策展人導論

容開璧玉，目淨青蓮

如來妙色身，世間無與等；無比不思議，是故今敬禮。
——《勝鬘師子吼一乘大方便方廣經》

據佛經記載，我們現在所處的時代是賢劫千佛的第四尊——釋迦牟尼佛出世傳法的光明劫時代。佛祖涅槃已有兩千餘載，我等無緣親見尊容，無從聆聽佛陀的諄諄教誨，我們只趕上了佛法末段的像法時代。包括諸佛菩薩，這個時代的佛像成為佛身的象徵，歷代以虔誠的心去製作佛像、裝藏開光，供養禮佛，修持不斷，佛像便具有與佛真身同等的加持力，就具有供養諸佛同等的功德，同樣可以資糧圓滿，最終獲得無上證果。因此，佛教藝術造像不會是冰冷的金屬或木石刻鑿的工藝品，歷代功德主造像人的心情從以下兩段銘刻的發願文可見一斑：

為現存父母，小弟客生，內外眷屬，壽命延康，無諸患難，所願如是。又為使多饒財寶，用之無盡，所求如是，桓與佛善居。(北魏 神龜元年)

□欲睿紫極，非妙果不升，聖道沖玄，豈世俗所惻，仰念涅槃，惠在積善崇身，修立三寶，藉眾力得就。見三寶歸真，潛沒七載，王道弘深，令崇大聖。諸邑子等植寶根於洪隋之基，秀芳柯於靈□之頂。謀道苗於胸襟，討妙果於神府，體善同權，群修六道，仰摹釋迦之遺風，追金綱之餘軌。各減身財，祥集眾寶，敬修釋迦像一區，上為皇帝陛下，法界眾生，七世父母，斯福因等同成佛□。(隋 開皇元年)

佛像是虔誠施主的福德化現。古人為國家、父母和家人祈福而雕鑿刻制不同佛造像的發願文，某種程度也表露了功德主的宇宙觀和生命觀。本次展出佛教圖像藝術包括福慧雙修圓滿教法的釋迦牟尼佛祖、消災延壽的藥師琉璃光佛、大悲濟世的觀世音菩薩、智慧第一的文殊菩薩、菩提大行的普賢菩薩、護持正法風調雨順的四大天王（東方持國天王、南方增長天王、西方廣目天王、北方多聞天王）、禪宗始祖菩提達摩祖師，以及其他傳統民間信仰中最受歡迎神祇之一：武財神趙公明元帥、扶正壓邪恩主公關聖帝君（漢傳佛教稱為「伽藍菩薩」）等等總計二十多尊法相。這些造像表現不同的手印、不同的坐立姿勢，手持不同的法器，這些藝術形式均有它們法相本身的真正意義。

近數十年來，國內各界對佛教藝術收藏、喜好、研究之風氣日臻成熟。「智行合一：千年木雕佛造像藝術」展覽在於呈現宋明之後木雕佛造像的親切偉麗，讓每一刻的觀賞都讓人感染古風質樸的感動。希望藉由這次優美壯盛的展出，能讓人欣賞及認識到中華佛教藝術的深宏廣大，一起體驗感受千年古佛的慈悲、智慧、祈願與納福，從而對先民文化藝術產生景仰敬慕之心，庶幾乃得慈愛、善良和心靈淨化之功。回顧去年春天至今，新冠肺炎肆虐全球一年有餘，台灣何等平安幸福，緣於感恩心情，在此特別感謝妙古齋的鼎力支持，共同嚴選歷時多年的各類佛造像珍藏展出。籌辦條件的多項限制，幸而獲得雲起時人文空間主理人陳素雲小姐的合作，特此合十感謝。(策展人 陳維峰)

Curatorial statement

Appearances like superior jade.
Eyes pure like a green lotus.

No sentient beings can be equal to the Buddhas in the three realms; No more than the unthinkable,therefore,I believe and admire in it with all my heart.

According to the Buddhist scriptures, we are now in the age of the fourth of the thousand Buddhas of the sages, the Shakyamuni Buddha, who came into existence to teach the Dharma. It has been more than 2,000 years since the Buddha's nirvana, and we have not been able to see his face and listen to his teachings.We have only caught up with the last period of Buddhism, the age of the image of Dharma.
Including all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The sculpture  of the Buddha in this era become symbols of the Buddha's body. When the sculptures are made, installed and illuminated with devotion, offered to the Buddha, and practiced continuously, the sculptures will have the same blessing power as the Buddha's real body, and will have the same merit and virtue as the offerings to the Buddhas, and the same will be fulfilled, and the ultimate achievement of supreme enlightenment.
Therefore, Buddhist art sculptures are not cold metal or wood and stone chiseled artifacts, and the sentiments of the masters of merit through the ages are evident in the following two inscribed petitions：

"For the sake of the living parents, the younger brothers, the younger sons, and the inner and outer families, to have a long and healthy life, and to be free from all troubles. And for the sake of the abundance of wealth and treasures, the use of which is inexhaustible, I wish for the same, that Huan and Buddha may live in good health. (Northern Wei Dynasty, First Year of Shen Gui)"

"The holy way is not for the world, but for the mind of nirvana, for the accumulation of goodness, for the establishment of the Three Jewels, and for the attainment of the Three Jewels through the power of all. Seeing that the Three Jewels have returned to the truth, and have been hidden away for seven years, the king's way is deep, so that the great sage is revered. All the sons of the village planted their treasures at the foundation of Hong Sui, and showed their fragrance at the top of the Ling Ling. The sons and daughters of the kingdom planted their roots in the foundations of Hong Sui, and set their hearts on the summit of Ling Ling. Each of them reduced their wealth and collected all the treasures, and repaired the statue of Sakyamuni for His Majesty the emperor, the sentient beings in the Dharma world, and the parents of the seven worlds, so that they could become Buddhas. (Sui, the first year of Kaihuang)"

Buddha sculptures are the manifestation of the virtues of the devout giver. The ancient people carved and engraved different Buddha sculptures  for the blessing of the country, parents and family members, which in a way also reveals the cosmic and life view of the benefactor.

The Buddhist pictorial art on display includes Buddha Shakyamuni, who teaches the perfection of blessing and wisdom; Medicine Buddha, who relieves disasters and prolongs life; Avalokiteshvara, who helps the world with great compassion; and the Buddha of the World, Manjushri, the first bodhisattva of wisdom, Pratyekabuddha, the great bodhisattva of bodhicitta, and the four heavenly kings who protect the righteousness of the Dharma (the king of the east  Dhṛtarāṣṭra: It means to be compassionate, to protect sentient beings, to safeguard the land; the king of the south Virūḍhaka: The purpose is to teach sentient beings to grow in goodness and uphold the Dharma; the king of the west Virūpākṣa: It means to be able to observe the world with pure heavenly eyes at all times and to protect the people; and the king of the north Vaiśravaṇa: It means to be well versed in the Buddha's teachings and to be known in all directions by virtue and blessing), the founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma, and one of the most popular deities in traditional folk beliefs: Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth, and Guan Sheng Dijun (known in Chinese Buddhism as "Bodhisattva Karan"), the benefactor of righteousness and suppression of evil...etc. There are more than 20 deities in total.

These sculptures  represent different handprints, different sitting and standing postures, and hold different Dharma tools, all of which have their own true meaning in the art form.

In recent decades, the culture of collecting, preferring and studying Buddhist art has matured in China. The exhibition "Unity of wisdom and virtue: Wooden Sculpture of Buddhist art" aims to present the intimate beauty of wooden Buddha statues after the Song and Ming dynasties, so that every moment of viewing will be a touching experience of the ancient style and simplicity. We hope that through this magnificent exhibition, people can appreciate and understand the magnitude of Chinese Buddhist art, and experience the compassion, wisdom, prayers and blessings of the thousand-year-old Buddha, and thus develop admiration and respect for the culture and art of the ancestors, so that they can achieve compassion, kindness and spiritual purification.

Looking back to last spring, the COVID-19 ravaged the world for more than a year, but Taiwan is so safe and happy. We are grateful for the support of Miao Gu Zhai, who co-organized the exhibition of the various Buddha statues collected over the years. The exhibition was organized under a number of constraints, but we were fortunate to have the cooperation of Ms. Chen Suyun, the director of Cloud Rise Humanities Space.
We hereby give our thanks.
(Curator: Chen Weifeng)