A Study On The Early Esoteric Buddhism Situations In Dunhuang Grottoes

The main character of Esoteric Buddhism is the high degree organization of the auspiciousness, rituals and secular beliefs . Chinese Esoteric Buddhism which spread from the ancient Indian was disseminated by ancient Indian monks and the Central Asian monks along ancient Silk Road. The early Esoteric Buddhism is also named as "The Complex Esoteric Buddhism" .Dunhuang area lied in the communication center of ancient Silk Road.We can find the developed traces about the early Chinese Esoteric Buddhism in Dunhuang Grottoes(including Mogao Grottoes, Western Thousand —Buddha Grottoes , Yulin Grottoes in Anxi, Eastern Thousand—Buddha Grottoes and 5—temple Grottoes in Subei, etc.). This thesis was divided into five aspects to expound the early Esoteric Buddhism situations in Dunhuang Grottoes before the early Tang Dynasty.The first part, by analyzing excavated antiquities and historical literatures we may judge the times when the early Esoteric Buddhism spread into Dunhuang area. The bricks with white elephants excavated from Dunhuang Foyemiao—Wan combs at the Western Jin period were used for giving direct evidence to prove the right times when the early Esoteric Buddhism spred into Dunhuang area. Zhu Fahu , known as "Dunhuang Bodhisattva ", translated many sutras of Esoteric Buddhism, which is the indirect evidence about the early Esoteric Buddhism importing Dunhuang area at the Western Jin Dynasty. The second part, the paper analysed the change on Doctor Buddha sutras and its belief , the change on 11—face Guanyin sutras and its belief in Dunhuang Grottoes before the early Tang Dynasty. The supernatural capabilities of Doctor Buddha and 11—face Guanyin Bodhisattva and the actual benefit which people get from them by believing in them, which were main reasons about the change of Early Esoteric Buddhism sutras and their beliefs spreading in Dunhuang area. The third part, we think monks'supernatural faculties were occupied an important position in Dunhuang people's hearts through analysing Kang Senghui, Fo Tucheng, Liu Sahe, Tan Yan such monks' images in Dunhuang Grottoes before the early Tang Dynasty. The forth part, when analyzing the images of mysterious Seven Buddhas and guardians of Buddhism such as Gods, Dragons and eight—part Spirits before the early Tang Dynasty in Dunhuang Grottoes, we think supernatural faculties of them were exact represents of the mysterism of Buddhism , and functioned on Dunhuang Buddhist's psychology. The fifth part, we analyzed the reasons about the early Esoteric Buddhist factors appearing in Dunhuang Grottoes from three aspects:the translation of Hexi Esoteric Buddhist sutras, Buddhism dissemination by mysterious monks and the population of copying Complex Esoteric Buddhist sutras in Dunhuang area.The early Esoteric Buddhist situations in Dunhuang Grottoes before the early Tang Dynasty reflected that the Complex Esoteric Buddhism beliefs popularing in Dunhuang area, so that we can make clear the development of the early Esoteric Buddhism in Dunhuang area.