Religious classics restore the early religious history of Dunhuang.
The age of the Dunhuang suicide note spans nearly a thousand years, during which the documents of more than 10 dynasties were preserved, which became precious materials for studying the history and culture of each dynasty. Its main part is the missing part in the treasure house of traditional literature, which is especially precious.
Religious documents are mainly Buddhist classics, laws and theories, that is, "Sanzang" and Buddhist scriptures, most of which have been handed down from generation to generation, and some Buddhist documents have not been handed down from generation to generation.
Extended data:
The first copy of the Fourth Division was made on December 27th, the 12th year of Xiliang (465,438+65,438+20071October 30th), which is one of the earliest dated volumes in Dunhuang suicide notes and the earliest dated volume in Dunhuang suicide notes collected by the National Library of China. This volume was copied in Jiuquan, then spread to Dunhuang, and finally sealed in the Tibetan Sutra Cave. It is a witness to the spread of Buddhism on the Silk Road and is of great significance in the history of Buddhism.
Dunhuang suicide notes are written in volumes, most of which are copied with pens, which is a great achievement of ancient folk calligraphy. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, Dunhuang also established an official scripture copying organization, which was basically the same in scale, paper, pen style, format and specifications, and inscription at the end of the volume, and could be regarded as the standard of official scripture copying in the Northern Wei Dynasty.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the political stability and economic prosperity provided conditions for the further development of friendly exchanges and economic and cultural exchanges between China and the West, and the Silk Road became more prosperous.
During the period from Xianheng to Yifeng in the Tang Dynasty (670-679), Wu Zetian also copied 3,000 copies of Hokkekyo and King Kong Paramita Sutra by official power to pray for her dead mother Yang. This batch of classic calligraphy is fine, rigorous, properly polished and beautifully bound, which is the top grade of classic writing in Tang Dynasty.
Among the religious classics, Dunhuang Suicide Letter also preserves many classics about third-order religion, Dunhuang Zen and Taoism, which can be used to restore the face of early religious history in Dunhuang.
People's Daily Online-Art Collection-What treasures and suicide notes are hidden in Dunhuang Tibetan Sutra Cave?