Research On The Origin And Spread Of Buddhist Stone Lantern

The stone lantern is a common architectural sketch of Buddhist temples,and it is also a special form of the development and evolution of the "lamp",one of the six supplies of Buddhism.Under the conditions of the maturity of the domestic stone lamp development,the stone lamp building is organically combined with the tradition of Buddhism introduced to China and the emphasis on lamp support,creatively producing the "vertical light" in the temple.Since its birth,it was often placed on the central axis in front of the temple hall,in order to light up the lamp for a long time,to worship the Buddha and increase the wisdom,and to provide for the gods.With the gradual deepening of the process of Sinicization of Buddhism,the stone lanterns evolved in two dimensions,horizontal and vertical.Vertically,the form and function of the stone lamp stand has been innovated with the changes of the times.And in the exchanges and collisions with Confucianism,Taoism,and other secular cultures,the stone lanterns gradually broke through the religious barriers and entered the Confucian and Taoist architecture.It has even faded away from its religious color,and appears in palaces and general residential courtyards,and assumes functions such as lighting,spotting,and guidance.Horizontally,Buddhism was introduced from China to the Korean Peninsula and Japan,and the process of vertical flow of stone lanterns has never stopped the radiation of Han culture to foreign countries.Taking Japan and South Korea as examples,it can be seen from the remains of the stone lanterns in the two countries that they are deeply infiltrated by Sinicized Buddhism and are almost the same as the early stone lantern styles in China.You can see China’s influence on the East Asian Buddhist cultural circle.This article takes this as the starting point,and on the basis of previous studies,intends to explore the origin of stone lanterns,the distinction between stone lanterns and stone scripture posts,the rheological process of stone lanterns,the interpretation of the function and connotation of stone lanterns,the vertical secularization of stone lanterns and the impact of stone lanterns horizontally on foreign countries,expecting to sort out a clearer history of the origin and evolution of Buddhist stone lanterns.