Mogao Cave 296: Illustration of the Sutra on the Field of Merits

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Zhou dynasty

This illustration is located on the north slope of the ceiling, and is composed of two rows of scenes. The imagery is based on a monk’s elaboration of his past lives found in the Sutra on the Field of Merits. Within the mural, figures go about establishing a monastery and participating in its daily affairs. In the upper row: laborers build a monastery and stupa, fruits are grown in an orchard, water is drawn from a well, and horses and camels are fed. In the lower row, a man paints a mural beside a house, people tend to the ill, and merchandise is transported on mules and camels.
This sutra illustration, similar to others produced during the Northern Dynasties (386–581), does not include images of the Buddha teaching the Dharma from the “Introductory Chapter,” nor does it contain illustrations of the causes and conditions of virtuous deeds expounded in the sutra. It does illustrate five of the seven Dharma practices advocated in the sutra, and portrays the working lives and livelihoods of the people, providing rare visual insight into daily life during that period. Of particular interest are the images of merchant caravans which reveal details of trade and travel along the Silk Road.