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Zhang
Chao Ming
Zao Fo XiangStatue of the
Buddhist Goddess
of Mercy 587 CE
Courtesy of The National Library
of China
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Statue
of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy
587 CE
The
carving of statues and stone tablets in China
began during the Northern Wei dynasty (386534),
and ceased during the middle of the Tang dynasty
(618906). Most of the statues made during
this period were of the Buddha, the Amida (the
Buddha of Infinite Qualities), the Maitreya Buddha
and the Goddess of Mercy. At first, the statues
were carved on stones and cliffs, or as stone
tablets to be put in caves and niches. Later they
were gilded or painted. The sculptors called themselves
'fo di zi' (Buddha followers), 'zheng
xin fo di zi' (the right Buddhist disciples),
'upasika' (lay female devotees) and 'upasaka'
(lay male devotees).
In
Chinese Buddhism, the Goddess of Mercy is one
of the four Buddhas, and is the embodiment of
mercy and empathy, devoted to saving humankind.
In the Lotus sutra, it is said that if
anyone in distress recites the name of the Goddess,
she will appear in one of her 33 forms to give
comfort. Legend has it that she also appears and
preaches in Putuo Mountain, Zhejiang Province,
China. The statues and paintings of the Goddess
of Mercy in Chinese monasteries originally represented
the Goddess as a male, but, from the time of the
Tang Dynasty, the female figure prevailed. The
text around the base of this early sculpture reads:
'Zhang Chaoming, a follower of Buddha, respectfully
made a statue of the Goddess of Mercy in the name
of the Emperor, my parents, all the young and
old in my family and every living creature'.
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