Icon of Thousand Buddha has a monotonous composition which places in a row all directions "a group of small seated Buddha" of the same size and shape. Mostly this Buddha has been expressed with pictures and sculpture.
Mostly, foreigne scholars have m...
Icon of Thousand Buddha has a monotonous composition which places in a row all directions "a group of small seated Buddha" of the same size and shape. Mostly this Buddha has been expressed with pictures and sculpture.
Mostly, foreigne scholars have made a study on Icon of Thousand Buddha with aiming at a stone cave of the North dynasty era of China. There is also an example of Icon of Thousand Buddha because of small number. So a study has scarcely been made until now. Although there is small in number of existing Icon of Thousand Buddha, this expresses varied forms. In consequence I think to need a regulation on Icon of Thousand Buddha, it is the purpose of this dissertation. So the ideological background of Thousand Buddha is examined. I divide Korea and China into an era, arrange in a row arts of each period, and what change in arts is examinded. I separate it into three types Icon of Thousand Buddha in Korea. In comparison with Korea and China, I examine in detail the from applied as flanking of Main Buddha for Thousand Buddha.
Icon of Thousand Buddha is regarded as general idea enlarged by number of the Buddha that took place in veering step from Hinayana to Mahayana. Icon of Thousand Buddha in China appeared from the West Chin ear and prevailed supremely in the South and North dynasty period. Icon of Thousand Buddha in the North Wei era appeared as a form joined with Main Buddha, being based on the Sutras such as Saddharmapundarika and Mi-lo-shang-cheng-ching among the Mahayana Sutras. Min Buddha contained a line of Seated two Buddha and Maitreya. Owing to a change of faith in the Sui?ang era, Thousand Buddha lost a foundation of the Sutras and remained only an element of decoration. Therefore Icon of Thousand Buddha filled with ths surface of a stone cave was pushed out to the celling of it. The faith changed from Mahayana to Esoteric Buddhism in the Yuan era. The inside of a stone cave was filled with Icon of Esoteric Buddhism and Icon of Thousand Buddha disappeared in the inside of a stone cave, too.
In ohter word, Icon of Thousand Buddha in Korea appeared from the Three Kingdom era. Icon of Thousand Buddha in this period appeared, being based on independent faith of Thousand Buddha Idea itself. Icon of Thousand Buddh in the united Shilla era appeared as a form joined with Piluzhena, being based on the Avatamsaka Sutra. This join of Piluzhena and Thousand Buddha had been succeeded to Koryo dynasty. In Chosun dynasty, this united with Buddha of the three times consisted of Sakyamuni, Amitabha and Bhaisajyaraja.
It is characteristics of Icon of thousand Buddha in Korea that there isn't all the difference between one in Korea and in China. Icon of Thousand Buddha in China expresses Thousand Buddha with the Avatamsaka Sutra and Maitreyacult. On the other hand, Icon of Thousand Buddha in Korea expresses Thousand Buddha in accordance with independent Thousand Buddha faith system. In the case of China, as changed faith, the Avatamsaka Sutra nad Maitreyacult has been weak, Icon of Thousand Buddha has disappeared with these ideas. However, in the case of Korea, because independent faith of Thousand Buddha was formed, peaple positively corresponded to change of faith according to each period. So the union with the then faith was showed. It is the reason why Icon of Thousand Buddha has steadily believed since the Three Kongdom era. Also, because of these characteristics, Icon of Thousand Buddha in Korea can unite with even more varied Main Buddha than in China.