Guanyin Temple Vairocana Hall Murals

CHINA, Sichuan, Chengdu; Ming dynasty

These murals, painted on the side walls and the screen wall behind the altar in Vairocana Hall, cover an area of 94 sq m. They are considered to be Guanyin Temple’s greatest treasure. According to the inscriptions, the murals date from 1468 of the Ming dynasty. The murals on the side walls show the 12 Bodhisattvas described in the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment. According to the sutra, the Twelve Perfect Enlightenment Bodhisattvas each asked the Buddha for a method of practice. The Buddha’s answers to them are twelve different techniques that lead towards enlightenment.
The Bodhisattvas depicted, starting from the right on the east wall, are Perfect Enlightenment Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva in the first mural, Unhindered Power and Virtue Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, and Universal Vision Bodhisattva in the second mural, and Pure Wisdom Bodhisattva in the third mural. On the west wall, the first mural on the right depicts Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, the second features Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, Sound Discernment Bodhisattva, and Purifier of All Karmic Hindrances Bodhisattva, and the third mural shows Universal Enlightenment Bodhisattva and Foremost in Virtue and Goodness Bodhisattva. In between the Bodhisattvas, there are 24 heavenly beings and figures making offerings. Flying apsaras are painted in the upper register.
The Twelve Perfect Enlightenment Bodhisattvas sit with downcast eyes and closed lips. They hold various items including a sutra, a ruyi (wish-fulfilling talisman), a sword, and a jewel. The heavenly beings are portrayed as kings, civil officials, military officers, and female heavenly beings. They stand in different postures and hold objects including imperial court batons and fans. Sarasvati has multiple arms that hold different Dharma instruments or form a mudra.
The images of the Bodhisattvas measure 180 cm in height. The heavenly beings are 150 cm high, while the figures making offerings have a height of 90 cm to 100 cm. The murals are painted using orchid-leaf, iron-wire, nail-head, and rat-tail lines. The Bodhisattvas’ faces, chests, hands, and feet are shaded, giving them a three-dimensional appearance. The figures are colored in gentle hues of cinnabar and mineral green. Gold powder is used to accentuate the clothing and ornaments. Pearl powder is also used on the clothing to suggest the texture of silk. Though there are some similarities between these murals and the mid-Ming dynasty murals at Fahai Temple in Beijing and Pilu Temple in Shijiazhuang, these images still reflect the unique aesthetic sense of the Central Plains region.