The Study of Hwa-yen Teaching and the Image of
Vairocana Buddha on the Southern Side of Mt.Tien-shan
During Fourth to Sixth Century
Lai Peng-chu
The Fa-kuang Institute of Buddhist Studies
Summary
In the last one hundred years, several statues of Vairocana Buddha
were unearthed in the southern hill foot of Tienshan, Central Asia
and thus received chose attention of the academic circle. Since
then, the research also centered on these paintings. But, Central
Asia could not have the statues of Vairocana Buddha abruptly, there
should be relevant thoughts fermenting and maturing before hand.
This paper investigates the theory and thought of the Avata.msaka
Suutra relevant to the statues of Vairocana Buddha in early Central
Asia.
The author uses one ancient Suutra Commentary unearthed in Kuche
and the dialogue between Kumaraji, a great Buddhist scholar of
Central Asia in fifth century, and Hui yuan to understand the
theory of “ Ten Abidings ”of the southern foot of Mt. Tien-shan in
the fourth century. The finding was also used to explain the fact
that the unearthed statues of Vairocana Buddha mentioned aboved
were rooted in the state of Chapter of Dharma Cloud Earth in The
Suutra of Ten Abidings. Thus, a rough appearance of the study of
Ten Abidings in the southern foot of Mt. Tien-shan, Central Asia
from fourth to sixth century emerged.
Key Words : 1.statues of Vairocana Buddha 2. dharmakaaya
3.unhindered samaadhi 4.the samaadhi of the basic nature of all
Buddha lands 5.the light shining over the sentient beings of the
ten realms of existence