Kumtura Cave 75: Monk and Five Realms of Existence

CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu

This large illustration features a monk seated in full lotus position located on the back (south) wall of the main chamber. The monk wears a monastic robe with a small flower on the collar and holds a container from which five black lines radiate outwards. The lines divide the scenes of the Five Realms of Existence, which surround the monk. The heavenly realm, with four heavenly beings kneeling with palms joined, is depicted in the upper left of the monk. An illustration of the hell realm is found in the middle left, with figures being cooked in a cauldron by a bull-headed demon. The animal realm is below, in the lower left. An image of Mount Sumeru and a seated Buddha are vaguely visible in the upper right corner of the illustration. Four humans dressed in Uighur attire face the monk in the center with palms joined. The first figure wears a collared robe, the second a garment with lapels, and the remaining two wear headdresses. These represent the human realm. The hungry ghost realm is shown on the lower right, featuring two hungry ghosts standing and crying out.
A 16-line vertical inscription in Chinese is written below the monk, however, the characters are indecipherable. The monk is likely Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who was once instructed by Sakyamuni Buddha to remain in the human realm between his own parinirvana and the birth of Maitreya to educate and alleviate the sufferings of sentient beings caught within samsara.