Mogao Caves, commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, are located in Dunhuang, at the western end of the Hexi Corridor. The twelve Chinese zodiac pictures in the Mogao Caves are very unique and rare. Let's now take a look at the twelve zodiac totems of the Mogao Caves with the fortune-telling network of Huayi.
The Twelve Zodiac Totems of Mogao Caves
In the rat picture, there is a large bell hanging from a beam in front of a hall, and a young monk is striking the bell. In front of the monk, a little mouse is looking up attentively at the monk. Behind the young monk, there is a shadow of an old monk walking into the room.
In the ox picture, there is a plow ox drawn on the field, with a child leading it in front and a middle-aged farmer holding the plow with both hands to plow the land behind it.
In the tiger picture, there is a large cage in front of a house, inside which a fierce tiger is roaring with its teeth bared. In front of the cage stand a middle-aged monk, a child, and an official, who are watching, pointing, and discussing the caged tiger.
In the rabbit picture, there are a bed, a table, and a chair in a room, and paintings and calligraphy are hung on the wall. A white rabbit is raising its front leg to try to reach for something in front of the bed. A middle-aged monk is holding an object in his left hand and is making a playful gesture above the rabbit.
In the dragon picture, a monk is seated cross-legged in the front corridor of the hall, looking up at a huge dragon that is rolling through the clouds and creating waves in the water.
In the snake picture, in the mountainous area, a monk holds a staff in his left hand and points with his right hand; a long snake with clear scales is crawling forward, its head raised, looking at the monk, as if listening to what the monk is saying.
In the horse picture, a warrior leads a white horse to the gate of a temple; a monk comes out of the temple, pointing with his right hand at the horse, and is talking with the warrior.
In the sheep picture, a monk is squatting in front of a house, holding a bowl in his right hand, feeding a goat drinking water. There is a big tree in the courtyard, surrounded by a wooden fence.
In the monkey picture, a monk is standing under a eaves, holding an object in his right hand and stretching his left hand forward, making a calling gesture; on the front porch of another house opposite, a monkey is climbing on a column playfully looking at the monk.
In the rooster picture, on a wide roof shaped like a northern building, a long stick is placed across the wooden poles, and a rooster is standing on it, making a crowing sound.
In the dog picture, in front of the gate of a temple, a fierce dog is rushing out, barking wildly, under the guidance of a monk, towards a Taoist wearing a hat and a straw cloak, holding a crescent shovel on his shoulder, heading toward the temple gate.
In the pig picture, a farmer is leading a fat pig to the gate of a temple; the fat pig is kneeling on its front legs, unwilling to move forward; there are two monks in front of the gate, one making a prayer gesture with both hands, and the other pushing it away with his hands.
Previously seen twelve zodiac images are almost all simple images of zodiac animals. It is rare to see such vivid life scenes as those in the Mogao Caves.
The latest murals in the Mogao Caves are the twelve zodiacs, which is truly interesting. Because the appearance of the twelve zodiacs here means the end of Dunhuang art; because in recent years, the most influential in the spiritual life of the Chinese people has been the twelve zodiacs.
Do you not see that every year on the Spring Festival Gala, hosts always remind the people across the country that this year is the Year of the Monkey or the Year of the Dragon, the Year of the Sheep; especially the zodiac stamps and postcards issued by the postal department every year, which make people bow down before one zodiac animal after another, round after round, both spiritually and economically.
I once heard someone say that we are descendants of the dragon, but the twelve zodiacs have changed the genetic code of almost all Chinese people. Chinese people are not only descendants of the dragon, but also of the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig, and these relationships can be converted.
