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Mogao Cave 302: Jataka of Sacrifice for a Gatha by Enduring the Burning of Flesh
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Mogao Cave 302: Jataka of Sacrifice for a Gatha by Enduring the Burning of Flesh
CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Sui dynasty (581–618)
This painting is the fifth in a series of single-scene Jataka illustrations on the east slope of the gabled ceiling. It is based on the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. In the center of the painting, a king is seated on a lotus throne with palms joined. A man stands to each side of the king, the one on the right holding a torch of hot resin which he uses to burn the king’s flesh. The king suffers this torment to hear a single gatha of the Dharma, bringing him nearer to liberation from cyclic existence. |
