Kizil Cave 101: Five Hundred Merchants Seeking Treasures in the Sea

CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu

This image is located on the left side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main chamber. According to the karma stories, a lead merchant from Sravasti went to sea seeking treasures with a group of 500 other merchants. Three times, they were set back due to damage to their ship. The lead merchant then recited the Buddha’s name for a successful voyage. He vowed to offer half the treasures they procured upon his safe return home. The merchants were then successful in obtaining a large amount of treasure. However, the lead merchant become greedy and did not wish to fulfill his offering vow. The Buddha therefore used supernatural powers to inform him of his wrong doings. Realizing that he acted wrongly, the merchant offered jewels which were transformed into a canopy that covered the Buddha wherever he went.
In this diamond-shaped painting, the Buddha wears a red monastic robe and is seated on a rectangular throne in a full lotus position. He is encircled by a nimbus and an aureole, and a canopy is depicted above. The dark-skinned merchant, wearing a white hat, earrings, and long boots, is depicted to the left. He is dressed in a blue garment and holds a jewel in both hands.