Dazu Rock Carvings Beishan Cave 177

CHINA, Chongqing, Dazu

Located in the central section of the Beishan site, this rectangular cave is 2.2 m in width, 3.32 m in height, and 2.54 m in depth. According to the inscription on the south wall, the figures portraying the Great Masters of Sizhou were created by Fu Yuanjun in 1126 during the Northern Song dynasty.
The figures are seated on rectangular platforms. Master Sengqie of Sizhou sits in front of the back (east) wall. His two attendant disciples, Mucha and Huiyan, are carved just behind the platform on either side. A statue of Master Baozhi, a monk during the Southern Liang dynasty (502–557), can be found on the south wall. He is depicted as an elderly man, holding a staff in one hand and forming a mudra with the other. On the tip of the staff are scissors, a ruler, a bronze mirror, and a mouse. These objects are mentioned in the song about Master Baozhi in the Song Biographies of Eminent Monks. There is a carving of Master Wanhui, a monk from the Tang dynasty (618–907), on the north wall.
This is the only cave that contains well-preserved carvings of the three great masters together. The life story of each of these three figures can be found in the Song Biographies of Eminent Monks.