| The grottoes in Donggou District are one of important part in Bingling Temple Grottoes.It is belongs to the intersection of Han and Tibet.Therefore,the art of Bingling Temple Grottoes has multiple characteristics.The grottoes in Donggou District are located between the upper and lower temples of Bingling Temple,about 2kms away from the lower temple.Most of them which embodies the history and art of Tibetan Buddhism.The remains in Donggou District include:8 grottoes,1 statue,about 60 square meters of murals,8 pagodas and 2 inscriptions.The murals are mainly Tibetan Buddhism,with themes of: buddha,bodhisattva,arhat,vajra dharma,disciple,guru,donor,etc.They are not only inherited from the culture of other grottoes in Bingling temple,but also have the particularity of the grottoes in this area.According to the interpretation and reading of the murals,niche 2 in Donggou District are respectively preserved with Atisha,Tsongkhapa,thousand arms and eleven heads Avalokitesvara etc,which have the mural style of Tibetan Buddhism in the combination of Han and Tibetan in the early Ming Dynasty.The murals in cave 5 contains the contents of Gelugpa and Bka-brgyud-pa.The style of murals is obviously influenced by the "Miantang school".Other relics,Milarepa statues in the niches 7 and paintings of the eight mascots in the cave 8,reflect the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Donggou District in different degrees.The spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Donggou district began in the early Ming Dynasty.After the introduction of the Bka-brgyud-pa into Bingling temple,Donggou District became the place for the monks to meditate.Eleven years after Yongle of Ming Dynasty,the doctrine of Gelugpa was introduced into Bingling Temple very quickly.However,the Grottoes in Donggou District didn't have the murals on Gelugpa,until the middle and late Ming Dynasty.The statues and murals of Tibetan Buddhism show the unique value of the cave art of Donggou District in Bingling Temple. |
PDF Full Text Request