Mogao Cave 98: Illustration of the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish - Chapter on Angulimalya

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties

This scene from the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish is located within the 8th and 9th panels from the left in the lower section of the north wall. Angulimalya was a vicious murderer who wore a necklace made of the fingers of his victims. When he happened upon the Buddha on the road, Angulimalya immediately decided to kill him. However, the Buddha quickly spoke, and with his perfect wisdom, made Angulimalya realize the error in his ways. Angulimalya immediately repented and took refuge in the Buddha. Later, King Prasenajit arrived with an entourage to arrest Angulimalya. The Buddha defended the novice monk, explained his repentance, and described encounters between Angulimalya and King Prasenajit in their past lives, illustrating the law of karmic retribution.
The scenes depicted on the two panels draw from the stories of past lives told by the Buddha. An illustration of one of King Prasenajit’s past lives portrays an elephant king encountering a legendary bird so poisonous that other creatures fall to the ground upon meeting it. The elephant King was King Prasenajit, and the bird was Angulimalya. Another scene depicts the building of a great pagoda. A golden bell hung on the pagoda was offered in repentance by a lazy builder who previously complained that the pagoda would never be completed. The builder was Angulimalya, who was born with a melodious voice due to his offering of the bell, but was ugly as a consequence of his complaints.