Jingzhong Yuan Temple Pagoda: Life of the Buddha - Parinirvana

CHINA, Hebei, Baoding; Northern Song dynasty

This mural was discovered in 1969 in the underground palace of the Jingzhong Yuan Temple Pagoda in Baoding, Hebei. The original pagoda is no longer standing; only the underground palace is intact. Composed of angular brick chambers, the palace has murals painted on the east, west, and north walls. According to ink inscriptions on the south wall, the murals were completed in 995 of the Northern Song dynasty. In 2006, the underground palace of Jingzhong Yuan Temple Pagoda was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site.
Buddha passing into parinirvana is illustrated on the north wall. As described in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, “the Buddha lay on his right side on a seven-jeweled bed, with head placed on a pillow at the north and feet facing the south. His face was looking west and his back faced the east . . . he went into the state of parinirvana . . . At that moment all of the beings of all the realms started to cry in grief.” In this illustration, the Buddha, with a peaceful expression on his face, is lying on his right side on a bed atop a throne. Queen Maya, the Buddha’s mother, stands behind the bed. The Buddha is surrounded by grieving disciples who fall down in despair or sit on the ground wailing. Their mournful expressions contrast with the serenity of the Buddha.
Six standing musicians arranged in two rows are illustrated on the east and west walls, dressed in armor and crowns, and holding a flute, panpipes, a pipa, drums, a sheng (free-reed instrument), and clappers. They are surrounded by clouds, and their stoles appear to flutter in the wind.
Many murals have been discovered in underground palaces dating from the Tang (618–907), Song (960–1279), and Liao (907–1125) dynasties. They include the Tang murals in the underground palace of the upper relic pagoda of Qingshan Temple in Lingtong, Shaanxi, the Song murals in the underground palace of Jingzhi Temple Pagoda in Dingzhou, and the Liao murals in the underground palace of Spotless Pure Light relic pagoda in Shenyang, Liaoning. Most of these murals are well-preserved, making them a valuable record of the artistic styles during these periods.