Abstract
This paper aims to consider history and value of the Mingshansi Grottoes, a complex of Buddhist rock sculptures in Anyue County, Sichuan Province, China. Mingshansi Shiku, not that far from Baodingshan Grottoes at Dazu District, Chongqing City, is an important art work of Liu Benzun sect. Even though there are not many niches and sculptures in the Mingshansi Shiku, it was designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level due to its large scale and highly valued art works in it. In the Mingshansi Grottoes there is not any information inscribed on the rockface about when the grottoes were established. Because a stone pagoda, which had information about when and by whom they were established, was collapsed, some scholars considered them to be made in North Song or early Southern Song Dynasties based only on the artistic style of sculptures of the grottoes. The School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University recently carried out a survey documenting the Mingshansi Grottoes, and thereby the school gives an important material for studying the grottoes. The grottoes consist of a Dharma-protection Warrior niche, a statue of Guanyin and Dashizhi seated together, a standing Mahavairocana statue, a standing Manjushuri statue, a standing Wenshu and Puxian statue, a Turning Dharma-wheel pagoda (轉法輪塔 Zhuanfalunta) of Zhao Zhifeng, the founder of Liu Benzun sect. These statues are considered to be produced by an overall master plan in the Middle or Late Period of the Southern Song. The Shiku is believed to be a site at which Zhao Zhifeng performed some Buddhist rites such as Water and Land Rituals (水陸法會 Shuilufahui). Income of the ritual was also a major part of the funding for establishing large-scale Baoding Shiku at Dazu District, Chongqing City.
중국 사천성 안악현(安岳縣) 명산사(茗山寺) 석굴은 유본존(柳本尊) 교파의 중요한 석굴사원이다. 석굴은 호법신장감(護法神將龕), 관음 대세지병좌상, 대일여래입상, 문수보살입상, 문수 보현병입상 그리고 조지봉(趙智鳳)의 전법륜탑으로 구성되어 있고 하나의 통일체를 이룬다. 이 석굴사원은 남송 중기에 건축되었고, 아마도 대족(大足), 안악(安岳) 일대 유본존(柳本尊) 교파의 2대 교주인 조지봉이 일찍이 수륙법회 등의 석굴사원은 의식을 거행하던 도량으로 추정된다. 조지봉은 규모가 큰 중경시 대족구 보정산석굴을 개착하였는데, 명산사 법회의 수입이 그 주요 자금 중 하나였다.