It’s 366 AD, and a Buddhist monk named Yuezun is walking through the Gobi Desert, following the Silk Road — the ancient trade route that connected China to the rest of the known world. He’s tired, sun-beaten, and completely alone. Then he reaches a cliff face near the oasis town of Dunhuang, right as the sun starts going down. And that’s when everything changes.
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Prophets & Pilgrims·2/2·1′
The place
Mogao Caves (Dunhuang Grottoes)
The Vision of a Thousand Golden Buddhas
A wandering monk's vision sparked a millennium of sacred art
Eastern Jin Dynasty (366 AD) through Yuan Dynasty (14th century)Mogao Caves (Dunhuang Grottoes)
Moral of the Story
“A single moment of vision, acted upon with faith, can inspire a thousand years of creation.”
Characters
M
Monk Yuezun (Lè Zūn)M
Monk FaliangS
Silk Road merchantsG
Generations of Buddhist artisansSource
Dunhuang Academy historical records; Li Daoyuan, Commentary on the Water Classic