Kizil Cave 69: Prophecy of Dipamkara Buddha

CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu

This mural is located on the right wall of the main chamber. In a past life, Sakyamuni was a youth named Megha who, upon meeting Dipamkara Buddha, bowed to his feet and offered a five-stemmed lotus. When Megha saw a puddle of water on the floor, he covered it with a deerskin and his own scattered hair for the Buddha to walk over. Dipamkara then prophesized that Megha would one day become a Buddha named Sakyamuni.
In this painting, Dipamkara Buddha stands with a bowl in the right hand, and wears a monastic robe. He has a multi-layered nimbus and an aureole that radiates golden light. The Buddha looks downward to the right, where there are three figures with high topknots and large earrings. Among them is Megha, who kneels before the Buddha and raises a five-stemmed lotus in offering. In the upper left corner of the painting, a second image of Megha depicts the boy scattering his hair on the ground for the Buddha to walk upon.
In the background of the mural are decorative lotus buds. Evidence suggests that these may have been painted later.