Enlightenment in Ink

光華寳懺 - Guanghua Baochan

This text appears to be in fact a repentance liturgy (see 637, 642), but the fragment of text at its beginning does not match any such well-known liturgies. The frontispiece it presents appears to be a typical representation of the great dharma assembly, with a few important distinctions.

The style is simpler than the other two, though the scene is still fairly intricate, featuring the customary wide array of eager dharma-listeners. Before the Buddha’s lotus-throne kneel three, not one monk, and of the usual assembly of Four Heavenly Kings, only two appear. The assembly is wreathed in thick clouds, and rays of light burst forth from the enthroned Buddha. His hands form what seems to be the dharmacakra (説法印), or dharma-preaching mudrā, though his thumb and index finger do not form the usual circle.

Some details of the frontispiece draw from elements of popular worship. For instance, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (觀世音菩薩) is portrayed here in his popular Chinese (female) form White-Robed Guanyin (白衣觀音), identifiable by her vase of pure water and her flowing headdress. This depiction of Guanyin has its roots in Tang-dynasty esoteric Buddhism, and has enjoyed immense popularity since the Ming dynasty (14th-17th centuries).

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