While reciting materials from Cave 323, I was perplexed by Fotu Cheng’s record of " extinguished the Youzhou Fire." My teacher clarified, “There’s no such thing as divine power—it's just an understanding of meteorological patterns.” It’s akin to a ‘sleight of hand’ — enlightened monks master psychology and natural sciences, using ‘miracles’ as a means to propagate the Dharma.

Reading through the Dunhuang scriptures, the “Record of Tang Taizong’s Entry into the Realm of the Dead” radically challenged my perceptions. The official history’s account of the "Xuanwu Gate Incident" had been heavily romanticized, while this folk narrative uncovered a far more brutal truth. The Dunhuang Cave is like fifty thousand different cameras recording a world untouched by filters or beautification—an unvarnished truth beyond official historiography.

The most astonishing discovery was the “divine couple” in Cave 249 — a frame featuring an Indian Asura and the Chinese Thunder God side by side. Additionally, the “Taoist deities” depicted in the southern and northern murals had shifted careers to serve as Buddhist "guardians” —they are the elegantly dressed Eastern King and Western Queen.  I likened this scene to “a multifaith conference of various divine systems in the sky—fluent in no language, yet seamlessly exchanging visiting cards at what I imagine as a cultural mashup café in Cave 249.” My teacher smiled and said, “Dunhuang has always been a cultural salon.” This reminded me of what Professor Ji Xianlin once said : “Throughout history, there have been four civilizations that have had a profound influence and developed their own distinct systems: ancient China, ancient Greece, Islam, and ancient India. These four great civilizations have only deeply converged in two places: Dunhuang in China and Xinjiang.”

This week's reflections:

1. Religious propagation has long involved ancient “marketing strategies.”
2. Uncovering historical truths requires multiple perspectives for verification.
3. Artistic fusion is a proactive cultural choice.

< The magnificent existence: the replica cave>

Ps.  Inside the actual cave archaeological site, taking photos is prohibited and illegal. ❌📷✨

<The replica cave 249>

< The “divine couple” in Cave 249>

< The thoughtful owner's book recommendations at Shishi Shuxuan Book Bar >

〈Revising in front of the Nine-Story Temple & trying to coexist peacefully with the “little turtle”🕷️〉

〈In the desert like fish in water〉