Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s4.t3.8

v2.c11.s4.t3.8

a bodhisattva. ‘*Kui*’ used his ancient and plain handicraft for worship. Without being tempted, he seated calmly behind the curtain, and secretly listened to the audience. He studied and researched in detail all the praise or blame that he heard. After contemplating for three years, the sculptured statue was completed.” (‘*Record of Paintings of Various Dynasties*’) “Dai Andao drew statues in great subtlety in his middle age. When Yu Daoji watched it, he said to Dai, “The god is too vulgar, as if he has unfinished worldly affairs.” Dai said, “Only ‘*Wuguang*’ will free your comments.” (‘*A New Account of the Tales of the World*’) Dai Kui listened attentively to the views of the Chinese public, and regardless of the blame of “the god is too vulgar,” transformed the ancient plain “western statue” into the exquisite and touching “Eastern Xia statue initiating the style of sinicisation and secularisation of Buddha statues. The sculpture of ‘*Five Generations Buddha*’, by Dai Kui in the Waguan Temple of Jiankang (now Nanjing), the mural ‘*Vimalakirti*’ by ‘*Gu Kaizhi*’, and the jade Buddha statue by the Lion Kingdom (now Sri Lanka) are together referred to as the “three ultimate”.