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Tiangong Louge in Eastern Pure Land Illustrations You & Zhu
Caves, rainbow bridges are used in the north wall of Cave 361 in Dunhuang
connection among pavilions, terraces, Mogao Caves, where pavilions, terraces,
towers, and pagodas on the front and rear towers, and pagodas are connected in a
corridors. The system of tiangong louge serial way through a rainbow bridge to
in the Fashi has not dealt with rainbow form a tour route for sightseeing and
bridges, only in the drawings of Buddhist enjoyment [Figure 12], which ought to
shrines in tiangong louge, hall bodies, originate in real life. In addition, it is
teahouses, and corner towers are necessary to consider the relationship
connected through the rainbow bridges between “pavilions” and ancient Chinese
[Figure 11]. medicine. The Huazu Temple in Bozhou,
Anhui Province, was set up to
2.2 Clue 2: Type of Individual Buildings commemorate the great physician Hua
Nonexistant in Tiangong Louge in the Tuo (c.145‒208). Built in the first year of
Fashi the Tianyou period (904) of the Tang
These types of buildings mainly include dynasty, the temple features a“Self-
pavilions, pagodas, Sanmen (three gates), bell Amusing Pavilion,” a place where Hua
and scripture towers, and balconies. In Tuo could rest. Of course, this is less-
addition, there are round bridge-type than-believable, but it revealed the
stairways in constructions. Numerous thought of the builder that there should
pavilions, pavilion-shaped corner towers, bell be a pavilion in the temple of the medical
towers, scripture towers, and pagodas are sage Hua Tuo. There are two reasons that
found in the Eastern Healing Master Sutra pavilions are associated with traditional
illustration [Figure 12]. Chinese medicine (TCM). One is that
(1) Pavilion: When “pavilion” is explained medical plants are easy to grow in a
in Volume 1 of the Fashi, a passage of landscaped garden, another is that
the Comprehensive Meaning of Customs washing medical herbs and making
and Mores was invoked, which reads: medicine require water. Therefore, from
“According to the Discourses of the the Wei (220‒265) and Jin (265‒420)
States of the Spring and Autumn period, dynasties to the Song (960‒1279) and
there is a‘border post’(寓望， yuwang), Yuan (1271‒1368) dynasties, a“pavilion”
now known as ‘pavilion’” [13] . The so- was usually built on top of the well, from
called “border post” was a building set which water was fetched.
up on the border for lookout and (2) Pagoda: The Eastern Healing Master
accommodation in the Qin dynasty Pure Land illustration has much more
(221‒206 BCE). The Comprehensive pagodas than other Sutra illustrations,
Meaning of Customs and Mores was and even occasionally replaces the main
compiled by Ying Shao in the Eastern hall with a pagoda [Figure 12]. When
Han dynasty (c.153‒196), which means “void and adornment” was demonstrated,
that “pavilion” had no sightseeing and the pagoda floating in the cloud was also
recreation functions at that time. This drawn on the upper part of the Sutra
situation did not change fundamentally illustration. After pagodas entered China,
until the Tang (618‒907) and Song (960‒ building pagodas to pray for good luck
1279) dynasties. and avert disasters became a folk custom.
Pavilions emerged in the Eastern It is said that the Healing Master’s faith
Healing Master Sutra illustration at a has secular utility in eliminating
large scale, which firstly is a reflection of sufferings of sentient beings, healing
secularity of the Healing Master’s faith diseases, removing calamities, and
in the use of pavilions for sightseeing and extending life. Pagoda buildings in the
recreation in the physical world, such as Healing Master Pure Land illustration
the Healing Master Sutra illustration on are exactly a reflection of such activity to
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