Yulin Cave 33: Illustration of the Hells

CHINA, Gansu, Guazhou; Five Dynasties

This mural is located above the doorway on the front (east) wall. This location is common, as illustrations of the hells within the Yulin Caves are generally found in corridors or above doorways. The earliest known illustrations of the hells found within the Dunhuang caves were painted during the Early Tang period (618–712), however, most of these are badly eroded and no longer discernible. Additional murals of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the hells, and the cycle of birth and death were produced at the site during the Five Dynasties (907–960) and the Song dynasty (960–1279). This particular illustration dates to the Five Dynasties.
The central figure in this mural is Ksitigarbha, seated in relaxation posture upon a lotus throne. The Bodhisattva wears brightly patterned monastic robes and holds a monk’s staff. Recorders of Good and Evil stand on both sides of Ksitigarbha, each holding an iron tablet which is used to record the good and bad deeds of every being.
Surrounding Ksitigarbha and the attendants are depictions of various hells. The scenes on the left include the Hell of Boiling Cauldrons, the karmic mirror, and the Hell of Dismemberment. King Yama, to the left and in the foreground, wears armor and holds a command plaque as he orders two ghosts to carry out punishments. The right side of the mural depicts the Hell of Poisonous Snakes and the Hell of Excrement. The running figures in the middle register are jailers driving sinners toward the pit full of excrement, while the figures at the top are attacked by snakes. The lower right corner contains another image of King Yama, who is seated before a man and a woman.