Cave 45 of Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang is one of the outstanding Buddhist
shrine which was an representative High-Tang
Cave with a big open
niche attached to the west wall. The painted clay
sculptures and the mural-paintings
inside this cave are not only well-established in a highly artiste ship but artistry in visual perspective as well. When people come inside and kneel down in front of the shrine to pray, the viewers could see a lively world of
Buddha interwoven factors consisted of the painting inside of shrine and the sculptures. The group of nine sculptures together with the mural-painting of Buddha Emerged from a stupa on the top wall of the niche may had presented one of the scenes of Buddha in preaching the Lotus Sūtra. The contents of mural-paintings and sculptures and Avalokites' vara-bodhisattva-samantamukha-parivarta, the painting occupies part of the South Wall of the main chamber had obviously embodied the Idea of Lotus Sūtra. The great master ZHI-Yi of the Tian Tai Sect had put emphasis on the Sixteen Views to Meditation in The Amitayur-buddha-dhyāna-sūtra and the strong votive to be reborn to the Pure-land in the West. From this angle, the contents of the niche may had some relevant relationship with the illustration to The Amitayur-buddha-dhyāna-sūtra which was painted on the North Wall of Cave 45. From author's viewpoint, the master design of Cave 45 included the niche must be somehow under the influence of the idea of the Lotus Sūtra from the great master ZHI-Yi of the Tian Tai Sect.
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