Investigation And Research On Maitreya Images In The Grottoes Of Bingling Temple

The Bingling Temple Grottoes have a history of 1,600 years of Buddhist development since the Western Qin Dynasty.The existing grottoes retain exquisite Buddhist art from various periods.Images of Maitreya appeared in four important periods of the Buddhist history of Bingling Temple Grottoes: the Western Qin Dynasty,Tang Dynasty,Northern Wei Dynasty and Ming Dynasty.Moreover,Bingling Temple Grottoes were regarded as Maitreya holy place by Tibetan Buddhists in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.On the basis of literature search and field investigation,the author takes Maitreya images in the grottoes of Bingling Temple as the main research object,collects and collates Maitreya images in the grottoes of Bingling Temple,and discusses the style characteristics of Maitreya images in the grottoes of Bingling Temple in various periods.The belief and image of Maitreya originated in ancient India.Based on the understanding of the belief in Maitreya in Buddhist classics and the early images of Maitreya in India and China,this paper focuses on the following contents:First of all,the appearance of Maitreya images cannot be separated from the Maitreya belief.By combining the historical background of the grottoes of Bingling Temple in various periods and the inscriptions and murals preserved in the grottoes,we can understand the situation of the Maitreya belief in various periods.At the same time,the collected Maitreya images were summarized and counted according to The Times,so as to clarify the number of Maitreya images in each period and the preservation status of Maitreya images.Secondly,according to the Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism flourished in Bingling Temple Grottoes,it is divided into two periods.One is from the Western Qin Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty,the other is the Yuan,Ming and Qing dynasties.The model analysis of Maitreya images in each period is carried out to accurately grasp the style characteristics of Maitreya images in each period.Finally,the image of Maitreya in Bingling Temple Grottoes in the Northern Wei Dynasty and Ming Dynasty is discussed.Images of Maitreya Bodhisattva in the Northern Wei Dynasty in Bingling Temple Grottoes are all presented with their feet sitting.In Yungang Grottoes of the same period,there are a large number of Maitreya Bodhisattvas with their feet sitting and their shapes are varied.Through the comparison of shapes,this paper discusses the inheritance and development of the plastic arts of Maitreya Bodhisattva in Yungang Grottoes.The Maitreya Bodhisattva of Ming Dynasty is beautifully shaped and well preserved in the grottoes hall of Bingling Temple.The main symbols are theshoulder bottle and the wheel of Dharma,the meaning of which will be briefly analyzed.At the same time,in the Ming Dynasty murals in the grottoes of Bingling Temple,there are three arhat with cloth bags,whose prototype is from the cloth bag monk,namely cloth bag Maitreya,in Han Dynasty.The discussion on the artistic images between the two reflects the communication between Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist art.No scholars have systematically collated and analyzed the Maitreya images in the grottoes of Bingling Temple.Through field investigation,collation and research,the molding styles of the Maitreya images in various periods are sorted out,and the relevant contents of the Maitreya images in the Northern Wei Dynasty and Ming Dynasty are further discussed,hoping to go further based on the existing research.