Mogao Cave 148: Illustration of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra - Casket Rising by Itself

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

Part of the illustration of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra on the back (west) wall of the main chamber, this is a depiction of the golden casket of the Buddha rising miraculously above the city of Kushinagar. The floating casket is said to have circled the city seven times before coming to rest again. In the mural, the city is surrounded by a wall with three gates. Auspicious clouds emerge from the north and west gates, carrying the casket through the air. A grand funeral procession is depicted on the right. An inscription states, “The golden casket rises by itself, circling the city seven times in the air before coming to rest on the funeral pyre.”