Entering the Seemingly Unattainable Citadel of Laṅkā

Abstract

Among extant sites of stone sutras in China, Mount Gang stands out because of the visuality it creates and the experience it affords. This paper explores how the carving and subsequent placement of an interpolated prologue of the Laṅkāvatāra Sutra across many rocks on the mountain conduce to a multi-sensorial, immersive experience for visitors to contemplate the sutra doctrine of Consciousness Only. It shows that tactics applied to the stone inscriptions induce an onward and upward journey over Mount Gang. Moreover, they conjure Laṅkā while simultaneously negating its existence, as the inscriptions and their environment remind visitors of Rāvaṇa's dreamlike experience of Laṅkā. This mental-physical experience afforded by the created environment makes visitors realize that all phenomena are but mental projections, which is the key doctrinal message of the sutra. Once they realize this, they hold the key to the seemingly unattainable Citadel of Laṅkā.