Kizil Cave 114: Ksantivadi Jataka
Kizil Cave 114: Ksantivadi Jataka
CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu
This mural is on the left side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main chamber. The story is derived from the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. In the story, a sage named Ksantivadi and his 500 disciples cultivated in the mountains. One day, King Kalinga of Benares went sightseeing in the mountains with his consorts. One of the women spotted Ksantivadi and admired his serene countenance. The queens made offerings to Ksantivadi and listened to his teachings. Eventually, King Kalinga heard of this. Seeing how Ksantivadi kept them enraptured, the jealous king cut off the sage’s limbs one by one. Ksantivadi tolerated the pain and remained calm.
In the mural, Ksantivadi is seated in a grass hut on a large seat. His hair is in a topknot and he wears various stoles and a dhoti. The king, to the left of Ksantivadi, is depicted drawing his sword to dismember Ksantivadi.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves R-L, page 550.
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 R-L},
pages = 550,
title = {{Kizil Cave 114: Ksantivadi Jataka}},
volume = 6,
year = {2016}}