Longxing Temple: Vairocana Buddha

CHINA, Shandong, Qingzhou; Northern Qi dynasty

Though everything from the knee downwards is missing, as are the two hands, the statue’s most interesting features are readily apparent. The Buddha wears a low-necked monastic robe that covers both shoulders and is cut in a rectangular field pattern, the entire surface of which is painted with graphic scenes framed by gilded borders. The best-preserved image is a Buddha pentad located in the center of the chest. The Buddha in the image is seated with legs pendent and hands most likely in the Dharmacakra (Dharma wheel) mudra. On either side are Bodhisattvas seated under trees and turned towards him, with two others at their feet. Other areas of the robe delineate the realms of hell and hungry ghosts. The statue depicts Vairocana Buddhas as described in the Avatamsaka Sutra, where his body is said to fill the entire universe and be omnipresent before all beings.