Dublin Core
Title
Yulin Cave 3- main panel (middle panel)- details
Subject
Painting of eight great events of the Buddha's life with Buddha sculpture
Description
Painting of eight great events of the Buddha's life with Buddha sculpture in front of the painting (sculpture later completed as the painting, late Qing period), showing him sitting in meditation holding his hands in the buhmisparsha mudra, with additional scenes of the Buddha's life in the painting. These other images of scenes and the main image (which was probably the scene of englightenment) are enclosed by a stūpa .
The top of the painting displays the scene of the death and Parinirvāṇa of the Buddha. The right side of the painting shows from bottom to top the birth scene, a scene which is not possible to identifiy (either the miracle of multiplication or the first sermon) and the next image is the Buddha's descent from the Tāvatiṃsa heaven. The other side of the painting depicts from bottom to top the gift of honey, a scene which is again not possible to identify (either miracle of multiplication or first sermon) and the taming of the elephant Nalagiri. The central Buddha sculpture, representing his englightenment covers the rest of the painting, but it is presumably that there is also a image of the scene of the englightenment in the painting.
The top of the painting displays the scene of the death and Parinirvāṇa of the Buddha. The right side of the painting shows from bottom to top the birth scene, a scene which is not possible to identifiy (either the miracle of multiplication or the first sermon) and the next image is the Buddha's descent from the Tāvatiṃsa heaven. The other side of the painting depicts from bottom to top the gift of honey, a scene which is again not possible to identify (either miracle of multiplication or first sermon) and the taming of the elephant Nalagiri. The central Buddha sculpture, representing his englightenment covers the rest of the painting, but it is presumably that there is also a image of the scene of the englightenment in the painting.
Source
Pakhoutoua, Elena A. Reproducing the Sacred Place: The Eight Great Events of the Buddha’s Life and their Commemorative Stupas in the Medieval Art of Tibet (10th to 13th century), diss. University of Virginia, 2009, 319.
Publisher
Elena A. Pakhoutoua
Date
12th century
Type
wall painting and sculpture
Coverage
Yulin Cave 3, Anxi, Gansu province, east-western China