Research On Early Buddhist Stone Statues In Guangyuan

The research content of the early Buddhist stone statues in Guangyuan includes 12 cave statues in Huangze Temple and Qianfoya in Guangyuan in the Sui Dynasty in the Southern and Northern Dynasties,and 10 single statues unearthed from the Yu Opera troupe and its vicinity.Through typological analysis,the early Guangyuan Buddhist stone statues are divided into six types according to different themes such as standing Buddha,Abhaya mudra +sitting Buddha in lotus position,mudra of meditation + sitting Buddha in lotus position,Bodhisattva,disciple,and flying sky.The early Guangyuan Buddhist stone statues are divided into four phases.The first phase is the late Northern Wei period,which is further divided into three stages.The first phase is Qianfoya Grottoes 726 and 535.The second stage consists of 38 Grottoe of Huangze Temple and 226 Grottoe of Qianfoya,and the third stage consists of 45 caves of Huangze Temple.The second phase is the late period of Xiao Liang,including several round statues such as makeup stone Buddha;The third period is the Western Wei-Northern Zhou period,such as Huangze Temple 15,33,34,35,37,46 cave niche,individual statues include Tian Wenyue monument,X Yingluo Bodhisattva body,stone Bodhisattva body.The fourth period is Sui Dynasty,including 28 cave of the Huangze Temple and a single beaded Buddha.The early grotto statues in Guangyuan underwent a transformation from Qianfoya to Huangze Temple,which happened in the first and second stage.In the early Guangyuan period,large and medium-sized cave niches were mostly found in the late Northern Wei Dynasty,and in the Northern Zhou Dynasty,there were more small cave niches.Single stone statues appeared in the late Northern Wei,Xiao Liang and Northern Zhou dynasties.The early Guangyuan stone statues are related to the northern and southern statues of Luoyang,Longdong,Xi’an,Chengdu,etc.;the three-petal skirt hanging,fan-shaped cross tie and other features have an interactive relationship and continuity in the early Guangyuan grottoes and single statues;The early Guangyuan statues had an impact on the Guangyuan Tang Dynasty statues and the surrounding areas in terms of the shape of the caves,the layout of the statues,and the subject matter of the statues.In the comparison with the statues in different regions,the style of early Buddhist statues in Guangyuan is summarized and extracted,that is,the "Lizhou style" : First,Guangyuan is located in the marginal area of the Northern and Southern Dynasties regimes,and the "simple" shape should be an important feature of the early Guangyuan statues,The second is that Guangyuan has uniqueness on the basis of integrating the north and south statues,which is specifically manifested in the main statue of Qian 226 Cave with mudra of meditation,a three-petal skirt hanging,and a thick and simple shape;Huang 45 Cave combines the central column with three walls and three niches Combined in one cave;the central column of Huang 45 cave is in the form of a double-layer covered bowl tower,the column body has the image of fearing beasts,and the tower body has curved ruler-shaped railings and steps;the image of the eight dragons on the back screen of Huangze Temple Cave 28;A bed of three statues flanking Bodhisattva hands folded in front of the stomach,lions hidden on both sides of the pedestal;Appearance decorated with gold stone Buddha statue volume sense prominent;Tian Wenyue statue tablet is a pointed round fascia niche,the shape of which is combined with the main statue with hair and ears,and the Buddha with U-shaped wreaths,etc.,which has certain particularness among the north and south statues.The formation of "Lizhou style" is a process,which is continuously developed in the inclusiveness of the northern and southern statues.The general rule is that the statues gradually become more refined and mature.Statues in Guangyuan are directly related to the political affiliation of the area.Over the past century,there have been early Xiaoliang,late Northern Wei,late Xiaoliang,Western Wei,Northern Zhou,Sui,etc.Almost every change of regime has caused changes in the characteristics of early Guangyuan statues.The statues of Guangyuan in the late Northern Wei Dynasty were dominated by Luoyang,and they were closely related to Luoyang in terms of grotto shapes and themes.This may be related to the governors of the time,This may have something to do with Fu Shuyan and Fu Jinghe.The statues of the governors opening caves should be an important feature of statues in that period.The statues of Guangyuan in the late Northern Wei Dynasty may have existed more as a political landscape,namely,the so-called "one area of grottoes built for the Emperor",which may also have been combined with the interest tendency of the builders and the enhancement of merit and morality,which were one.Whether monks lead or Zen monks practice,they may not play a leading role in the process of making images.