TY - JOUR
T1 - The cult of the Cintāmaṇi
T2 - The nature and context of the Dunhuang manuscript P. 4518 (10)
AU - Chen, Huaiyu
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2020/7/2
Y1 - 2020/7/2
N2 - The Dunhuang manuscript P. 4518 (10) is a fascinating illustrated manuscript that could be dated in the 10th century. Although it is commonly known as the scene of preaching Dharma, contemporary scholarship does not offer an adequate interpretation. Combining both traditional canonical texts and uncovered Chinese and Sanskrit manuscripts from Dunhuang and Khotan, this study suggests that this is an illustration showing that the Buddha explained the Mani pearl as the symbol of his Dharma Body (Dharmakaya) to two Arhats who were depicted as two monks with halo, upon the inquiry of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. This story might come from the Jñānālokālaṃkāra-sūtra, a popular text in Central and East Asia, as its Sanskrit fragments from Khotan and Chinese manuscripts from Dunhuang indicated. One of the most important themes in this text was the Mani pearl appeared as the symbol of the Dharmakaya, which should be honored and worshipped.
AB - The Dunhuang manuscript P. 4518 (10) is a fascinating illustrated manuscript that could be dated in the 10th century. Although it is commonly known as the scene of preaching Dharma, contemporary scholarship does not offer an adequate interpretation. Combining both traditional canonical texts and uncovered Chinese and Sanskrit manuscripts from Dunhuang and Khotan, this study suggests that this is an illustration showing that the Buddha explained the Mani pearl as the symbol of his Dharma Body (Dharmakaya) to two Arhats who were depicted as two monks with halo, upon the inquiry of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. This story might come from the Jñānālokālaṃkāra-sūtra, a popular text in Central and East Asia, as its Sanskrit fragments from Khotan and Chinese manuscripts from Dunhuang indicated. One of the most important themes in this text was the Mani pearl appeared as the symbol of the Dharmakaya, which should be honored and worshipped.
KW - Dharma Body
KW - Jñānālokālaṃkāra-sūtra: Khotan
KW - Mani pearl
KW - Mañjuśrī
KW - P. 4518 (10)
KW - scene of preaching Dharma
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U2 - 10.1080/00094633.2020.1769432
DO - 10.1080/00094633.2020.1769432
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85090389826
SN - 0009-4633
VL - 53
SP - 227
EP - 241
JO - Chinese Studies in History
JF - Chinese Studies in History
IS - 3
ER -