The Thousand Buddhas (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Ancient Buddhist Paintings from the Cave-Temples of Tun-huang on the Western Frontier of ChinaBy Aurel Sir Stein
Length6h 8m
About this audiobook
The Thousand Buddhas is a landmark study of the Buddhist paintings, manuscripts, and ritual objects recovered from the cave-temples of Dunhuang, on the edge of the Gobi. Combining archaeological description with art-historical interpretation, the work situates these images within the devotional, commercial, and cross-cultural worlds of the Silk Road. Its style is empirical, precise, and cataloguing, yet animated by a sense of discovery, reflecting early twentieth-century scholarship's ambition to reconstruct Asia's connected past through material remains. Sir Marc Aurel Stein, a Hungarian-born British archaeologist and explorer, was shaped by classical philology, Indology, and long service in British India. His expeditions across Central Asia brought him into contact with sites where Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Iranian, and Hellenistic traditions converged. The Thousand Buddhas emerged from this career of excavation and documentation, particularly his controversial but historically consequential work at Dunhuang. Readers interested in Buddhist art, Silk Road history, archaeology, or the formation of museum collections will find this book indispensable. Though modern scholarship may question aspects of Stein's collecting practices, the volume remains a foundational record of fragile cultural treasures and a compelling monument to the scholarly recovery of a vanished cosmopolitan world.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreOther
Length6 hrs 8 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 6, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Thousand Buddhas (Annotated)
29PLATE XXIV TWO PAPER PAINTINGS OF AVALOKITEŚVARA[13]
2Introduction
30PLATE XXV TWO PAINTINGS OF KṢITIGARBHA
3Synopsis
31PLATE XXVI VAIŚRAVAṆA’S PROGRESS
4Historical Context
32PLATE XXVII VIRŪPĀKṢA AND MAÑJUŚRĪ
5PREFACE
33PLATE XXVIII BUST OF A LOKAPĀLA
Show all chaptersShow less
6THE TUN-HUANG PAINTINGS AND THEIR PLACE IN BUDDHIST ART
34PLATE XXIX TWO DHARMAPĀLAS[17] AND A BODHISATTVA
7DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF PICTURES FROM THE CAVES OF THE THOUSAND BUDDHAS AT TUN-HUANG
35PLATE XXX SIDE-SCENES AND DETAILS FROM A BUDDHIST PARADISE PAINTING
8PLATES I, II THE PARADISE OF BHAIṢAJYAGURU
36PLATE XXXI A TIBETAN PAINTING OF TĀRĀ
9PLATE III A CELESTIAL ASSEMBLAGE
37PLATE XXXII PAPER PICTURES OF A BODHISATTVA, SAINT, AND MONK
10PLATES IV, V PROCESSIONS OF MAÑJUŚRĪ AND SAMANTABHADRA
38PLATE XXXIII PAPER PICTURES OF HERMIT AND HORSE-DRAGON
11PLATE VI DETAILS FROM A PAINTING OF A BUDDHIST HEAVEN
39PLATES XXXIV, XXXV EMBROIDERY PICTURE OF ŚĀKYAMUNI ON THE VULTURE PEAK
12PLATE VII THE PARADISE OF ŚĀKYAMUNI
40PLATE XXXVI BHAIṢAJYAGURU’S PARADISE
13PLATE VIII AMITĀBHA’S PARADISE
41PLATE XXXVII BANNERS WITH SCENES FROM THE BUDDHA LEGEND
14PLATE IX LEGENDARY SCENES FROM A PAINTING OF MAITREYA’S PARADISE
42PLATE XXXVIII BUDDHA TEJAḤPRABHA AND AVALOKITEŚVARA AS GUIDE OF SOULS
15PLATE X AMITĀBHA WITH ATTENDANTS
43PLATE XXXIX KṢITIGARBHA WITH THE INFERNAL JUDGES
16PLATE XI A PARADISE OF AMITĀBHA
44PLATE XL KṢITIGARBHA AS PATRON OF TRAVELLERS
17PLATE XII SCENES FROM GAUTAMA BUDDHA’S LIFE
45PLATE XLI AVALOKITEŚVARA AND TWO OTHER BODHISATTVAS
18PLATE XIII SCENES FROM THE BUDDHA LEGEND
46PLATE XLII AVALOKITEŚVARA, THOUSAND-ARMED, WITH ATTENDANT DIVINITIES
19PLATE XIV IMAGES OF BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS
47PLATE XLIII AVALOKITEŚVARA WITH LOKAPĀLA ATTENDANTS
20PLATE XV TWO FORMS OF AVALOKITEŚVARA
48PLATE XLIV FRAGMENT OF STANDING AVALOKITEŚVARA
21PLATE XVI FOUR FORMS OF AVALOKITEŚVARA
49PLATE XLV VAIŚRAVAṆA CROSSING THE OCEAN
22PLATE XVII AVALOKITEŚVARA IN GLORY
50PLATE XLVI FRAGMENT WITH CHILD ON DEMON’S HAND
23PLATE XVIII AVALOKITEŚVARA STANDING, WITH WILLOW SPRAY
51PLATE XLVII THREE LOKAPĀLA[22] BANNERS
24PLATE XIX TWO AVALOKITEŚVARAS WITH THE WILLOW SPRAY
52PLATE XLVIII FRAGMENT WITH FIGURE OF DEMONIC WARRIOR
25PLATE XX AVALOKITEŚVARA WITH FLAME-WREATHED HALO
53INDEX
26PLATE XXI AVALOKITEŚVARA STANDING
54Analysis
27PLATE XXII TWO AVALOKITEŚVARA PAINTINGS WITH DONORS
55Reflection
28PLATE XXIII SIX-ARMED AVALOKITEŚVARA WITH ATTENDANT BODHISATTVAS
56Memorable Quotes
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