Kizil Cave 14: Jataka of the Lion King
Kizil Cave 14: Jataka of the Lion King
CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu
Located on the right side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main chamber, this painting is based on a story described in the Mahasamnipata Sutra. In the story, two monkeys who lived in the mountains needed to find food. Before leaving, they asked the Lion King to babysit their two children. When the Lion King fell asleep, the Eagle King flew by and snatched the two little monkeys. Realizing what had happened, the Lion King went to see the Eagle King and offered to exchange its own life for those two little monkeys. The Eagle King was touched by the gesture and thus returned the two little monkeys.
The background of the painting is a blue mountain range. The Lion King squats on the ground, while the Eagle King flies above. A monkey kneels before the Lion King with joined palms, asking the Lion King to take care of the two children.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves R-L, page 476.
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 = 476,
title = {{Kizil Cave 14: Jataka of the Lion King}},
volume = 6,
year = {2016}}