There is a famous saying in Zhang Hong's self-written "Huajing", "The external teacher creates the world, and the center gets the source." It became the motto of later painters. The Dunhuang Grottoes are an inevitable product of Dunhuang society. The Dunhuang Grottoes have always been a place for socialized Buddhist activities in Dunhuang. The Dunhuang Grottoes record the thousand-year history of Dunhuang and Chinese society.

Since its development in the Han Dynasty, Dunhuang has been the gateway from the Central Plains to the Western Regions. The Dunhuang area had the advanced production methods and developed feudal culture of the Han areas in the Central Plains, which became the basis for the economic and cultural development of Dunhuang in the Middle Ages. During the frequent exchanges and exchanges between people of all classes and occupations from various countries and nationalities in the Central Plains and the West, Dunhuang constantly absorbs and integrates reasonable parts of foreign culture, forming the unique local culture of the Dunhuang region. During the Han and Jin Dynasties, a large number of cultural figures of their own emerged in the Dunhuang area, laying the foundation of local culture in the Dunhuang area.

Probably at the same time as the Western Han Dynasty developed Hexi, Buddhism gradually spread to Dunhuang and the Central Plains. In particular, Buddhist architecture and Buddhist statues were introduced to Dunhuang and the Central Plains along with Buddhism. Early Buddhist buildings and statues include Ashoka Pagoda, Gandhara statues, etc. Starting from the second century BC, Buddhist grottoes such as Baya, Nashik, Ajanta, Bedesa, Kalla, Bamiyang, and Termez have appeared in India, the birthplace of Buddhism, and in vast areas of Central Asia. groups; and the grotto groups in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, my country. Many of the various people who traveled between the Central Plains and the Western Regions through Dunhuang were Buddhist monks, and some of them lived in Dunhuang for a long time and were engaged in Buddhist scripture translation and Buddhist education. For example, the famous "Dunhuang Bodhisattva" Zhu Fahu and his disciples; as well as Faxiu, Yu Daoshui, Shandaokai, Zhu Tanyou, Daofa, Faying, Chaobian, Fafeng, Faxiang (Ni) and a large number of others who are active in Dunhuang monks from all over China. The spread of Buddhism in Dunhuang during the Han and Jin Dynasties became a major local cultural feature. In addition, many merchants in the Western Regions engaged in commerce and trade are Buddhist believers. The Dunhuang Grottoes appeared under such a historical and cultural background at home and abroad. They are a Buddhist architecture that integrates the grotto architecture itself, Buddhist sculptures, and Buddhist murals. It is the eastward extension of Central Asian Buddhist architecture and Buddhist art starting from Gandhara.

From the 4th century to the 14th century AD, the art of Dunhuang Grottoes has endured for thousands of years. This is because it has indeed played a role in stabilizing society and enabling people to live and work in peace and contentment in the history of Dunhuang; to a certain extent, it has been adaptable and satisfying. It has met the various social needs of people from all walks of life in various historical periods; of course, first of all, it has met the needs of the ruling class. At the same time, Dunhuang Buddhist grotto art, as a national ideology, has strong appeal and cohesion. It promotes Buddhist faith through the form of art, and its purpose is to make people care about society and devote themselves to society. Therefore, it can be said that the social needs and functions of Dunhuang Grottoes art and its historical proof are that religious beliefs are the needs of people and society, and religious art is the use of religion by people in history.

In the early 5th century AD, Juqu Mengxun, the king of Northern Liang, built a large number of Buddhist statues in the area he occupied. A group of caves built during his reign in the Dunhuang Grottoes are also recorded in Buddhist historical records as his "reverence for Buddha". "One of the deeds. Juqu's so-called "reverence to Buddha" was entirely for his own personal and family needs and purposes, so he left many scandals that will make people laugh forever; but he was also a monarch, and his actions affected the entire society.

Cave 285 of Mogao Grottoes is recognized as the largest cave built by Wang Yuanrong of Dongyang at that time. One of the reasons is that the "Story of Five Hundred Robbers Becoming Buddha" painted on the south wall of the cave reflects such a Historical events: At that time, there was an armed peasant uprising in the Hexi area, which for a time cut off the passage between Dunhuang and the Central Plains. Yuan Rong mentioned this many times in his scripture inscriptions; and "The Story of Five Hundred Robbers Becoming a Buddha" is in the mural Appearing is exactly Yuan Rong’s personal intention. Cave 428 of the Mogao Grottoes depicts more than 1,200 monks and donors from all over Hexi, which shows the owner of the cave, Yu Yi, the governor of Guazhou, his brother Yu Shi, the governor of Liangzhou, and the power of the Yu family in Hexi. During the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the early Sui Dynasty, the Third Order Sect, which advocated social welfare undertakings, appeared in northern China. The "Fu Tian Jing Bian" painted in the Dunhuang Grottoes murals at that time reflected content related to social welfare undertakings.

Cave 220 of the Mogao Grottoes, built in the early Tang Dynasty, showed the world the beginning of a new era with a brand-new mural style. During the Wu Zhou Dynasty, the construction activities of the Dunhuang Grottoes reached a climax: the largest and tallest Maitreya Buddha in the Mogao Grottoes was built in the second year of Yanzai of the Wu Zhou Dynasty. Empress Wu Zetian said that she was born as Maitreya, so a statue of Maitreya was built in the Dunhuang Grottoes. The murals in Cave 148 of the Mogao Grottoes, such as "Heaven Asks the Sutra" and "Repaying the Sutra", were painted to inspire the soldiers and civilians of the Han and Tang Dynasties in Dunhuang to fight against the Tibetan invasion. They played a role in inspiring the national spirit during the war.

In the late 8th century AD, when the Tubo people occupied Dunhuang, a large number of Tang people gathered in Dunhuang. In order to preserve the Han culture of the Tang Dynasty, a large number of Buddhist caves were built using the Tibetan occupiers' belief in Buddhism. During the more than 70 years of Tibetan rule in Dunhuang, the construction of Dunhuang Grottoes was very popular. Not only that, the subject matter and content of the grottoes during this period underwent a historical turning point change. There were more than a dozen or more than 20 sutra paintings painted in one cave, which had the potential to encompass all Buddhism in the world; later The era of the Guiyi Army was even more prosperous. The contents in the Buddhist caves reflect people's various needs. Although there are historical reasons for the reform and development of Buddhism itself, people's spiritual pursuits determined by the social environment at that time are also social genes that cannot be ignored.

During the Zhang family's Guiyijun era in the late 9th century AD, starting from the completion of Cave 156 of the Mogao Grottoes in 865 AD, the Buddhist caves were named "Gongde Cave" to worship Buddhism. In fact, they became the expressions of personal historical achievements or The memorial hall of his family's glory was followed by Mogao Grottoes 94, 98, 100, 454, 61 and other large caves. The huge historical masterpiece "Zhang Yichao's Journey" was painted in Cave 156 to celebrate and commemorate Zhang Yichao's achievements in regaining Hexi and the glory of being promoted to a high position. This was also a social need at the time, which made the construction of the Buddhist cave Here it becomes a socio-political event. In the following decades, the society in Dunhuang was stable and the economy was prosperous. Many large caves were built in the Mogao Grottoes, including the reconstruction of the Peking University Statue in Cave 96.

In 914 AD, the Cao family, a powerful family who had lived in Dunhuang for a long time, took over the power of the Guasha Guiyi Army from the Zhang family. The construction of Buddhist caves became one of the important measures for the Cao family to maintain their rule and consolidate their power. Cao Yijin, the first Jiedu envoy, built Cave 98, one of the largest caves in the Mogao Grottoes. There are more than 200 portraits of family members and eminent monks in the cave, and these people are all elders of the previous dynasty during the Zhang Dynasty. , Cao Yijin successfully brought them together by using the Buddhist caves he built, and completed the smooth transition from the Zhang family to the Cao Group's power transfer; to the Mogao Grottoes built by Cao Yijin's Uighur wife Li in Longxi In Cave 100, the "Travel Map of Cao Yijin" and "Travel Map of Li Family", which are more than 10 meters long respectively, show the world the power of the Cao family and the stability and prosperity of the Dunhuang area. The veterans in Cave 98 and The statues of the eminent monks have never appeared again in Cao's caves after Cave 100, such as Cave 454, 61, 55, etc.; these "memorial halls" of Cao's various Jiedu envoys actually tell us It tells the process of the Cao family's regime gradually becoming stronger and stronger from internal and external troubles when it was first established. On the other hand, the Dunhuang Grottoes served as a bridge and link between the Cao family's rebel army and the surrounding ethnic governments, allowing the Cao family's regime to survive in the cracks, and the society in Dunhuang area was stable and prosperous. The statues of princes and nobles of various ethnic groups in Cao's caves are historical witnesses of this social role.

The "family caves" of the Dunhuang Grottoes are the most concrete and profound historical testimony of the socialization of Buddhism. Since the early Tang Dynasty, the Dunhuang Grottoes have been called "family grottoes", that is, Cave 220 of the Mogao Grottoes was built by Zhai Tong, a wealthy Dunhuang family, in the 16th year of Zhenguan (642), and was named "Zhai Family Grottoes". Since then, the Buddhist caves in the Dunhuang Grottoes, whether they were renovated by ancestors or newly built in the contemporary era, and whether they were official caves, eminent monks' caves or noble caves, were often given the title of "family caves". The more famous caves include Zhangjia Grottoes, Lijia Grottoes, Wangjia Grottoes, Zhaijia Grottoes, Songjia Grottoes, Chenjia Grottoes and Yinjia Grottoes. Each "family cave" has its own history.

Because these family caves are painted with offerings and inscriptions from the original cave owner and the ancestors of the past generations since the cave was built, the Buddhist caves have the nature and function of an ancestral hall, and they are also family ancestral halls "guarded" by the Buddha, his disciples, and Bodhisattvas. , the statues and inscriptions of the ancestors of the past generations are the ancestral monuments, and the Buddhist caves have become part of the family wealth. The family is the basic unit of ancient Chinese society. An official or aristocratic family is the abbreviation of a society, and Dunhuang is no exception; and the history of the creation and development of the Dunhuang Grottoes is restricted by this social system; as a family grotto, The Buddhist grottoes are also part of this society; in turn, this social structure is the social and historical reason for the formation and development of the Dunhuang Grottoes and their continuation for thousands of years. Here are a few examples:

The Dunhuang Yin family participated in the construction of Cave 285 of the Mogao Grottoes from the Western Wei Dynasty, and had a "Buddhist relationship" with Dongyang Wang Yuanrong, the highest ruler of Dunhuang at that time. Since then, caves have been built. Judging from the existing caves on the cliff of Mogao Grottoes today, the Yin family of Dunhuang is the family that has left the most large caves in Mogao Grottoes and the largest scale among all the great families in Dunhuang history. The Yinjia Grottoes span the history of Dunhuang from the sixth to the ninth century AD and provide us with high social and humanistic research value. But at the same time, the performances of Yin Chou's descendants in various historical stages of the Tang Dynasty are jaw-dropping. The construction of the Maitreya statue during the Wu Zhou Dynasty, Cave 321 of the Mogao Grottoes and the Baoyu Sutra, and the auspiciousness of the "discovery" of Dunhuang all sang praises for Wu Zetian when she became empress. During the Tubo occupation of Dunhuang, they also recorded the construction of the Mogao Grottoes. In Cave 231, he read the "Stele of the Infernal Affairs" in Cave 231, and painstakingly searched for flattering words to justify and justify his betrayal of his ancestors. The Buddhist cave, which symbolizes the Buddhist paradise, has become a tool for the Yin family to meet their various needs.

Another large family in the Dunhuang area, the Dunhuang Li family, also built Buddhist caves on a large scale. We understand its history through the "merit stele" they left behind for building caves. From the records of these inscriptions, we see how the Dunhuang Li family, in the Tang Dynasty, tampered with their genealogy step by step, betrayed their ancestors, and took refuge in the royal family: The Dunhuang Li family originally came from the Han Dynasty after Li Ling, and belonged to the Northern Li family in the Central Plains. The old family name. During the Northern Zhou Dynasty, there was a branch of Li Mu. His son Li Cao was demoted in the early Sui Dynasty and moved to Dunhuang. His descendants, Fan Yan, still maintained the surname Xiongwei. The "Holy Calendar Stele" first linked Li Guang and Li Gu, and then the "Dali Stele" linked Li Hao to the Li Tang royal family in the "Qianning Stele", further elevating the Li family's influence in the Guiyi Army regime and the The prestige of the Dunhuang area and the military and political power in the Dunhuang area. Judging from Li's "merit monuments", the Buddhist caves indeed played a role in improving and maintaining the family's reputation.

The Zhai Grottoes are the earliest domestic grottoes in the history of Dunhuang Grottoes, namely Cave 220 of the Mogao Grottoes. They were built in the 16th year of Zhenguan (642) in the Tang Dynasty. Cave 220 is not only the first of its kind in the Dunhuang Grottoes, but also has become one of the landmark Buddhist caves in the history of Dunhuang Grottoes art with its brand-new artistic style. Of course, among the Zhai Grottoes in the Dunhuang Grottoes, and even among the family caves in the entire Dunhuang Grottoes, the most representative one is Cave 85 of the Mogao Grottoes, which was built during the Xiantong period of the Tang Dynasty (862-867). It highlights this Several characteristics: 1. The cooperative relationship between the family cave owner and the donor when it was first built; 2. The evolution of the relationship between the family cave owner and the donor; 3. The official donors who appeared as the chief donor of the cave corridor in different periods; 4. The monks The history of the cave in the name of the family cave.

The concept of family is also one of the Chinese characteristics of the Dunhuang Buddhist Grottoes. The large families in Dunhuang and the "family caves" of the Dunhuang Grottoes further illustrate the social nature of the Buddhist Grottoes. At the same time, in the process of building "family caves" one after another, the cooperative relationship between cave owners and donors who belong to the same family also reflects the social characteristics of that time. The "family caves" in the Dunhuang Grottoes not only contain the history of his family, but also the society of ancient Dunhuang and even the entire China. Today we can learn about the families of Dunhuang through the "family caves" of the Dunhuang Grottoes, and then understand Dunhuang and ancient Chinese society, as well as Dunhuang's socialized Buddhism.

Many people, including some experts, who have seen the Dunhuang painted sculptures and murals say that the Dunhuang artworks are not made by private craftsmen, but by masters.

Because these works compare favorably with those of their contemporary masters. What is certain is that basically all the murals and painted sculptures in Dunhuang were made by folk craftsmen of various eras! There were many great artists among these unknown craftsmen, but none of them had the chance to become famous for future generations. Sculptors and painters also belong to the ancient handicraft industry. Like other handicraft industries, they are bound to be restricted by the handicraft industry management system, so that the level of general sculptors and painters and the era style of their works must meet the requirements of that era. Standard, this creates a phenomenon where there is not much difference in artistic level between the works of masters and the works of craftsmen during a period. From this point of view, the factors that determine whether an artist can become a master or an ordinary craftsman are not entirely in terms of artistic level, but in his identity, status, environment, opportunities encountered, etc. Therefore, judging from the Dunhuang Grottoes, whether it is architecture, painted sculptures or murals, they should all be made by great artists! Although they are unknown, they are a group of masters. They used their diligence, bravery, alliance and wisdom, as well as their hard work and sweat, to create the Dunhuang Grottoes culture and the history of Dunhuang. Their spirit is as everlasting as their creations! The reason why we protect, study and promote Dunhuang Grottoes culture today is to continue to inherit and carry forward the Dunhuang spirit, especially the creativity and dedication of Dunhuang craftsmen, and serve the development and progress of society.