Mogao Cave 85: Illustration of the Ghanavyuha Sutra

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

This mural on the north wall of the main chamber is based on the Ghanavyuha Sutra. Grand architecture represents the Ghanavyuha Pure Land. At the top of the mural, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas ride through the sky upon clouds. Sakyamuni Buddha is in the center teaching the Dharma, surrounded by Bodhisattvas, disciples, and the Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors. In the lower register there are 16 smaller teaching scenes separated by a decorative border. These mainly depict the Buddha in discourse with Vajragarbha Bodhisattva.
The boatman parable from the sutra is also illustrated in the mural. A boatman is shown steering his way across open waters, representing the potential of the Dharma to deliver sentient beings from suffering. A caption on the side reads, “As with a boatman at sea, all move as the rudder steers.”
Only four Ghanavyuha Sutra illustrations are found in the Mogao Caves. The oldest, in Cave 150, was painted during the Tibetan Empire (781–847), while this mural was painted during the Late Tang period (846–907). The other two illustrations are found in Caves 55 and 61.