Yulin Cave 2: Illustration of the Lotus Sutra - Universal Gateway Chapter - Rescuing Merchants from Bandits

CHINA, Gansu, Guazhou; Western Xia period

This illustration is located in the center of the back (east) wall. The scene is from the “Universal Gateway Chapter” of the Lotus Sutra, which states that Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva will give aid to anyone in need. In the case of merchants who encounter bandits while traveling, if they call out the name of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva will rescue them. This image depicts a merchant encountering bandits.
In this image, the bandit is depicted as a large man who holds a sword with the other hand outstretched towards the merchant. The bandit wears a blue head scarf and a red robe. The merchant, depicted on the right of the image, wears a black turban and a long round-collared robe. He appears submissive to the bandits, with hands clasped at the front and a frightened expression on his face. The merchant’s servant kneels at his side, but this portion of the image has unfortunately largely flaked off. A blue sack is seen beside the servant and at the edge of the illustration a cart loaded with goods is thought to be depicted.