2006 1973 417 154 158 133 S.painting83P.3998 154 11 Some questions on Dunhuang Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra Sha Wutian Biography: Sha Wutian, born 1973, male, from Huining in Gansu, PhD, post-doc researcher at Dunhuang studies research institute at Lanzhou university, carries out research in Buddhist art, Dunhuang cave archaeology, and history of art. Abstract: The Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra as depicted in wall paintings occupies a unique position in Dunhuang cave art. This paper questions the notion that Mogao cave 417 of the Sui dynasty (589 AD - 618 AD) is the earliest representation of the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra, stating that the scenes depicted are from Jataka stories, and not from the contents of the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra. This would exclude the possibility that representations of the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra first occurred during the Sui dynasty. Thus, the earliest representation of the sutra can be said to be works from the period of Tibetan rule in Dunhuang,
and are firmly based on the sutra itself, and thus true representations of the sutra. Mogao cave 154 is the earliest representation of the sutra. Using this cave as a beginning, and taking caves 158 and 133 as further examples, it is possible to analyse representations of the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra. With the discovery of the Library Cave at Mogao, Stein painting 83, and P.3998 can also be analysed. The results of these analyses show that local Dunhuang artists were heavily influenced by local artistic traditions in depicting the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra as well as by the meaning of the sutras, which finally created a whole new artistic style. Furthermore the appearance of representations of the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra during the period of Tibetan rule in Dunhuang is linked to the sutra touching on matters of protecting the world, the Dharma and the country. This is related to the social history and political reality of Tibetan rule in Dunhuang, and the representation of this sutra emerged as the historical moment required. The special depiction of statues of the Heavenly Kings in cave 154 with a yaka underneath their feet is closely related to the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra. This kind of depiction of the kings of Khotan developed during the Guiyijun period. Finally it will be shown that depictions of the Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra all occurred in important caves at Mogao. Keywords: Dunhuang; Suvaraprabhāsottamasūtra 10 i 417 1 154 2 133 1 158 1 19685138156 1 55 1 417 94 P.3720v ii P.3457 256 iii 256 P.3457 454 iv 454 454 v 825-826 vi vii viii
2006 417 417 417 417 417 ix x 445 445 xi 516 xii 254 428 xiii 417 417 417 417
417 417 417 154133158 154 154 8 80 89 158 9 839 xiv 133 154 154 154
2006 9 45 172320 231237236240 154 158 154 154 154 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 154 154 S.painting83P.3998 xv S.painting83P.3998
154 154 154 9 9 85 138 85 138 xvi
2006 xvii xviii 8 764766766 776 xix 766 216 777 786 xx 777 766 765766 P.2942 764 xxi
xxii P.2291 xxiii P.4640 P.4640 S.6161S.3329S.6973P.2762 xxiv xxv xxvi
2006 P.3451 xxvii PT1083 xxviii S.1438 /
154 xxix xxx 154 xxxi Pt.222222232224 Pt.2222 Stien Painting133 P.451827 / / Stien Painting245 98
2006 xxxii xxxiii xxxiv 154 154 154 xxxv 154 152153 xxxvi 154 158 158 156 158 85 196 85 P.4640 138 196 94 256 55
i 1987 1990 414-455 2000 218-262 2004 556-597 2000 7 ii 1986 212213 iii 1994 3 33-36 iv 1991 1 22-24 1996 130-134 v 31963 vi 1999 136 vii S.P.83P.39981998 4 17-26 2006 5 viii 2006 3 32-39 ix x xi xii xiii xiv 4 352353 53 192193 55 67 2004 2000 xv S.P.83P.39981998 4 17-26 2006 5 xvi 2006 3 32-39 xvii xviii 1996 75-77 1995 86-194 xix 40 xx xxi 1985 1 1 7 765 766 1982 232 264 2942 119 130 xxii xxiii xxiv 2000 116 1992 330332
2006 xxv xxvi xxvii xxviii xxix 1957 124 PT10831085 1984 5 173 2000 PT960 PT960 1982 1983 140159 xxx xxxi xxxii 2003 5 37-43 2006 xxxiii 2000 2003 34-66 2003 457-497 xxxiv 1994 2 111-119 xxxv 2006 2006 10 xxxvi 1987 1990