Figures
All photos were taken by the author.
1 The remains on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa (“Vulture Peak”), India 3
2 Pagoda dedicated to Kumārajīva’s (344-413) Reputed Tongue 9
3 The grotto remains of the Nālandā University, India 18
4 Buddha’s stucco statues from Gandhāra (private collection of HE Ping 何平) 27
5 The Buddha’s footprint, dated to the second century AD (Yale University Art Gallery) 39
6 Bhikṣuṇī-sponsor in the Gong county 鞏縣 grotto complex, dated to the Northern Wei (386-534) 104
7 Heads of Buddhist societies (Yi 邑) acting as sponsors for the grotto complex at Shuiyu Monastery 水浴寺, dated to the Northern Wei 108
8 The inscription of a stele for Buddhist image, constructed in 546 110
9 The cremation pagoda for Daoping 道憑 (487-559) at Lingquan Monastery 靈泉寺 on Mount Bao 寶山 113
10 The mural featuring Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti lecturing in the Gong county 鞏縣 grotto complex, dated to the Northern Wei (386-534) 123
11 Bhikṣu-sponsors in Shuiyu Monastery 水浴寺 grotto complex, dated to the Northern Wei (386-534) 127
12 Pagoda of four buddhas with colored stone carvings, dated to the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557) (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United States) 131
13 Bodhisattva statues made by Zhang Jingzhang 張景章 (d. after 544) in 544 150
14 Baita Monastery 百塔寺 on Mount Zhongnan 終南山, the patriarchal monastery for the Sanjie Jiao 三階教 (Three-Stages Sect) 153
15 Forest of pagodas at Shaolin Monastery 少林寺 on Mount Song 嵩山, Henan162
16 Zhixiang Monastery 至相寺 on Mount Zhongnan 終南山 198
17 Twenty-four Dharma-transmitters at Lingquan Monastery 靈泉寺 on Mount Bao 寶山 203
18 Statue of an Arhat at Kanjing Monastery 看經寺 in Longmen 龍門, dated to the mid-Tang Dynasty (618-907) 215
19 The stone-pillar of the Da Foding tuoluoni jing 大佛頂陀羅尼經 (Skt. Sitātapatroṣṇīṣa dhāraṇī), constructed in 906 in Longmen 龍門 222
20 The statue of Vairocana in Longmen 龍門 (dated 672) 228
21 The painted Bodhisattva bust in the 21st Cave on Mount Tianlong 天龍山, dated to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United States) 283
22 The scriptural hall at Qinglian Monastery 青蓮寺 in Jincheng 晉城, Shanxi, dated to the Tang (618-907) 304
23 Da Boniepan Jing 大般涅槃經 (Skt. Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra), carved in the Xiaonanhai 小南海 grotto complex, Anyang 安陽 311
24 Statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin 觀音 in Wangfo Cave 萬佛洞 (cave # 543), Longmen 龍門, constructed by Nun Zhenzhi 真智 of Yifeng Monastery 儀鳳寺 in Xuzhou 許州, dated to the Tang (618-907) 339
25 The painted wood-carved Bodhisattva statue, dated to the Northern Song (960-1127) (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United States) 364
26 Bodhisattva Guanyin 觀音 in the water moon form, dated to the Southern Song (960-1279) (Princeton University Museum, the United States) 372
27 Bodhisattva Guanyin 觀音 in the water moon form, dated to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) (Yale University Museum) 400
28 Pagoda at Yunju Monastery 雲居寺, Beijing, dated to the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) 407
29 The Three-colour glazed statue of an Arhat, dated to the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United States) 412
30 The dining hall of Tiantong Monastery 天童寺, Ningbo 寧波 425
31 The main hall of Tiantong Monastery 天童寺, Ningbo 寧波 437
32 Yao Guangxiao’s 姚廣孝 (1335-1418) funerary pagoda (1418) 441
33 The 1457 stele inscribed with “Eunuch Zheng He 鄭和” in Lingyan Chan Monastery 靈岩禪寺 on Mount Guji 谷積山, Beijing 454
34 Stele of the five patriarchs of the Fajie 法界 (i.e. Huayan 華嚴) tradition at the Zhixiang Monastery 至相寺 on Mount Zhongnan 終南山, erected in 2007466
35 The Pagoda for Yicun 義存 (822-908) of the Linji 臨濟 sect on Mount Xuefeng 雪峰 in Minhou 閩侯, Fujian 484
36 The Longzang 龍藏 canon, stored in the scripture hall of Ayuwang Monastery 阿育王寺, Ningbo 寧波 491
37 The works of the lay Buddhist reformer Yang Renshan 楊仁山 (1837-1911), stored in the Jinling Buddhist publishing house 金陵刻經處 493
38 Jinding 金頂 Peak of Mount E’mei 峨嵋山 514
39 The pagoda at Zhulin Monastery 竹林寺 on Mount Wutai 五臺, dated to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) 523
40 Shengshui Chan Monastery 聖水禪寺 on Mount E’mei 峨嵋山 525