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Kizil Cave 38: Jataka of Sacrifice for a Gatha by Enduring a Thousand Nails
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Kizil Cave 38: Jataka of Sacrifice for a Gatha by Enduring a Thousand Nails
CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu; circa 4th century
Located on the left side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main chamber, this painting is based on a story described in the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. In the story, a king was very eager to learn about the Dharma. He announced to the world that he would offer anything to anyone who could teach him the Dharma. A brahmin came to the royal palace and offered to teach the king the Dharma. However, in exchange, the king would have to let him nail 1,000 nails into his body. Eager to learn about the Dharma, the king willingly accepted the brahmin’s condition.
In the painting, the king with bare upper body and feet, stands beneath a tree. He has a nimbus and aureole, and looks down at the brahmin with joined palms. The brahmin’s holds an object in his left hand and sticks a nail into the king’s body with his right hand. |
