Kizil Cave 99: Heavenly Beings Listening to the Dharma

CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu

Heavenly beings presented in three registers are located to the left of the niche on the back wall in the main chamber. The upper register is damaged but the figures can still be seen facing the Buddha with palms joined. Two heavenly beings are depicted in the middle register, with the one on the right believed to be Sakra. They wear headdresses, stoles, and lower garments. Their heads are backed by nimbuses, and their bodies are adorned with earrings, necklaces, armlets, and bracelets. Seated on a tall square throne, the figure on the right turns toward the Buddha with palms joined. An indistinct image of a prostrating disciple is found in the lower register.
Along with the gandharva illustrated to the right of the niche and the Buddha within it, this group of paintings depicts the Teaching at Sakra’s Cave. This scene captures the commencement of the Buddha’s teaching after the gandharva had performed, with the heavenly beings listening attentively.