Depicted in the following drawing are Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and his two attendant guardians. Compare this drawing with Ksitigarbha carved in the stele’s fourth segment and guess the identity of the attendants besides him.

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and Min Gong & Son Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and the statues on both sides of him  

1. Garuda in Indian Buddhism Sutra and the Golden-winged Bird renowned in the Chinese folklore.

Known as the Golden-winged Bird in the Chinese translation, Garuda is one of the eight classes of brave divine beings in Buddhism and is said to be the mount of Visnu God. It is usually depicted as a warrior that has a bird head or wear a crest like cap and human body (see Fig.9).

Fig.9: Image of Garuda discovered in Qizil Grottos,Xinjiang,   about 5th century A.D. ②

The size of Garuda on this stele is not much different from that of Tathagata Buddha. Apart from that, there appears more cordiality than respect towards the Buddha. Monkey King once says in Chapter 86 of the Pilgrimage to the West, “The Tathagata Buddha is the Honoured One who rules the world, and he sits below the Garuda bird.” The amusing combination of Tathagata Buddha and Garuda bird is a artistic representation of this Buddhism mythology existed in the Chinese version. Although differing, to some extent, from its Indian original, the Chinese version story does include the plot of the bird surrendering to the Buddha and becoming a guardian of Buddhism, which serves as a good example of the sinicization of Buddhism in the folklore and art.

2. The stele chooses the folklore version of the scripture-seeking story rather than the orthodox version popular during Wei and Jin Dynasties.

Among the Buddha-related image steles created during Wei and Jin Dynasties, not a few focus on Buddha stories, such as Birth of Buddha, Nine Dragons Bathing the Newborn Baby Buddha, and the Picture of Vimalakirti. This stele, too, chooses the folklore version of the scripture-seeking story as its theme. The story of Monk Sanzang travelling to the west under the escort of his disciple Monkey King for scriptures had spread during Tang Dynasty, after recreation by folk artisans over time it has become a legendary work of art. The earliest work should be the Poetic Tale on Master Tang Sanzang’s Pilgrimage to the West for Buddhist Scriptures published in the Southern Song Dynasty. In the Yulin Grotto mural paintings in Anxi County, Gansu Province there are pictures created during Song and Western Xia periods on the story of Monk Tang fetching scriptures (see Fig. 10), which, approximately more than three hundred years earlier than the publication of the Pilgrimage to the West during the Ming Dynasty, are the earliest of its kind existing across the country.③

Fig. 10: Monk Tang fetching scriptures seen in Dunhuang Yulin grotto murals, Western Xia Period

This scripture-fetching themed picture is very rare in the Ming Dynasty’s image steles that have been exactly dated, which suggests the degree of the popularity this story had won among the people at that time.

Ever since it was introduced into China in Eastern Han Dynasty, Buddhism had developed, both through evolution on its own initiative and forced adjustment, to cater to the specific situation and historic needs of the host country. New elements were added to it. For instance, some of the Indian Buddhism mythologies had been adapted and merged into the Chinese Buddhism beliefs as integral parts thereof. What particularly deserves to be mentioned is the phenomenon that the Chinese Buddhists favored the Four Bodhisattva so much that they assigned separate residence to them for teaching, learning, or practising religion, satisfying the folks’ need for ‘grant whatever is requested’. The spread of Bodhisattva belief in China during Ming and Qing Dynasties is a key feature of the Chinese Buddhism, making it a symbol of the Chinese Buddhism belief.

The stele comprises of three parts – top, main body and seat. The figures on the stele include Sakyamuni, Maitreya and the Four Bodhisattvas – Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Samantabhadra and Ksitigarbha. Also seen on the stele are the scenes of Monk Sanzang and his three disciples as they traveled to the west in quest of Buddhist scriptures in the famous Chinese mythological novel Pilgrimage to the West.

Sitting inside the niche on the top is the statue of Avalokiteśvara, with Sudhana on her right. According to the Buddhist Sutra, Sudhana paid a formal visit to Avalokitesvara in Mount Putuo, one of the Four Holy Buddhist Mountains, where he received advice and enlightenment from the Goddess; and he became her attendant afterwards. See Fig. 1.

Fig. 1: Avalokitesvara’s sitting and standing statues on the stele top

The main body is divided into five segments from top to bottom, each with different engravings. In the centre of the top segment there is a curved niche which houses the Buddha, above whom is a beaked, man-like Garuda that has wings on both shoulders, and on either side of whom there is an Apsara, dressed in short coat and skirt, flying in opposite directions. On the sides of the Buddha we see two of his disciples, both with peach-shaped neck halo, standing on lotus throne waiting on him with a namaste gesture. See Fig. 2.

Fig. 2: The top segment depicting Tathagata and the story of Monk Sanzang and his disciples journeying to the west heaven in quest of Buddhist scriptures

The right side of the niche is divided into two grids – the upper grid and the lower one. There’s a willow in the lower grid, on whose right side there is a white horse while on its left the vigorous Monkey King who, with the golden cudgel in his left hand, lifts his right hand poising himself to look into the distance. The figure in the upper grid, a Bhiksu who stands against a background of nimbus and big trees with a monster-hunting cane in his right hand ①, looks experienced and prudent and is believed to be Friar Sand, the third disciple of Monk Sanzang (see Fig. 3). On the left side of the niche we see a temple, with the gate half opened, located next to a Lamaist pagoda and an arch bridge, outside which there is a tall, brawny elder in kasaya, who is thought to be monk Sanzang, the hero of the pilgrimage. The figure under the arch bridge is a relative short Bhiksu whose face, with a big, protruding mouth, is apparently different the normal. Carrying the scripture boxes on shoulder, he is walking unhurriedly with his head turning sidewards, appearing quite amusing. He could be no one else but Pig, the second disciple of Monk Sanzang (see Fig. 4). Choosing the heroes of the folklore of Pilgrimage to the West as the subject is the highlight of this stele.

Fig. 3: The Monkey King and the white horse Fig. 4: Images of Monk Sanzang and Pig

The second and fourth segments depict the Four Bodhisattvas – Avalokiteśvara, Manjusri, Samantabhadra and Ksitigarbha, all being well-known figures in China (see Fig. 5). The images in the middle of the second segment are Manjusri, Avalokitesvara and Samantabhadra (from left to right).

Fig. 5: Images in the second segment are Bodhisattva Manjusri, Avalokiteśvara, Samantabhadra and the celestial guards

Carved in the middle of the third segment is an arch niche, whose deity Maitreya Buddha is seen sitting on the floor at ease, with bare chest and belly, beaming with good-nature, resting the left hand on his bag while holding a string of prayer beads in the right hand. See Fig. 6.

Fig. 6: Maitreya Buddha, aka the Cloth Bag Monk, as depicted in the third segment.

Similarly, there is also an arch niche in the middle of the forth segment the deity in which is Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, who, wearing a monk’s cap, sits gravely on the lotus throne, holding the staff in the right hand and prayer beads in the left. There is a statue on either side of Ksitgarbha, both standing on lotus throne (see Fig. 7).

The carvings in the bottom segment include two rectangular niches inscribed between which are the three characters Thousand-Buddha Temple (see Fig. 8). In each of the two niches, there are five figures that, wearing official crown, dressed in loose-sleeved robe, stand on the lotus throne with the tablet being held before chest with both hands. They are the ten Yama-raja subordinated to Ksitgarbha. Designated by Sakyamuni as the Overlord of the Underworld, Ksitgarbha is the ruler of the hells in the Chinese folk belief, whose ten Yama-raja help him rule the hells. Naturally, their images are placed on the bottom of the stele.

Fig. 7: Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and his ten Yama-raja engraved in the 4th and 5th segments Fig. 8: The three characters Thousand-Buddha Temple inscribed between the two niches in the fifth segment (rubbing)

With a neat layout this stele is well arranged and appropriately structured. The images carved on the front face represent the artistic imagination rooted in the folks towards the heaven, earth and hell, respectively – the Buddha lives in the pure land in the west, towards where Monk Sanzang and his disciples travelled all the way in search of the true scriptures; Bodhisattvas are compassionate and benevolent figures who are ready to come down to earth to help people out of hardships, acting in Buddha’s name to ensure vice is punished and good supported and to preach Buddhism to all sentient beings; Maitreya was born from heaven down to the earth bringing people happiness and peace; no one being immortal, those who have committed sins will go to hell after death to be trialed by Yama-raja, King of Hell. Clearly, this stele is an artistic reproduction of the Chinese folk culture and Bodhisattva beliefs, a masterpiece of the secularization of Buddhism art.

The Thousand-Buddha Temple Stele, overall height 269cm, was created in the 23rd year of Jiajing reign of Ming Dynasty. Originally collected in Yanjin County, Xinxiang City, Henan Province, it is now preserved at Henan Museum.

Tan Shuqin: Associate researcher of Henan Museum. Dedicated to the study of ancient stone carvings, particularly Han stone reliefs, steles and epitaphs, and ancient Buddhist sculptures.

Xu Xiaoli:Museologist of the Collections Administration Department of Henan Museum,devoted to the protection and research of the collections of calligraphy and paintings.