Here is the translation: This scene: The soul map of the hometown

Author: Niubo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Mutual admiration between mountain and light, one of the Eternal Buddha, Eternal Buddha (II), Eternal Buddha (III), Eternal Buddha (IV), Gazing at the Great Statue, Lingyan Temple Elegy (I), Lingyan Temple Elegy (II), Extraordinary Beauty, Establishing Perpetuity (I), Establishing Perpetuity (II), Misty and Unfettered, Flower · Pine · Mist · Bell, A Thousand Years of One Lotus Blooming on the Mountain, Literary Star Shining Bright (I), Literary Star Shining Bright (II), Magnanimous Spirit (I), Magnanimous Spirit (II), Compassion and Virtue, Eternal Brightness, Twin Brightness Reflecting the Moon, Cave of Shadows, Uninscribed Stele, Towering Pavilion, Deep Pavilion, Recalling the Heart of Heaven, Gate of Reading Through Time, Hall Containing Sacredness, Bathing Buddha Festival, Sacred Realm, Enlightenment, Village Charm, Bay Eight Miles, Lush Jinshan, Great Villa, World Within a Bottle, Fragrance Platform Legacy, Stone Shattering the Sky, Village of Diligent Worship, Scorching Land, Ancient Charm of Jinchuan, Milky Way of Jinchuan, Mountain Light and Water Charm, Stone Drum Shaking the Sky, Wind Terrace Establishing Perpetuity, Light of the River Terrace, West of Wei River, Zhu Rock Stele, Six Peaks Overlapping in Splendor, Sweet Rain Nourishing Valleys
Postscript: The Great Statue Mountain is renowned as a sacred mountain. The Northern Qi historian Le Shi, in his Taiping Guangyuji, recorded: "On the stone cliff stands a giant Buddha, eight li in length, from the white mountain peak to the base, a height of 1,230 feet, with a pavilion accessible for ascent." The Buddha has given the mountain a name and platform, while the mountain has provided the Buddha with a of enduring fame. This interdependent relationship endows the Buddhist mountain not only with an imposing, soaring appearance but also with a transcendent beauty that far exceeds religious, philosophical, and aesthetic significance. All of this is perfectly embodied in the Great Buddha. To say it another way, on this 23.3-meter-tall, 10.02-meter-wide Great Buddha, nearly all the aesthetic features and tastes of the Great Statue Mountain are encompassed. Thus, naming the mountain after the Great Buddha is not merely a superficial, external symbol but a nourishment, a profound and penetrating connection, an eternal journey through time.
When it comes to eternity, people often associate it with the religious aspirations of the boundless and the boundless, the extinguishing and the illuminating of the law. The Great Buddha of the Great Statue Mountain has surpassed the barrier of over a thousand years of time and space. For a thousand years, regardless of the changes in the world, the rise and fall of clouds, or even wars, invasions, and plunder, it has maintained its majestic presence as if ruling the southern sky, its serene and compassionate demeanor transcending the calamities of the world. Whether viewed from inside the cave, at the foot of the mountain, or from the distant national highway, with a 200-meter drop in elevation, the Buddha’s countenance remains serene and compassionate, without any distortion or imbalance in visual perception. Experts have hailed the Great Buddha of the Great Statue Mountain as a "national treasure" and "rare in the world," not merely as an emotional praise but as a rational conclusion. This is because, in addition to the awe-inspiring presence of the Buddha itself, the Great Statue Mountain also reveals the ingenuity and craftsmanship of human beings.
Needless to say, let us briefly comment on the facial features.
Eyes: Overflowing with compassion, the benevolent eyes exude tranquility, transcending the boundaries of time and space. When gazing up at the Great Buddha from inside the cave, apart from its grandeur, what truly strikes and inspires is this pair of eyes. These eyes, beautiful and compassionate from any angle, are not entirely realistic. As one approaches the Buddha’s head near the scaffolding, one notices that the pupils protrude beyond the eyelids, creating a sense of awe. In other words, over a thousand years ago, the sculptors of the Great Buddha had already very accurately calculated and applied the principles of visual error, resulting in this visual harmony. If the eyes were carved according to the human form, with pupils placed within the eyelids rather than protruding outward, we would never see these compassionate eyes from the ground or the mountain—the high cheekbones would completely obscure them.
Nose: It is a nose that combines the broadness of Eastern Han Chinese with the straight and towering features of Central Asians. The nostrils are slightly flared. If one listens intently, it seems possible to hear the calm and even breath. This aesthetically distinctive nose, like the eyes, is also non-realistic. If one looks closely at the head, one would notice that the nostrils are not directed downward but slightly forward. This flexible handling of visual error transforms human error into a genuine fusion of life and art. If the nose and nostrils were carved according to the human form, how would the Great Buddha appear from the ground or the mountain?