Mogao Cave 23: Illustration of the Lotus Sutra - Chapters on the Parable of Medicinal Herbs and on Skillful Means

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

The mural from these two chapters is on the left side of the north wall in the main chamber, and dates from the High Tang period (712–756). In the upper section of the mural depicting scenes from the “Chapter on the Parable of Medicinal Herbs,” seedlings sprout over farmer’s fields as rain descends from the dark clouds above. On the upper left, a male farmer and ox till the soil, while on the upper right, a female farmer carries a load on her shoulders. The three inscriptions which accompany the image state: “The rain cloud is wreathed in flashes of lightning, and rouses all sentient beings with its thundering call; it pours out equally in all four directions, refreshing the thirsty, dry earth, watering and bringing forth the warm herbs and trees. The plants and rain clouds are analogous to the Buddha teaching the Dharma. The vegetations of the 3,000 chiliocosms manifest many differences in their stalks, twigs, leaves and foliage, but the rain that falls from any cloud would vivify all for their full development.”
In the lower section of the mural there are scenes from the “Chapter on Skillful Means.” On the left, one person dances while another kneels before a stupa; a group of musicians are seated behind them. On the right, four children build a stupa made of sand, and a cartouche reads, “May all who make offerings or pay respect to the Buddha attain Buddhahood.”