The Sinicization of Dunhuang Mogao Cave Buddhist Art

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 고려대학교 한국사연구소
· 수록지 정보 : International Journal of Korean History / 19권 / 1호 / 47 ~ 66페이지
· 저자명 : Ōhashi Katsuaki

초록

The introduction of Indian Buddhism in China occurred around the Christianera. However, Indian Buddhism was not directly accepted by the Han Chinese asthey could not rival the philosophical religions which were already in existence.
The existing philosophical religions were Confucianism and Taoism; thereforeIndian Buddhism was not a necessity for the Han Chinese.
Large volumes of Indian Buddhist scriptures, written in ancient Hindustani, beganto be translated into Chinese, known as the ‘Chinese Translation Project.’Accordingly, Chinese translations of Buddhist scriptures appeared. As for theChinese translations, it was clear that ancient Chinese philosophies were instilledinto these translations in order to make them more easily acceptable by the HanChinese.
It took a long period of time, around 200 years, for Indian Buddhism to assimilateinto Chinese culture. Once Indian Buddhism was embraced by East Asia’slargest developed country, the foundations of Chinese civilization such as Chinesecharacters, paintings, sculptures, crafts, architecture, construction, and castingmethods, then were transformed by Chinese Buddhism and Chinese Buddhist art.
In the instance when one developed civilized country adopts features of anotherdeveloped civilization, it takes a long period of time for harmonization to occur.
However, within a short period of time, Chinese Buddhism became a significantculture within the East Asia region, and was accepted in the surrounding regionsof China, such as the Korean Peninsula and islands of Japan.
However, soon after the collapse of the Han Dynasty in 220A.D, the countrywas divided into three parts and the troubled time of 5 Hu 16 Guo began. Mostaristocrats, bureaucrats and people in Chang’an became refugees, escaping towardsthe southern area of the Gansu River. Among them, painters and sculptorsfrom Chang’an created splendid wall paintings and produced luxurious clay statuesin the Mogao Caves. At that time in Dunhuang, there was a group of artisanswhich included painters and sculptors with great skill and creativity, who hadlearned the traditional culture of the Han Chinese in order to construct these caves.
In other words, the best quality of central district’s art was relocated intoDunhuang.
The 257thand 428thMogao Caves clearly describe the acceptance of a differentcivilization. In the center of the former cave’s Southern wall, a building waspainted in the middle of Chonbul. It is a traditional Chinese roof-tile with Chiweiat the ends of both ridges, while an Indian Buddhist stupa with a top of stupashaped like a pillar sits at the top in the center of the ridge, and Fans (narrow andlengthy flags) wave on either side of the stupa.In the structure, standing at theSeated Statue with Lotus Pattern, the Buddhist statue is at the center with Dayiwearing something similar to a mourning clothes, and Buddhist image of Jia Shistand at both sides. There are also curtains, which hang under the eaves in front ofthe Buddhist statue. It is certain to say that there exists a robust and creative appetitewhen one civilization accepts features of a different civilization; which can beseen through this bold collaboration in which a stupa of Indian Buddhism whichwas used as the basis for arch, the traditional wooden structure of Han Chinese.
Moreover, this structure is a significant piece of pictorial data which conveys thesituation at the time, where within Chinese architecture, the stupa, enshrined Buddha’s ashes, and the Buddhist temple enshrined statue of the Buddha were stillunspecialized.
As Bultapdo was a stupa located along the South side of the Western wall in thelatter cave 428, the demand for higher stories was required as enhanced constructionwas seen as sacred and valuable. Therefore, construction increased from beingsingle-story to multi-story. The murals are surrounded by four small stupaswhich encircle the main stupa. While all of the small stupas are three-storied, themain stupa is unclear. However taking into account the process of enhancementand positive numbers which the Han Chinese enjoyed, three-story, five-story,seven-story and nine-story commonly emerged.
Thus, the Mogao Caves retain valuable pictorial data demonstrating the processof how the Han Chinese accepted different civilizations through the sinicization ofIndian Buddhism.

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