Tianshan Mountain Landscape
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Between Kuqa and Kizil, in Xinjiang
Some spectacular landscape views can be seen from the new road which started being cut between Kuqa and Kizil in 2007. The outcrop to the right in this photo provides a real-life example of the “axe-cut texture stroke” used in Chinese painting. The scenery here reminds one of the Buddha’s True Land paradises, with its tall towers and elegant pavilions.
Below are some featured carvings and statues in Kuza-Kizil Grottoes:
Thousand-Buddha Caves, Kizil, Xinjiang
The Buddhist grottoes in Kizil date from approximately 300-700 AD. The caves display Indian/Gandharan and Iranian, rather than Chinese, styles in their artwork. Kizil’s 200+ grottoes form the second-largest collection of cave chapel art in the region, Dunhuang being the largest. Significant paint remains today, although all Kizil’s once-abundant clay images have by now been either destroyed or removed by a combination of erosion, flooding, and Muslim and European interference with the site.
A modern statue of Kumarajiva (344-414 AD) appears at photo right. The great translator/monk was born in Kuqa.
Garuda, Thousand-Buddha Caves, Cave 171 5th Century AD
The Hindu Garuda, Vishnu’s mount, is painted here on the ceiling of an early Buddhist cave, more as a cultural motif than for any religious significance. The snakes that he holds in his mouth form a decorative pattern around his head and torso. The figural design is Persian, in spite of the Indian origin of its subject.
Sky Motifs, Thousand-Buddha Caves, Cave 38, 4th Century AD
A sky scene runs along the spine of the ceiling of Cave #38. From the top of the photo down: (1) a sun disk with four flying white geese; (2) the wind god in a medallion; (3) a standing Buddha in monk’s robe, right hand in “fear-not,” decorated with two pairs of streamers; (4) a winged vase or headless bird with an abstract design of paired snake-like bodies, possibly Garuda drawn by an artist who did not understand the motif; (5) another medallion, with unidentified figure; (6) another standing Buddha; and (7) a crescent moon, ringed by 16 small dots (including losses in the count) and surrounded by four flying white geese. In mountains on either side are depicted ascetics with antelopes and other creatures from the natural world.
Listening To A Sermon, Thousand-Buddha Caves, Cave 84, 7th Century AD
The people in this picture, listening to a sermon, are typically Indian in dress and features, as is the composition and everything else about the painting. It does seem quite likely that it was painted by an artist from India.
Heavenly Musicians, Thousand-Buddha Caves, Cave 171, 5th Century
The figure on the left is playing the hand-harp (konghou). The instrument itself is not visible, but can be inferred from the position of the hands. The figure on the right is striking a small gong (held in the left hand, struck with a stick in the right)
Bodhisattva, Thousand-Buddha Caves, 7th Century AD
This charming Bodhisattva, of painted clay, was unearthed in 1989 (location unspecified) and is displayed in the small museum on site. The features of the Bodhisattva are typically Kuchean, as can be seen by comparing the statue to other statues and paintings of Kucheans of the same period.
Pottery, 9th Century AD
This clay sculpture, 21.5cm long. It was discovered in 1999 in the western area of the gorge.
Source: http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/china/china.html
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The Tian Shan mountains also known as the Mountains of Heaven is a large system of mountain ranges in Central Asia. The Tian Shan mountains are part of the Himalayan orogenic belt. One of the longest mountain ranges in Central Asia and the largest isolated east-west mountain range globally. This Tianshan mountains has been a key to the development and spread of human society and culture over thousands of years. Bands of smashed unique rock amid massive fault zones of Tian Shan are preserved to this days. The Tian Shan Mountains of Central Asia, with its varying unique landscapes, high passes, stunning lakes and the spectacular pyramid of Khan Tengri has attracted many locals and tourist in recent years. Picturesquely located on a cliff face overlooking a river valley are the ancient Thousand Buddha Caves. The discoveries of images of Buddha had proven that Buddhism existed in the AD’s. Amazing …looking at those pictures in this blog tells all.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.
Thank you for the amazing nature mother earth discovery of Tianshan Mountain Landscape, with its particular geological structure and stunning natural landscape, the mountain has been listed in the World Heritage List by the UNESCO. I wonder how this mountain was discovered and the rock temple was built.
Historically this mountain and the caves temples has been one of the most revered places of cultural pilgrimage during ancient time. This reminds me of mountain and nature has been always connected to people to the spiritual and mythic world.
Beautiful Tianshan with amazing landscapes. Its one of the largest mountain ranges in the world with unique physical geographic features and scenically beautiful areas. Wow… having spectacular snowy mountains glacier-capped peaks, undisturbed forests and clear rivers and lakes and red bed canyons. It is famous for its geological structure and stunning natural landscape. The landforms and ecosystems of the site have been well preserved. Xinjiang Tianshan is an important site for endemic and relic flora species, some rare and endangered.
Carvings and statues found in Kuza-Kizil Grottoes depicted it is significant in Buddhism as well as in the history of Xinjiang. Beautiful pictures of Kizil Grottoes , modern statue of Kumarajiva, thousand-Buddha Caves, tell us a thousand words….the priceless encyclopedia or history of Tianshan and one of the Buddha’s true land paradises. Surely a place worth and deserves worthwhile visiting for those we love the beauty of nature.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Very interesting and beautiful arts and carving in the caves. Hope there were more information about it. Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for this post.
Amazing Tianshan Mountain Landscape .With its particular geological structure and stunning natural landscape, the mountain has been listed in the World Heritage List by the UNESCO on June 21st 2013.The beautiful landscape is between Kuqa and Kizil, in Xinjiang,China.Thats where one of the largest number of ancient caves of Buddhas murals and clay sculptures of Buddha statues found.
And also an important area for the transmission of Buddhism many centures ago. Beautiful history of Buddihism been told on murals in the caves.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing these bautiful pictures.
I can imagine the numerous number of meditators, scholars, monks, lay people who have lived in this Buddhist paradise. Based on its location which is along the ancient Silk Road, it is no wonder that it became an area of exchange and learning.
The article mentioned a modern statue of Kumarajiva. His mother was a Kuqan princes from this general area. He was a prodigy and among the most important texts he translated from early Indian dialects were the Diamond Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra, Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Mahāprajñāpāramitā Upadeśa which was a commentary (attributed to Nagarjuna) on the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Kum%C4%81raj%C4%ABva
Buddhism was so present in China from historical times. So much was lost during the cultural revolution but, fortunately for us, much still remain. It is also recently reported than with newly granted religious freedom, many Chinese are reconnecting to their Buddhist roots.
May the Chinese have the blessings of pure Dharma as they rise to be a world power so that their material prosperity will be sustainable and beneficial in the long term
I wonder if this thousand caves has all the images of the 1000 buddhas of this fortunate aeon? We are at number 4th Buddha the next one is Lord Maitreya the 5th Buddha of the fortunate aeon.
I love these art and sculptures… i guess there is great symbolism in all of them as there always are in religious art, whether Buddhist or other religions. I also wonder about the Buddhas prior to Shakyamuni. Aside from Amitabha Buddha, there is not much said about the other two. i wonder why? Even Amitabha, did they exist in a different realm?
Dear Sharon,
That’s a very good point. Many of the yidams do not have a reliable story of origin but many of which were mentioned by the Buddha. Maybe those texts were lost forever because Buddhism is very old and it survive a succession of invasions and hostile regimes that almost wiped Buddhism out. I think that the Buddhas do exist, it is just the texts that do explain either were lost in time or they were never told in our world system. The very fact that the Buddha spoke about them meant that they did exist.
Some have used this as a reason to say that the Buddha do not really exist. That they really are not real or are made up. However, this is not a reliable way of examining this matter because these Buddhas are also supplicated in certain practices and the practices do have result, indirectly proving of their existence. If we pray to an ordinary wall for a certain blessing, what are the chances that we would glean that blessing? Hence, if we can gain that blessing, that means that the Buddhas do exist.
Although I admire all these beautiful sculptures of Buddha statues, but I do not understand the meaning of their representation. Any advice on how we should look at them? Take them at face value as it is or is there more story to each of them? It would be nice if someone can explain what each of them means.