Agatha is staring down the fierce lion guarding the Grotto of Full Enlightenment.
The lion is associated with WenShu (aka Manjusri), the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. The carvings at this site date from the 12th century (Song Dynasty).
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Cave of Enlightenment
Interior of the Cave of Enlightenment. This grotto contains twelve life-sized luohans (aka arhats) surrounding the Buddhist trinity. This detail shows one of the luohans.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Buffaloes with their herders
A detail from a carving depicting buffaloes with their herders -- an allegorical representation of meditation and the path to enlightenment. Here we see enlightenment attained.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Fierce Tiger
The "Fierce" Tiger Descending a Mountain
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Demonic guardian figures
Demonic guardian figures, in a wider context.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Guardians
Demonic guardians of Buddhist law. Notice how some of their faces are augmented with clay.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Guardian figures.
Demonic guardian figures. Note the stylistic similarity to the statue of the heavenly god from the Shaanxi History Museum, in our Xi'an gallery.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Anicca
The demon holding Anicca, the Wheel of Predestination, which depicts the possible states of reincarnation from Buddhahood down to animals and ghosts. The demon is six meters tall.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Cat and mouse
A cat stalking a mouse at the feet of Anicca.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Three Bodhisattvas
The three Bodhisattvas of the Huayan School of Buddhism:Puxian (who is also especially revered on Emei Shan, see that gallery for more), Amidhaba, and Wenshu. A separate source identifies the three as Wenshu, Vairocana, and Puxian.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva Puxian. The pagoda he holds is said to weigh half a ton, and is possibly a reference to the temples of Emei Shan.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva Puxian. Picture taken by Agatha.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Guanyin
Inside the Dabei Pavilion (Pavilion of Great Compassion) sits Guanyin, with her 1007 arms, each eyed palm holding a different symbol of the bodhisattva.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Reclining Buddha
The massive Reclining Buddha. This posture represents the historical Buddha's final state of enlightenment before his death.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Reclining Buddha
The massive Reclining Buddha. The tourists in the foreground give an idea of the scale of the carving.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Attendants to the massive Reclining Buddha
Detail of the attendants to the massive Reclining Buddha. These are realistic portraits of important donors and officials.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Duty of Parental Love
Panel depicting the Confucian theme of the Duty of Parental Love using Buddhist iconography. This panel demonstrates how seemingly conflicting philosophies coexisted during the time of the Southern Song Dynasty.
The turquoise and blue couple on the left demonstrate earnest and tireless instruction. Near the center, a younger girl offers a cup to an older one, demonstrating the duties of pregnancy. Other groupings demonstrate the pains of child birth and nursing, the joy that a child brings to the family, and the duty of raising an heir to Buddha.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Duty of Filial Piety
Panel depicting the Confucian theme of Duty of Filial Piety using iconography that refers to the historical Buddha. This panel further demonstrates how seemingly conflicting philosophies coexisted during the time of the Southern Song Dynasty.
The grouping in the center bottom shows the scene of carrying the coffin of the father who was king.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Various hells
Detail of the Eighteen Layers of Buddhist Hell: Bodhisattvas gaze down at drunken sinners. In the upper left-hand corner is the Hell of Dirt and Filth. In the lower right corner, one finds the Hell of the Iron Wheel. On the right side is the Hell of the Vat of Boiling Oil.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Knee-chopping hell
Detail from the depiction of the Eighteen Layers of Hell: Knee-chopping hell. The couple on the right depicts a drunken older sister failing to recognize the younger one. The figure with a stick is a drunkard murdering his father.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Sages
Daoist sages, further demonstrating the harmonious mixture of philosophies represented at this site.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
A handsome pair.
The carvings at this site were the life work of the monk Zhao Zhifeng, who raised the money and oversaw the carving between 1179 and 1245. Since they are largely the expression of one man's vision, the ten thousand images found here are unusually cohesive.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Agatha and Yang Yang
Agatha and Yang Yang stand before a carving.
Dazu Rock Carvings at Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
Guangda Si
The incense-filled inner courtyard of the Qing-era Guangda Si (Temple of Longevity), built in honor of Zhao Zhifeng.
Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
A picturesque building
A picturesque building, the purpose of which is unknown to me. It was locked when we visited.
Baoding Shan (Mountain), Chongqing Province.
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