Buddha picked up a flower and Kasyapa smiled. Many people are curious about this kind of meditation, just like the meditating Buddha in Dunhuang Grottoes, the smile of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Yungang Grottoes, and the smile of Maiji Mountain. When we appreciate works of art from an aesthetic perspective, we might as well let the various wonderful experiences of life enter the aesthetic field of vision.
Ms. Fan Jinshi, former director of the Dunhuang Research Institute, has been working in Dunhuang for more than 60 years. In her book "My Heart Is in Dunhuang", she talked about how she returned to Dunhuang after her father passed away, felt depressed, and faced the ups and downs in life:
"Every time I think of the meditating Buddha in Cave 259, his smile is a revelation. The past can no longer be retrieved, and the future is uncertain. All a person can have is the present, and the only thing that can be taken away is the present. If you understand this, you can't and will never lose anything, because you don't have anything in the first place. Everyone lives only the life he has now, not any other life, and this is true for both the longest and the shortest life."
Mogao Grottoes Cave 259
The meditating Buddha in Cave 259 of Mogao Grottoes is one of the representative caves of the early Mogao Grottoes. It was excavated during the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and has a history of more than 1,500 years. It is an important cultural relic for understanding the history of Buddhist art and is almost the image spokesperson for every Dunhuang exhibition.
The meditative Buddha statue on the lower level of the east side of the north wall of Cave 259 in Dunhuang
The meditating Buddha statue on the lower level on the east side of the north wall of Cave 259 in Dunhuang is 0.92 meters high. Because of the high base, passers-by feel like they are meeting the meditating Buddha face to face: his wavy hair is in a high bun, and his plump round face symbolizes the perfection of blessings and wisdom. His big ears hang down to his shoulders, his chest is tucked in, his posture is dignified and relaxed, his legs are crossed, he sits cross-legged on a rectangular Sumeru throne, his hands overlap in front of his abdomen, his eyebrows are like two crescent moons, his eyelids are slightly drooping, and his nose wings are slightly raised. The subtle smile at the corners of his mouth seems to fill his entire face, his entire body, and even his hair is filled with such joy. This deep state of meditation conveys a powerful peace and quiet to every reader who meets him.
Luoyang Museum has half of a smiling Buddha from the Northern Wei Dynasty. Experts speculate that it should come from the 136.7-meter-high tower of Yongning Temple during the Northern Wei Dynasty. A lightning strike caused the Yongning Temple tower to disappear in a raging fire, but the Buddha's smile was still on his lips, remaining in the ashes. It was later discovered and became the treasure of Luoyang Museum. Half of the face, under the top light of the museum, the corners of the mouth smile under the strong light, and together with the meditating Buddha in Cave 259 of Dunhuang, it is mysterious and intimate.
Half a Buddha's smile
The original meaning of Zen is "meditation of thinking" and "quiet contemplation". Quiet means cessation and contemplation means observation. Stopping and contemplation are the art of Buddhists to control their body and mind, as well as the method of Buddhists to gain insight into the essence of life. They are also the basic skills of Buddhists to cultivate their character and cultivate their mind. Through the life of Zen meditation and the experience of Zen meditation, one can filter the mind and consciousness, understand the great way, liberate the mind, and settle life and body.
A cup of turbid water needs to be left alone before clear water can settle out. The basic principle of Zen meditation is to calm the mind, observe through cessation and contemplation, focus the mind on one thing, observe without moving, observe in the present moment, observe leisurely and freely, so as to achieve a pure state of mind without distraction - one-pointedness of mind, which has the practical effect of "a pure mind leads to a pure land".
Head of Northern Wei Buddha in Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo Museum in Japan also has smiling Buddhas and Bodhisattvas from the Northern Wei Dynasty. The restrained eyes, the crescent-shaped eyebrows, the slightly open nose wings, the constant smile at the corners of the mouth, and the overall silent charm of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas make people know at a glance: these are also Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in meditation, and they all have an indescribable joy emanating from within.
In daily life, some people can play chess, draw, play the piano, write, sing, or even run, play ball, skate, etc. for a long time, and they will feel happy in their hearts. Therefore, we usually call the perseverance in sports and art training as concentration. However, there is still a big difference. One of them is that we may not be in a completely relaxed physical state like Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, nor do we necessarily have any external expectations.
Tokyo National Museum Northern Wei Bodhisattva
The "Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" once explained: "To be free from external appearances is called Zen, and to be free from inner confusion is called concentration." In the Buddhist practice method, one can achieve a state of concentration, sit quietly, relax and comfortably, and naturally present a state of clarity and joy in the heart. This is Zen joy - a joyful state of mind that can be achieved by oneself without the help of external objects.
Effective reading is always inseparable from the accumulation of background knowledge. When we look at the meditating Buddha, if we have some background knowledge about meditation and Zen practice, it will be easier for us to understand the life pursuit of the ancients and the core connotations expressed by the many meditating Buddha and Bodhisattva statues in Dunhuang. In this way, we will not simply confuse Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
Art may also bring us some similar settlement, so what is the difference between Buddhist meditation and other meditations? The "Buddha's Eight Mindfulness Sutra" records the understanding of meditation by the Buddha, who was good at teaching, and Aniruddha, who was good at learning. Aniruddha reflected in meditation and believed that: less desire, knowing contentment, seclusion, diligence, control of mind, concentration, and wisdom are the right way; while more desire, no satisfaction, pleasure in the crowd, laziness, debauchery, many thoughts, and ignorance are not the way. This is the basic difference between Buddhist meditation and other meditations, that is, in terms of the degree of tempering of the mind and consciousness, it is still different from other arts. Of course, we can also understand the freedom to enter and exit various meditations as the art of life freedom and freedom.
Just like the four levels of a game, the four levels of Zen are: the first level, practicing by abandoning desires and evil and being happy; the second level, giving up joy and concentrating on one thing; the third level, transcending suffering and happiness and observing the Dharma; the fourth level, cutting off all worries and joys, and being pure and free from desire.
These four stages do not seem difficult, but a person who often exiles his mind to wander outside often cannot even achieve the first jhana, while many artists can reach the second jhana. However, after mastering the fourth jhana, one should not stay in the state of meditation or the preference of meditation, but should further practice the Eight Great Mindfulness (eight conscious lifestyles), the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path (eight right paths in life), insight into the truth of life, and build the meaning of life: the clarity and cleanliness of the mind, the refinement and sublimation of personality, and even wisdom and liberation.
When we appreciate works of art from an aesthetic perspective, we might as well let the various wonderful experiences of life enter the aesthetic field of vision. Many people are curious about this kind of meditation, just like the meditative Buddha in the Dunhuang Grottoes, the smile of the Northern Wei Dynasty in the Yungang Grottoes, and the smile of Maiji Mountain. This is also a state of life.
The "Smile" of Maiji Mountain
There is also a well-known "Eastern Smile" in Maiji Mountain, which is the main statue in Cave 44. This is a representative statue of the Western Wei Dynasty. It was built by Wudu Wang Yuanwu for his mother when he was the governor of Qinzhou. It pays tribute to the image of his mother, Empress Yifu, the wife of Emperor Wen of the Western Wei Dynasty, Yuan Baoju, in the form of art, as well as the height of life that one can reach.
The main statue of Cave 44 at Maiji Mountain
In the face of national stability and unity, women often became tools of history and politics, and love and marriage were often used as political and diplomatic means - marriage. The Rouran in the north was very powerful at the time and often invaded, so much so that Gao Huan, the manipulator behind the Eastern Wei, also married a Rouran princess, and his wife Lou Zhaojun, who had been in trouble, also left the main room to accommodate the Rouran princess. Yuan Baoju also followed Yuwen Tai's plan, abolished his first wife, Queen Yifu, and married a Rouran princess. Although the jealous Rouran princess was only in her teens, she coerced Yuan Baoju to make Queen Yifu, who had been living in the cold palace, become a nun. Later, she was forced to leave Chang'an and live with her youngest son, Wudu King Yuanwu, in Qinzhou (Tianshui).
However, the most normal thing in the world is impermanence. In history, the Rouran did not stop their invasion of the south because of the marriage. When the Rouran attacked, public opinion pointed to Yifu. Yuan Baoju seemed sober, but in fact he was very incompetent. He said, "How can a million people go to war for a woman? Even so, how can I face the generals if such rumors are spread?" He ordered Yifu to commit suicide. Yifu summoned her son to say goodbye, arranged everything, and cried, "May the emperor live a long life, and the world be healthy and peaceful. I will die without regrets." After that, the 31-year-old Yifu went into the room and pressed herself to death with a quilt.
The Avatamsaka Sutra says: "If you want to be a dragon or elephant of the Buddhas, you must first be an ox or horse of the living beings." Yifu was like a woman who worked as an ox or horse for the country and for peace. In her short life, she gave birth to children, sacrificed herself for the country, was abandoned by her beloved husband, and was even sentenced to death. She endured what others could not endure and gave what others could not give. Seeing the smile of Maiji Mountain still makes people feel deeply moved.
King Wudu buried his mother, Yifu, in Maiji Mountain, named Jiling - probably hoping that the Buddhist nirvana and tranquility could help his mother forget her suffering. The smile in Cave 44 of Maiji Mountain, the smile of the East, has a heavy history, but the smile of the Buddha in this cave is particularly touching. The life of Queen Yifu reminds people of the Buddhist scriptures: "Even if a hot iron wheel rotates on my head, I will never give up my Bodhicitta because of this suffering." Because of the determination to awaken, and even because of the insight into the nature of all things, all kinds of suffering in the world are false and unreal.
There is a saying in Zen Buddhism that Buddha smiled while holding a flower: Buddha held a flower and Kasyapa smiled. This is the source of Zen Buddhism, which is very lifelike and without any mysterious color. Therefore, Buddha's smile is a big thing. If you understand this smile, you will understand all of Buddha's teachings.
There were special words in Buddhist scriptures to express the benevolent appearance of the saints: the Tathagata smiles, the Tathagata smiles happily, the whole body smiles... Such beautiful words are all used to describe the Buddha's inner joy that does not depend on any human intervention. For example, the Sutra of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Original Vow says: "At that time, the Tathagata smiled and emitted hundreds of thousands of millions of great clouds of light." The Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra says: "At that time, the pores of the World Honored One's body also smiled and emitted various lights, illuminating the three thousand great thousand lands and the Buddha lands in the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges."
The spirit of this smile naturally permeates the whole body and mind, and the joy can still be transmitted to the people looking up through the hard stone thousands of years later. It is clear, joyful, round, full and bright, allowing people to stand still for a long time and feel the relaxation and relief in every pore of the body.
The Tathagata's laughter is not the laughter of a hero, the laughter of a child, or the laughter of a man or a woman. In the Avatamsaka Sutra, there are ten reasons why Buddhas and Bodhisattvas smile and make vows. These ten reasons are based on commitment, wisdom, patience, and the realization of the same essence of all Buddhas and Tathagatas, which are shocking:
At that time, the bodhisattva saw that all sentient beings had long planted good roots, but now all of them have retreated; knowing this, he smiled happily and vowed in his heart. The bodhisattva saw that although the seeds planted in the world are few, the fruits are many; knowing this, he smiled happily and vowed in his heart. The bodhisattva saw that all sentient beings will benefit from the Buddha's teachings; knowing this, he smiled happily and vowed in his heart. ... At that time, the bodhisattva was touched by the light of all the Tathagatas, and he was doubly pleased and vowed in his heart.
Cave 285, Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang
The Western Wei Dynasty colored sculpture of a meditating monk in a small niche on the west wall of Cave 285 in Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang also has such a smile, and is also so motionless. In this way, in the meditation of silence, the breath is flowing and the smile is faint. After sitting there for more than a thousand years, the clothes covering the head are covered with dust, and the field-shaped cassock is also covered with dust, but the purity and silence of the body and mind penetrate time and space, and have a powerful influence, making people forget the world and enter into a spotless spiritual space.
Painted sculptures of the Western Wei Dynasty in Cave 285 of Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang
The Smile of Yungang Northern Wei
Everyone is in social relationships, in their own human order or human-heaven order. This vast and endless universe will not stop for anyone, nor will it change for anyone, so we have no way out. Where is the space in the world that can accommodate us to turn around and move? Only our hearts will always have the possibility of self-reflection, the possibility of pure meditation, and the courage to face the present and the ability to move in the present.
