Bezeklik Cave 17: Western Pure Land
Bezeklik Cave 17: Western Pure Land
CHINA, Xinjiang, Turpan
This painting is situated on the south side of the cave ceiling. The ceiling is divided into several panels which portray scenes from various sutras. This particular section of the mural depicts stories from the Amitayurdhyana Sutra. According to the sutra, those who practice the Pure Land school will be reborn in the Western Pure Land.
At the bottom of the painting, a hexagonal structure in a pond supports the growth of three lotuses. Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva sit on thrones at the top of the lotus stems. The nimbus and mandorla emit light from Amitabha Buddha. Surrounding him are other Bodhisattvas and beings from the Pure Land. Below the thrones, other lotuses are depicted in various states of bloom, which represent the nine grades of rebirth in the Western Pure Land.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E, page 135.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E},
pages = 135,
title = {{Bezeklik Cave 17: Western Pure Land}},
volume = 5,
year = {2016}}