Kumtura Cave 63: Jataka of the Bodhisattva Staying Still for Birds

CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu

This illustration of a Jataka tale is located on the north side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main chamber and depicts one of the Buddha’s past lives as a Bodhisattva. According to the Compilation of Sutras by Samgharaksa, the Bodhisattva was meditating in the mountains with so little movement that a bird had built a nest and nursed its young upon the Bodhisattva’s head. With great compassion for the bird and its chicks, the Bodhisattva remained still until the chicks were old enough to fly away.
In this painting, the Bodhisattva is seated in full lotus position and forms the dhyana (meditation) mudra. The figure is surrounded by a nimbus and an aureole, and is wrapped in a robe. A bird’s nest containing four white chicks rests upon the head, and two large birds stand above the nimbus. A bare-chested figure wearing a dhoti kneels to the right of the Bodhisattva.