Mogao Cave 61: Illustration of the Tejaprabha Buddha Dharani Sutra - Tejaprabha Buddha

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Yuan dynasty

This image is painted on the south wall of the corridor. According to the Tejaprabha Buddha Dharani Sutra, this Buddha emits radiant light from the pores of his body and protects devotees from calamities. In the mural, the Buddha sits in full lotus position in a two-wheeled cart, holding a golden wheel in the right hand. Two flags decorated with images of dragons hang at the back of the cart. The Nine Luminaries and Dharma protectors walk beside it. Deities in long robes representing the Twenty-Eight Constellations stand upon swirling clouds in the sky above, holding tablets in their hands. The Twelve Zodiac Signs are represented by images dispersed across the sky. This mural is unlike any others found within the Mogao Caves.