Mogao Cave 420: Illustration of the Lotus Sutra - Universal Gateway Chapter

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Sui dynasty

This mural is located on the east slope of the ceiling and is one of the earliest illustrations of the “Universal Gateway Chapter” from the Lotus Sutra found within the caves of Dunhuang. At the top of the mural, a caravan of merchants with camels, donkeys, and loads of goods travels across land and sea, enduring hardships along the way. In the upper right corner, a camel falls from a cliff while the merchants look down the valley in terror. In the upper left corner, robbers equipped with armor and weapons ambush the merchants, and at the bottom right, a river sweeps people away while others meet with danger at sea. There are images of people engulfed in flames, and another of a person shackled by the neck. The image provides a glimpse of the arduous Silk Road journeys undertaken by merchants. The “Universal Gateway Chapter” claims that all who call out to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva will be saved from their suffering. The Thirty-Three Manifestations of Avalokitesvara, including the various forms taken by the Bodhisattva when rescuing people from danger, are illustrated in the lower register.