What is the historical value of Dunhuang murals in the Second Reich? The history of Dunhuang art and China culture!

Today, I hope I can help you bring Dunhuang art and China culture.

First of all, talk about Dunhuang

When it comes to Dunhuang, it's always incredible if we don't talk about the Mogao Grottoes. The Mogao grottoes are in Dunhuang, just like Chang 'an in the Tang Dynasty, although not all of them are better than all of them. If our eyes linger on the murals of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, we will be shocked by the moving art of Dunhuang. It can be said that its artistic appeal is not accidental, but has a profound historical background and cultural ties. If we carefully observe the characteristics of the murals in the Mogao Grottoes, it is not difficult to find that the Mogao Grottoes far away in the Hexi Corridor are always inextricably linked with Chinese culture and have produced amazing Buddha flowers. So today I want to talk to you about the murals in the Mogao Grottoes and the integration of China culture and Buddhism culture behind them.

Dunhuang frescoes

2. Mogao Grottoes murals: the integration of China civilization and Buddhist culture.

The word Dunhuang seems to have a special meaning by nature. When people talk about the Mogao Grottoes, they always think of its mysterious colors, exotic customs and other characteristics. However, if we look at the murals of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, we will find that although Dunhuang was originally located in the Hexi Corridor thousands of miles away, Chinese civilization is everywhere. Of course, there are many Buddhist portraits in the Mogao Grottoes, which are naturally more cultural. But if you carefully taste the murals such as "Demon Turning into Tao" and "Fighter Cutting Meat to Save Pigeons", you will find that the Chinese civilization as the host and the Buddhist culture as an outsider are so ingeniously integrated:

Understanding and expression of the word "love" in Buddhist murals: Where does love come from?

Historically, when understanding the word "emotion" in art, many people often think of the emotion in poetry first, which also shows that Chinese civilization began to pay attention to people's spiritual experience at a very early age. For example, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Zhuangzi was wild and cold on the surface, but hot inside. This understanding of emotion and art was comprehensively summarized in the Western Jin Dynasty. For example, during the period of Wen Fu, Lu Ji put forward that "poetry is beautiful because of emotion" and thought that poetry originated from emotion, which also deeply influenced the murals in Mogao Grottoes.

It can be said that the deepest emotion is the soul of Mogao Grottoes murals. Later, when we observe the murals in the Mogao Grottoes, we always vaguely feel that the emotions in the paintings are not far away from us. In Dunhuang murals, especially in the turbulent period from 460 to 500 AD, when Dunhuang faced a gentle invasion, we can clearly perceive the fiery emotions in those murals. Take the following mural "Prince Sa lays down his life to feed the tiger" as an example:

A complete mural

In the lower right part of this mural, after Prince Sakai jumped off the cliff to save the dying tiger, his family was heartbroken. If you look closely, compared with the dignified shape of the upper part of the mural, the characters in the lower right part can't even stand up and cry, and they are extremely sad. What's more, Prince Sakai is willing to sacrifice himself to save the tiger, which also reflects the deep compassion of Buddhism.

This spirit of sacrifice and the spirit of Dunhuang people to protect their homes have produced an emotional voice, which has further sublimated the emotions in murals.

Expression of power: an understanding of the trend of "citing but not issuing" in Chinese civilization

People who are familiar with China's ancient art can hardly avoid the theme of "potential". In Chinese civilization, the influence of politics, military affairs and geomantic omen on the overall situation has long been recognized.

When it comes to painting, only through specific arrangements can we show a gesture of movement and make the picture come alive, so as to achieve the trend of attracting without sending.

For example, Gu Kaizhi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty advocated using specific scenery, such as endless mountains and specific coloring, to highlight the tension of the picture, and then to show the convergence of momentum by depicting things that reflect extreme silence or ease, thus forming a harmonious posture.

For example, the following mural "Sa _ Prince lays down his life to feed the tiger":

Mural "Deceive the Demon and Realize the Truth"

This mural well grasps the "potential" from the picture, and the whole picture forms a sharp contrast: the magic army under the command of Papman, that is, Monti, is all around the picture. They are ferocious and aggressive, throwing all kinds of weapons at the Buddha, among which three witches are seductive; Sakyamuni, who is located in the center of the picture, is poised and unmoved, gently twisting his skirt with one hand and touching the ground with the other. This contrast, whether it is the attack posture of the magic army or the seductive posture of the witch, has been eliminated by the Buddha's motionless posture. This contrast on the screen is only an explanation of "potential".

However, in the murals, Sakyamuni did not move like a mountain at first, and then he applied the French seal, which reflected the Buddhist thought. He believes that the Bodhisattva should not only lower her eyebrows, but also glare at King Kong, and she should be able to make a thunderbolt to show her mind. His understanding of Buddhist culture is profound.

3. Why do Chinese civilization and Buddhist culture bloom in Dunhuang?

Seeing the above introduction, I think many people will wonder why Dunhuang is in the Hexi Corridor thousands of miles away, and Chinese civilization will affect it. Why did Dunhuang, which should be full of western culture, become so popular with Buddhist culture? Although we can't go back to the past to accurately perceive, we can always trace back to history and sort out some clues:

Although Dunhuang is located in Hexi Corridor, it is one of the kindling of Chinese civilization.

Dunhuang is inextricably linked with Chinese civilization. In fact, there is a certain climate, geographical location and humanistic harmony. Since the Yongjia Rebellion in the Western Jin Dynasty, the whole Central Plains region has been in turmoil for nearly 200 years, and the society is in turmoil. At that time, people who had lived in the Central Plains for a long time had no choice but to leave their homeland and choose a new settlement. At that time, Dunhuang was relatively stable because it was far from the Central Plains. In addition, although the natural environment of Dunhuang is slightly inferior to that of the Central Plains, it is a suitable area for farming because of its abundant mountains, fertile fields and sunshine.

The migration of population brings not only pots and pans, but also the civilization behind the population. At that time, except for a few refugees, the main people who were able to migrate to Dunhuang were some big families in the Central Plains. These big families brought their lifestyle and eating habits, their literary pursuit and aesthetic style, in other words, Chinese civilization.

These immigrants were made by Dunhuang people who lived in Dunhuang for more than 200 years. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty gradually moved here when he opened up the territory. Although it was ruled by the rulers at that time, they still had a considerable degree of Chinese civilization, especially the foundation of Chinese culture. This makes the integration of immigrants and extended families extremely natural.

Zhangzhi calligraphy

In addition, Dunhuang itself has a fairly high level of China culture. For example, Zhang Zhi, a calligrapher with obvious colors in Dunhuang, is a flowing calligrapher. Cao Sheng's name is immortal, and even the calligrapher Wang Xizhi uses his calligraphy to evaluate himself.

The natural inclusiveness of Chinese civilization and the weak aggressiveness of Buddhist culture complement each other.

If we read through the history of China, we will always marvel at the great vitality and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. Although some ethnic groups occupied the Central Plains in some historical periods, these ethnic regimes were still accustomed to the rule of Chinese civilization.

The natural inclusiveness of Chinese civilization stems from its theoretical basis and cultural self-confidence. Being ahead of other civilizations around for a long time, it has a natural psychological advantage over other cultures, which makes it extremely inclusive of foreign cultures and allows other cultures to exist.

Dunhuang monk lezun

The core of Buddhist culture is the transformation of this world and the afterlife, and it is the forbearance and restraint of reality, which makes Buddhist culture naturally have a weak aggression. Although Buddhism still hoped to make more people believe in the wisdom of Buddhism, this hope was realized through the painstaking efforts and kindness of Buddhist monks at that time, which made the local people in Dunhuang not.

It is the inclusiveness of China culture and the weak aggressiveness of Buddhist culture that make them complement each other and promote the prosperity of Buddhist art..

Although the Northern Wei regime was Xianbei regime, it respected Chinese culture and Buddhist culture.

When Dunhuang built the Mogao Grottoes, the period of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty was particularly worth mentioning. This period is the most turbulent period in Dunhuang, but it is also a period of qualitative change in Dunhuang art.

Although Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty was the monarch of Xianbei regime, his admiration for China culture has a long history. He has reached the level of mastering Confucian classics, and more importantly, he used his monarchical power to vigorously promote the reform of the sinicization of the Northern Wei Dynasty and promote the comprehensive sinicization of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Dunhuang, as the outpost and important base of the Northern Wei Dynasty in the western regions, was naturally influenced by the comprehensive sinicization reform.

Reform of Emperor Xiaowen in Northern Wei Dynasty

In addition, the rulers of the Northern Wei Dynasty, such as Emperor Xiaowen, were worshippers of Buddhist culture, and some of them were even staunch Buddhists, which made the spread of Buddhism in the Northern Wei Dynasty encounter no great resistance.

Dunhuang has a unique geographical location: the only place for exchanges between the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Southern Dynasties and the Western Regions.

Due to the fierce competition between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, they turned their attention to the Western Regions when neither side could make an effective breakthrough. At that time, the Northern Wei Dynasty was closely related to the Western Regions, and the Southern Dynasties also had close contacts with the Western Regions.

The location of Dunhuang

From the map, Dunhuang is only the entrance of the Central Plains to the Western Regions. Therefore, if you want to contact the western regions, you have to go through Dunhuang. Naturally, Dunhuang can gain the advantage of the moon and the influence of the Central Plains, especially the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, on China culture. Although Dunhuang belonged to the Northern Wei Dynasty at that time, it was culturally centered on Jiangnan. Due to the cultural differences between the south and Tuguhun, communication is not very frequent. Therefore, the road from the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Southern Dynasties and then to the Western Regions can only be realized through Dunhuang.

Map of Dunhuang in Jin Dynasty

In addition, we cannot ignore the role of Buddhists. At that time, there were different degrees of Buddhist upsurge in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Many monks from Dunhuang came to Wan Li not far away to practice during the Southern Dynasties, bringing back the Buddhist culture of the Southern Dynasties, which always bears the obvious imprint of Chinese civilization, making Dunhuang blossom an artistic flower that is obviously different from other northern regions.

Fourth, conclusion and thinking.

Dunhuang murals are the treasures of human art, and their value is not only their own artistic value, but also a collision and fusion of Chinese civilization and Buddhist culture, which provides a paradigm for the fusion of local civilization and foreign culture. Of course, this paradigm is not as direct as carving a boat for a sword, but it combines the turmoil in the Central Plains, the uneasy corner of Dunhuang, the high achievements of Chinese culture in a big family and the beginning of Buddhist culture. Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes still stand. Perhaps one day in the future, there will be a new cultural fusion, leaving a new mark on the Mogao Grottoes.