Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple at Longmen Grottoes

AsiaEast AsiaChinaAll VideosAP Art HistoryEarly Imperial China
Written By AQ

Speaker: Dr. Cortney Chaffin Kim

The Fengxian Temple

Carved into the hard limestone cliffside in the 7th century CE, the Fengxian temple features a monumental 56-foot-high image of the Vairocana Buddha. The Buddha is in the amazing rock-cut temple at Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province, China. Vairocana Buddha is on a dramatic, stage-like setting, flanked by 8 colossal images of robed monks, jeweled bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, and dvarapalas, or gate guardians. We explain who Vairocana Buddha is and explain why this Buddha was carved at the site during the Tang dynasty, patronized by Tang Emperor Gaozong and his wife, Empress Wu Zetian.

Video chapters

0:00 Who is Vairocana Buddha?

0:59 The Fengxian temple at Longmen

2:19 Connection with the Flower Garland Sutra (Flower Garland Sutra) of the Huayan School

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