Transgressive Typologies: Constructions of Gender and Power in Early Tang China.

Abstract

tion of motifs, styles, andmeditation practices, the visual program of Cave 14might not be a literal guide for rituals, but it presents possibilities of personal agency of the Guiyijun ruling elites, artisans, and the monastic and lay communities in generating new concepts and practices in meditation as well as visual representation. Chapter Five, “Beyond the Maṇḍala,” examines the sociohistorical and religious contexts for privileging the Gaṇḍhavyūha narrative in Cave 85. The absence of the pilgrim Sudhana, the protagonist in the Gaṇḍhavyūha chapter of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, suggests the possibility for practitioners to identify themselves with Sudhana to embark on the journey of awakening. The association of this narrativewith Samantabhadra’s vows in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and the bodhisattvas of the “Maṇḍala of Eight Great Bodhisattvas” in visual representations demonstrates the conjunction of esoteric and exoteric Buddhist practices – in particular Mahav̄airocana and vairocana – and this shows another fundamental difference between the esoteric Buddhist practice in Guiyijun Dunhuang and Shingon Buddhism in medieval Japan. In conclusion, Wang’s book best exemplifies the depth and breadth that a case study can attain. It is rich in detail, careful in examination, and broad in scope. Its critical reading of the earlier scholarship and its interdisciplinary approach pave ways to rethink fundamental aspects in the studies of the visual materials from Dunhuang and maṇḍalas in broader geographic and cultural terms. Nonetheless, its effective articulation of key concepts and ideas also makes the book enjoyable for those who have general interests in esoteric Buddhism and Buddhist art.