Yulin Cave 25: Illustration of the Sutra on the Descent of Maitreya - Second Assembly of Maitreya

CHINA, Gansu, Guazhou; Tang dynasty

This detail is located in the bottom left corner of the illustration of the Sutra on the Descent of Maitreya on the north wall of the main chamber. The scene depicts the second of the three assemblies of Maitreya. According to the sutra, 9.6 billion people will attain Arhatship at the first assembly, 9.4 billion at the second assembly, and 9.2 billion at the third.
In this depiction, Maitreya wears a red and blue robe and gives a teaching to a gathering of Bodhisattvas, Heavenly Kings, and monastics. The Bodhisattvas are depicted with round faces and delicate features, while the Heavenly Kings appear powerful and fierce, wearing armor and holding weapons. A low altar containing incense burners is depicted in front of Maitreya, and platforms on both sides display objects including locks of hair, bottles, and folded monastic robes. Monastics who have already renounced sit in a row to the side, while those who are newly tonsured prostrate in front of the altar. A depiction of people in the process of being tonsured is found on the side of the painting. The small figures behind the main images of the ceremony represent the people of the Ketumati Pure Land walking away from precious objects left on the roadside, meant to illustrate their high moral standards. The smooth lines and bright colors of the mural are characteristic of High Tang period (712–756) artistic styles.