Open Collections

Transformation tableau of Medicine Buddha, Niche 279, Beishan Rock Carvings (北山石刻)

From the Ground Up: Buddhism & East Asian Religions (FROGBEAR Project)

This niche is located in Beishan Rock Carvings (北山石刻), Fowan (佛灣), Dazu (大足) District, Chongqing. It contains an outer frame and two inner shrines. The inner shrine on the left depicts three seated images in European postures with their feet stepping on lotus pedestals. They all have circular body halos and peach-shaped head halos trimmed with flame patterns. The central figure is a Buddha whose head is lost, flanked by two female attendants. The right one, whose head is damaged, holds a staff. A pair of Bodhi trees is carved behind the Buddha with a bowl depicted on the tree canopy on the left side. The two bodhisattvas wear high crowns and hold round plates before their bellies. Four standing bodhisattvas are shown on either side wall. The ceiling has a lotus flower in the middle, surrounded by several musical instruments. Moreover, twelve guardian deities are carved on the platform below the Buddha. They all dress in warrior attire, standing on auspicious cloud motifs. Inscriptions dated to 955 CE (後蜀廣政十八年) are found in the space between the two inner shrines, indicating that this shrine is a transformation tableau of Medicine Buddha (yaoshi bian 藥師變). Source: Dazu shike yanjiuyuan 大足石刻研究院. Dazu shike quanji 大足石刻全集 [Dazu Rock Carvings] Edited by Li Fangyin 黎方銀. 10 vols. Vol. 3-1, Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe, 2018, p. 334. The inner shrine on the right contains an octagonal pillar. The base is decorated with two dragon motifs, while its top has three layers. The upper part of either side wall has three standing images in an auspicious cloud motif. The pillar’s body is carved with the text of the Sutra of the Victorious Buddha-Crown Mantra (Chinese: fo ding zun sheng tuo luo ni jing 佛頂尊勝陀羅尼經, Sanskrit: Uṣṇīṣavijaya dhāraṇīsūtra), dated to 955 CE (後蜀廣政十八年). Source: Dazu shike yanjiuyuan 大足石刻研究院. Dazu shike quanji 大足石刻全集 [Dazu Rock Carvings] Edited by Li Fangyin 黎方銀. 10 vols. Vol. 3-1, Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe, 2018, pp. 331, 334. The upper part of the outer frame depicts ten seated Buddha images, while the left side contains four bodhisattva images distributed vertically. They all carry a staff, hold a pearl, and have a standing attendant on their left. Inscriptions dated to 955 CE (後蜀廣政十八年) are found in the space between the two inner shrines, indicating that the Buddhas are Amitabha of the ten directions. At the same time, the bodhisattvas are Kṣitigarbha (Dicang地藏). Source: Dazu shike yanjiuyuan 大足石刻研究院. Dazu shike quanji 大足石刻全集 [Dazu Rock Carvings] Edited by Li Fangyin 黎方銀. 10 vols. Vol. 3-1, Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe, 2018, p. 334. The right side of the outer frame has nine standing images distributed in four small shrines vertically. The bottom of the outer frame carves several lotus flowers and leaves. Descriptions of the photos: Overview of the niche [1]. Close-up of the lower part [2]. Metadata created by: Sau Ling Wendy Yu.

Chongqing (China)); Dazu Qu (Chongqing, China); 29.71282; 105.71016

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Cluster 3.4: Typologies of Text-Image Relations

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0433225

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