Research On The Statues Of Tianzun In Taoist Grottoes Of The Tang And Song Dynasties In Bashu

Tianzun is the highest ranking Taoist deity and a general term,just like the Buddha in Buddhism.Laojun and Sanqing,as the highest deities of Taoism,also belong to a type of heavenly deity.During the Tang and Song dynasties,a group of Taoist grottoes and cliff statues emerged in the Bashu region,with the main deities being the Heavenly King,Laojun,and Sanqing.These three types of divine statues did not have much difference in appearance.They generally wore a Taoist crown on their head,had a square face,had an inverted triangular beard or no beard under their jaws,and were adorned with a round or inner circle with a pointed peach shaped head light.They wore cross necked or double breasted underwear,a middle coat,and wore a wide sleeved long robe with a double breasted front,with their feet on their feet,and their chest and abdomen were front covered with three legs,Sitting on the lotus or suma seat with folded arms,placing both hands in front of the chest and abdomen,applying seals or holding objects.Therefore,this article categorizes these three types of main statues in the Bashu Taoist grottoes and cliff sculptures as the highest deity of Taoism,and explores their geographical distribution,image characteristics,combination forms,and even the religious beliefs reflected behind them.According to the existing material materials,the statue niches of Tianzun are mainly distributed in the Jialing River basin where Guangyuan Jiange and Nanchong Langzhong are located,the Fujiang River basin where Mianyang and Anyue are located,the Qujiang River basin where Bazhong and Dazhou are located,and the Tuojiang and Minjiang River basins where Renshou,Danling,Pujiang and Dazu are located.According to the geographical distribution,niche shape,statue characteristics,and statue inscriptions,these celestial statue niches are divided into four periods.The first period was excavated during the early Tang Dynasty,mainly distributed in places such as Jiange,Mianyang,Langzhong,and Bazhong.Most of the niches are circular arched single-layer niches,with micro and small niches as the main scale.The combination of statues is mainly single and three in one shop.The second period was excavated during the prosperous Tang Dynasty,mainly distributed in places such as Anyue Xuanmiao Temple,Meishan Temple Shenyan,and Danleng Longhu Mountain.Most of the niches were arched outwards and inwardly,with medium-sized and large niches being the main size.The combination of statues was mostly a combination of multiple deities,such as the Heavenly King(Laojun)threatening to serve the real person,the Jurchen,and the Dharma Protector.The third period was excavated during the mid to late Tang Dynasty,with scattered distribution,mostly consisting of square single-layer niches.The size of the niches is mainly small and medium-sized,and the combination of statues is mostly a multi statue combination of five or more in one shop.The fourth period was excavated during the Song Dynasty,mainly distributed in the Dazu area,with mostly square single layer niches,mainly large and extra large niches,and the combination of statues is mostly in the Sanqing period.Based on the staging results,it can be determined that the development and evolution of the Heavenly Buddha statue in the Taoist grottoes of the Tang and Song dynasties in Bashu can be roughly divided into three stages: the initial period of the early Tang Dynasty,the prosperous period of the prosperous Tang Dynasty,and the declining period from the Middle and Late Tang to the Two Song Dynasties.There were two reasons for the rise of the Heavenly Buddha statue in the Taoist grottoes of the Tang Dynasty in Bashu: firstly,the religious policy of the ruling class at that time,which emphasized Taoism;Secondly,the Bashu region itself has the advantages of excavating grottoes and cliff statues.By the Song Dynasty,the Taoist immortal system centered on the "Three Clearances" and the "Four Kings" was established,Taoist statues became secularization,and the statues of the Heavenly King tended to decline in the Taoist grottoes and cliff statues in Bashu.In terms of the religious beliefs and the relationship between Buddhism and Taoism reflected behind the Tianzun Statue,it embodies the strong practical and utilitarian religious belief characteristics of the Chinese people,and the Tianzun Statue is also a physical witness to the exchange of Buddhist and Taoist relationships in the Bashu region.