Western Thousand Buddha Cave 18: Illustration of the Amitayurdhyana Sutra

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

This mural is located on the west wall of the cave. It is based on the Amitayurdhyana Sutra. The square, central portion of the mural illustrates the Western Pure Land. Amitabha Buddha is depicted on the center of a raised platform, flanked by Avalokitesvara and Mahastamaprapta Bodhisattvas. Each figure has a round nimbus and mandorla, and an ornate canopy suspended over their heads. Surrounding the central Buddha and Bodhisttvas are buildings and courtyards, all filled with numerous figures. The top of the mural features six Buddhas seated on auspicious clouds.
The vertical paintings on either side of the central image illustrate the introductory sections of the Amitayurdhyana Sutra, which provides a backstory for the Pure Land depicted in the center. In the story, King Bimbisara is desperate for a child and is told that a certain hermit would be reborn as his son, so the king forces the hermit’s death in order to hasten the son’s birth. When the son, Ajatasatru, learns of the murder, he imprisons his parents. During her imprisonment, Queen Vaidehi asks the Buddha for help and relief from the suffering and cruelty of the human world. The Buddha shows her various Pure Lands for her to choose, and the Sixteen Contemplations which will help her to achieve rebirth to the Western Pure Land.
The painting on the south side illustrates the first part of the story, in which the king and his party force the hermit’s death. The painting on the north side depicts Queen Vaidehi practicing the Sixteen Contemplations.