Mogao Cave 254: Life of the Buddha - Renunciation of Nanda

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Wei dynasty

This mural is located on the north wall. Nanda’s renunciation is recorded in various Buddhist scriptures, including the Abhiniskramana Sutra and the Samyukta Ratna Pitaka Sutra. It is said that this half-brother of the Buddha loved his wife and initially regretted his renunciation because they could not be together.
In the center of the mural is an image of Sakyamuni Buddha sitting in full lotus position teaching the Dharma. He wears a headdress and monastic robes. On each side of the Buddha are Bodhisattvas and flying apsaras who pay their respects. On the left and right in the lower register are Nanda and his wife, both dressed in lay clothing. On the left, in front of a house, a Bodhisattva attempts to pull apart the happy couple. Nanda holds his wife’s hand and wraps his other arm around her shoulders. Nanda’s wife looks to one side, expressing her grief and reluctance to separate. On the right, inside the same house, Nanda is compelled by a messenger to move on as he looks back at his wife, who stands by the door. Discrepancies can be observed between the content of the mural and the sutra texts, and some speculate this may be an illustration of a different story.