The carvings of Shimen Mountain were made between 1094 and 1151 and consist of 12 grottoes. The carvings present the harmonious combination of Buddhism and Taoism. The Taoist statues are most distinctive.
The No.2 grotto was built during the Song Dynasty (1147) and is a shrine to the Jade Emperor. The statue of the Jade Emperor is small and sits on a throne in a dignified position. It wears a crown and imperial gowns and holds a jade tablet for ritual services in one hand with two maids holding large fans behind him. Two rare statues of clairvoyant and clairaudient are carved under the shrine. The clairvoyant’s hair is put up with a hair decoration. He is wearing the breast armor with a magic weapon in his right hand. He has a thin face with a pair of dilated eyes and open mouth. The shape of the statue looks as if he is investigating a situation far away. The statue of the clairaudient is very ugly. His face scrunches up and is very exaggerated. A pair of erected ears looks as if he is listening. He is stripped to the waist and holds a snake-shaped magic weapon with one end in his hand and the other end around his neck. The two deities look strange and are in good fettle. They stand barefoot with two legs stretched out. The magniloquent styles give them a kind of unstoppable power.
Water-Moon Guanyin
It is said in Buddhist scripture that Buddha Guanyin had thirty-three Dharma bodies with different appearances. The water-moon Guanyin refers to one watching the moon"s shadow in the water. There are many appearances, with a common sculpture being Guanyin standing amid lotus pedals, watching the moon"s shadow in the water, while another is Guanyin sitting with crossed legs like lotus pedals on sea rock in the sea. In addition, there are sitting Guanyin sculptures and sculptures with three faces and six arms, etc. The picture of water-moon Guanyin, one of the most frequently portrayed images in China"s Buddhist sculpture, was found in Qianfodong, Dunhuang.
The Buddhist carvings are mostly composed of the shrines of Medicine Buddha, Guanyin and Sakyamuni, and grottoes of Guanyin and other bodhisavatas. The No.6 grotto of Guanyin is most exquisite. The grotto was built during the Song Dynasty (1141). In the center of the grotto is the statue of Amitabha with Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta on the left and right sides respectively. They have elegant faces with wreathes on their heads, necklaces around the neck and soft buddhist robes. The statue of Guanyin holds a lotus in front, while Mahasthamaprapta holds a Ruyi (an auspicious object usually made of jade). On the left and right walls of the grotto is the statue of holy Guanyin with rounded face, peaceful appearance, slender figure, gorgeous jewelry and ribbons around the body. The statue stands on twin lotus with bare feet. The divine light around the statue fully displays its elegance and charm. It is a masterpiece of grotto carving from the Song Dynasty.
Besides the abovementioned Jinci Temple, Qinglian Temple and Dazu rock carvings, the harmonious combination of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are a common scene in temples built during the Song Dynasty, including the Prajna Cave in Anyue Grottoes of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Lotus Temple (Lianhua Ci) Grottoes in Pingdingchuan, Gansu Province, and the holy shrine of the Northern Song Dynasty. It perfectly shows the changes of Chinese religious spirits. On one hand, Buddhist thoughts gradually integrated with traditional Confucian culture and become part of the Chinese culture. On the other, the speculative philosophy of Buddhism promotes the growth of Confucianism during the Song Dynasty, while Taoism also adopts and borrows ideas from Buddhism and Confucianism. Song-style sculptural arts combining Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism directly reflect such intrinsic changes among the religious spirits.
