"The Seventh Stūpa" (The Seventh Great Event)

"The Seventh Stūpa" (The Seventh Great Event)

Eight great events of the Buddha's life

Depiction of the seventh great event of the Buddha's life, receiving the gift of honey from a monkey. The central image shows the Buddha sitting in European fashion on a lotus with his feet resting on a smaller blossom, he is attended by a person (probably Ananda) on his right and bodhisattva on his left. The Buddha is shown bending towards a monkey, while stretching out his hands. The monkey offering a bowl with both hands is seen with smiling human face and hairy body. The other scenes in the lower right corner show what is said to have happened after the Buddha accepted the honey from the monkey. First the monkey is seen dancing happily because the Buddha accepted his gift , the second shows him falling into a pit and diying, and the third one displays the monkeys ascending to heaven. In the opposite corner there are buddhist monks depicted, and two bodhisattvas above them, holding their hands in the anjalimudra. In the middle, before the central image there is a stele depicted, with a chinese inscription. Is says: " Inside the city ...? she the monkey presented honey to the Saint. The buddha accepted (his gift). The monkey was extremely happy and started to dance. Thereby, he fell into the pit and died. This is the site where he ascended into heaven. Prosperity. This is the 7th stūpa." The Sanskrit line on top of the stele only readable in fragments: ..ai.a.lyam caitya ratna - ...jewel of the stūpa" (Toyka-Fuong, 1998, 77)

Toyka-Fuong, Ursula, "The Influence of Pala Art on 11th-century Wall-paintings of Grotto 76 in Dunhuang," in The Inner Asia International Style 12th-14th Centuries. Papers presented at a Panel of the 7th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Graz 1995, edited by Deborah E. Klimburg and Eva Allinger, 67-95. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1998, 93.

late 11th century

Sanskrit and chinese

Cave image

Dunhuang, Mogao Grotto 76, Gansu province, China