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| 0382 |
On Ancient Central-Asian Tracks : vol.1 |
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Below, on the left, is seen the figure, broken away at the
bottom, of a youthful donor. Neither the space facing it on
the right, nor the cartouche between, has been filled. We
find the same unfortunately only too often in these paint-
ings intended for votive offerings. The purchaser, probably
buying the picture while on the way to or at the sacred site,
may not have been able to spare the time—or the additional
money—to have a dedicatory inscription properly composed
and painted in by a competent scholar with that regard for
fine penmanship that Chinese custom has always exacted.
But Kshitigarbha is worshipped perhaps even more fer-
vently as the Lord of the Six Worlds, including that of
beings in Hell. As supreme Regent of the Underworld he
may use his power to pardon and deliver souls from punish-
ment in Hell. It is in this character that we see him
seated on a rock with his mendicant's robe and head-dress
presiding over the ten infernal Judges. These in Chinese
magisterial costume sit at their tables of office. Before Kshiti-
garbha a condemned soul, wearing the cangue, that Chinese
instrument of punishment, is brought up by a mace-carry-
ing demon. In a magic mirror he is made to see the crime
for which he has been judged. Once again the space meant
for a dedicatory inscription has not been filled nor the
cartouches meant for the names of the donors.
Before we proceed to more elaborate compositions, we
may note a group of minor divinities which often figure
in these large paintings. By the great number of separate
banners they are proved to have made a strong appeal to
the imagination of Buddhist worshippers in the Tun-huang
region. They are the Four Lokapalas or Guardians of the
Four Regions. They are invariably represented as warrior
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571
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578
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