| Cave 98 of Mogao Grottoes was built by the first military commissioner Cao Yijin during the Gui-yi-jun Period of Cao family.As the first large cave during that Period,it had cost ten years for building,and had been called Da-wang-ku(Cave for the king).Also,it was regarded as the model cave of Mogao Grottoes,exerting a deep influence.As we know,the Buddhist art could never be free of the influences from social activities,and their relation became tighter especially during the Gui-yi-jun Period,as the socialization level of Dunhuang grottoes' art had been strengthened constantly.Basing on the records of P.3262 & P.3781 praying documents,this article clarified the history of the cave's owner Cao Yijin and his regime under a macro perspective firstly,making the emergency political environment clear during his early ruling Period,also pointing out the problems about the legality and stability of his regime.The records from the above documents indicated that the political situations of Cao family had a close relationship with the building of Cave 98,so this article had focused on the relationship between the Buddhist art and social culture under this background,using the research methods of philology,archaeology and iconology.It was a certain representative that 292 donators were painted on the frescos of Cave 98.Some of them were very different from other caves' pilgrims,such as the portraits for Zhang and Suo families on the processional-road wall,and the portraits for the staff and administrators of Sangha on the main-chamber walls.All of them were painted together,in order to establish the continued legality of Cao Yijin's new regime,hoping to get the energetic supports from the bureaucrats of Sangha and the society.At the same time,the portraits on the main-chamber walls were made in the direction of the portraits for Cao Yijin on the processional-road wall,rather than the main sculptures on altar,reflecting the contests between the secular power and the religion power.With the prevalence of frescos' sketches and the arising of painting academies during the Gui-yi-jun Period,the image modes and contents of the sutra paintings had matured constantly,and changed into stylization,but some of them had already broken the old modes,showing some personality characteristics.The images of Vimalakirti benefiting the people from the Vimalakirti Sutra Painting were intensively painted on the east wall of main-chamber in Cave 98,and the education objects were limited to the bureaucratic privilege stratum,which reflected the preaching process to the main persons of Cao family,in order to make the political situation more solidly.For another example,the proposition of being loyal to the emperor and devoting to the country had been emphasized in the Gratitude Sutra Painting on the south wall,reflecting a relation between the fresco and the Cao family regime.As the only praying document,it was recorded in P.3781 document that a Buddhist activity had been held by Cao Yijin after the roof of Cave 98 was finished.Besides,persons were organized to copy the Buddha Name Sutra during that Period.This article discussed the frescos on the roof and the praying document together with the contents of the Buddha Name Sutra synthetically,argued that the social functions of the ten-direction-Buddha,the thousand-Buddha of Bhadrakalpa,and the Four Heavenly Kings were used to pray for Guazhou county,for Shazhou county,and for all the people there.Under the general background of the constantly strengthened socialization level of Dunhuang Buddhism,the governing concept of integrating Buddhism into political power was reflected intensively in Cave 98,making this cave have a characteristic of obvious political tendency.The building of this cave not only manifests the status and politic power of Cao family,but also witnesses its important historic contribution of opening the regime of Gui-yi-jun Period. |
PDF Full Text Request