The origin of "Portrait of Medicine Buddha"

"There is a Caotang Temple in the south and Shengguang Temple in the north" is the praise and summary of the local famous temples in the Huxian Buddhist community. Now let's not mention the "Caotang Temple among the eight scenic spots in Guanzhong" and just talk about a treasure in the Shengguang Temple, the largest temple in the north of the county.

The origin of "Portrait of Medicine Buddha".

The original work of Wu Daozi, the "Portrait of the Medicine Buddha", which was once rumored in the countryside, was painted by Wu Daozi when he traveled to Shengguang Temple in Xiwu Mountain outside the capital and discussed the rise of Zen with the abbot of the temple.

Regarding Shengguang Temple, according to the "Kangxi County Chronicle" of the 42nd year of Qianlong in 1717, Shengguang Temple is located in Shiwang Village.

In Shiwang Village in the north of the county, it was built in the Tang Dynasty and rebuilt in the 25th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. There is a Huanglong Cave inside.

According to the "Hu County Chronicles of the 22nd Year of the Republic of China", there are 364 people in 53 households in Caoshiwang Village in the north (214 males and 150 females) with a second-class land of 2069.23 acres. Note: There is Shengguang Temple in the north and Huanglong Cave in the temple.

There is a Bodhisattva temple.

Legend has it that Wu Daozi traveled here, and the abbot at that time became Master Huanglong because there was a Huanglong Cave in the temple. He had a good chat with Wu Daozi. Wu Daozi made it based on the popular line image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva from the Western Regions. He was inspired by his interest.

The signature became just a "drama". This was mainly due to the popularity of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva portraits in the Buddhist world at that time. The main basis is: According to the record of the effectiveness of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva image, "The Samana Zhi (Wisdom) of Qingtai Temple inspired Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva"

According to the record, in the year of Tianfu in the later Jin Dynasty, a Western Indian named Zhiyou came to China and brought a picture of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Sutra of Merits and Merit of the Original Vows. There was a statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the center of the picture, and on the left and right sides were the images of the ten kings.

picture.

From this, we can deduce that in that atmosphere, Wu Daozi omitted the "Ten Kings" statues and simply sketched the main Buddha enshrined in Shengguang Temple - Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, just like he did for the Double Ninth Festival.

Like the "Ghost Hunting Picture" painted by the palace, the lines are clear and the painting is lifelike.

The portrait of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva painted in this way depicts the joyful heart of Master Huanglong.

When Liang Dong copied the painting in the Southern Song Dynasty, the inscription was "Tang Wu Daozi Bi·Liang Dongjian". Comparing the handwriting with the inscription of Wu Daozi's "Ghost Hunting Picture" in the Chongyang Palace in Huxian County, it should also be an imitation.

Wu Daozi's calligraphy handwriting.

However, the handwriting of "Tang Wu Daozi Xibi" on the upper left has now been obscured. Only the vertical line of the word "bi" can still be felt.

This shows that Wu Daozi's original work was still there when Liang Dong copied it, but it was later missing.

Liang Dong of the Southern Song Dynasty imitated the "Portrait of the Medicine Buddha" by Wu Daozi of the Tang Dynasty. It was kept in Shengguang Temple until the late 1960s, when it was moved to the Huxian Confucian Temple during the "Destroying the Four Olds" during the "Ten Years of Civil War"

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After the reform and opening up, Shengguang Temple reappeared the morning bells and evening drums, and the Buddha's light shone everywhere. The abbot of the temple, Master Shengguang, asked someone to imitate the Buddha statue of Liang Dong of the Song Dynasty. He carved a stone and erected it on the upper level (east side) of the temple. Next to it, a seven-character poem by Mr. Wu Shuren, a famous country man, was added, which is consistent with the Buddha statue.

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Since the construction of Shengguang Temple in the Tang Dynasty, although the temple has risen and fallen several times, the interpretation and changes of the three-way stone carvings of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva have not changed the Bodhisattva's vast vows: to save all sentient beings, only then can we achieve Bodhi; hell is not empty.

, I vow not to become a Buddha; if I don’t go to hell, who will?

And educate and influence the people around Xiwuling.

I hope that as a treasure in Shengguang Temple, it can return to the temple on Xiwu Ridge as soon as possible.