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Seated Buddha - Cave 20

--------- Buddhism originated in India around 530 BCE. With the opening of the Silk Road, Buddhism began to spread north into China where it was readily accepted. The Silk Road became a popular route of travel for traders, travelers, caravans, pilgrims, missionaries and many more. This universality of travelers and the widespread acceptance of Buddhism led to the construction of many statues, temples, and Shrines to the Buddha along the Silk Road. Some of the earliest of these are found in the Yungang Caves in the province of Shanxi, the most prominent of these being the massive Seated Buddha found at cave 20. The cave came into being around the 5th century CE and was commissioned by the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was actually under this dynasty that Buddhism got a good foothold in Chinese culture. Many of the Wei rulers were strong advocates of the religions. ---------- The seated Buddha at cave 20 was originally entombed in a cave however, time has chosen for the cave to have crumbled, leaving the massive 45 ft. tall statue open to the elements. The statue itself contains much of the symbology often associated with the Buddha. It is carved straight out of the limestone of the cliff face. For more detailed information on the symbology click the symbols link at the bottom of the page.

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the religion
symbols
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