Profile of a Sacred Place: Shrine to Vairocana Buddha

Mary Caraway

Profile of a Sacred Place: Shrine to Vairocana Buddha

The Shrine to Vairocana Buddha is carved into the Longmen’s Grottoes in central China’s Henan province located south of the western cliffs. It is the largest among all the Grottoes of Longmen. The word Vairocana carries the meaning of illuminating all things in the sutra. Carved from a limestone hill in 676 AD during the Tang Dynasty, the Vairocana Buddha sits over 17 meters high and over six feet in length. Unlike the textbook that mentions the statue as being male, most articles regarding the shrine perceive the statue as a mature woman deserving respect. The Shrine to Vairocana Buddha was constructed entirely based on the Buddhist religion, and represents a large part of Chinese art during this timeframe.
The Vairocana Buddha is the central focus in the Fengxian Temple Grotto, however, she is flanked on either side with Bodhisattvas, warriors, and heaven lords which compliment the utter beauty of this massive statue. The face of the Vairocana Buddha is said to hold a resemblance to Wu Zetian, the Tang Dynasty empress who aided the completion of the construction with her own money. The Vairocana Buddha statue is often referred to as the Chinese Mona Lisa, Venus, or Mother of China. Her face is kind, and though the size of the statue itself is intimidating, her appearance embraces tourists and worshippers. Her gentle face and comely appeal often remind them of the only reigning female in the history of China, Wu Zetian, which puts them at ease.
Having the shrine constructed out in the open into the side of a mountain allows for anyone to be able to appreciate the serenity of the Vairocana Buddha. The natural surroundings of the shrine also provide a peaceful atmosphere in which to worship, or simply observe this magnificent piece of art. Over the years the statues of the Fengxian Temple Grotto have succumbed to the harsh elements of Mother Nature, but much of the shrine has been well cared for.
The majority of people who travel to the Longmen Grottoes, specifically the Fengxian Temple do so to worship Buddhism and Empress Wu Zetian. Many worship her for her leadership in 690 AD when she established the Zhou Dynasty, which resulted in a better gender equality during the Tang Dynasty. Nonetheless, these grottoes also portray the political, economical, and cultural lives in ancient China. For over 500 years, the Longmen Grottoes have been the destination sites of pilgrimages, which have been visited by foreign and domestic dignitaries who left tributes and donations to assist in the upkeep of the shrines. The Longmen Grottoes have been listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2000 by UNESCO, which has also made contributions to keep this monumental work of Chinese art beautiful.

http://en.hnta.cn/Htmls/Scenic/Scenic_209.shtml
http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/luoyang/longmen.php
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200406/15/eng20040615_146413.html