tang,Late Tang and Northern Song dynasties.According to the styles of composition,they can be divided into three types,namely painted on the southern wall in the caves with sutra preface,painted on the top of the caves without sutra preface and the illustrations consisting of three components.After a comparative study about images and the styles of composition,we find that Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani Sutra illustrations in Cave 55 and Cave 454 of Mogao Grottoes inherit Cave 31 of Mogao Grottoes.As another representation of Dunhuang people’s Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief activity,drawing Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani Sutra illustrations reveals Dunhuang people hope to achieve the goal of eliminating crime,dispelling evil karma and living in the Pure Land.During the Tang and Song dynasties,Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief in Dunhuang was not sole or developed independently.It was closely related to Wutai Mountain belief,Lotus belief and Avalokitesvara belief.Beacuse Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief actively learned,absorbed and integrated into other Buddhist beliefs in the process of spreading and developing,Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief became popular in Dunhuang and widely believed by Dunhuang people in the Tang and Song dynasties.During the Tang and Song dynasties,Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief in Dunhuang has four characteristics.First,the belief group has universality.Second,the belief activities are practical.Third,method of propagation is specific and image.Fourth,Usnisa Vijiaya Dharani belief mingles with other Buddhist beliefs.Due to these characteristics,Usnisa Vijaya Dharani belief was widely believed and popular in Dunhuang’s society during the Tang and Song dynasties.