Thirty years ago,the author discovered the Weimiao Biqiuni Bian微妙比丘尼變(The Illustration of Bhiksuni Suksma)in cave no. 296 of the Mogao Grottoes while hecopied the Dunhuang murals. This was hewn during the Northern Zhou北周period(557-580 AD).On both the western and northern slopes of the roof is drawn the story of anancient Indian woman who had suffered all kind of misfortunes and was finally beingthrown out of the society. She was taken into the Buddhist holy order out of despera-tion. In the text of the sutra the story is narrated in first person singular. The mural hasre-arranged the episodes into sequence.The visual begins with her previous lives andthen comes to her present life. The painting with 24 scenes originated in the latter part of the 6th century, but itsinfluence has been very profound. It was copied in the “screen paintings”during the laterperiod of the Mogao Grottoes. Comparing the painting with chinese Tripitaka, such asFoshuo funu guyu jing佛說婦女辜遇經(Sutra about a suffering widow told by the Bud-dha),Xianyu jing賢愚經(Sutra for the sagacious and fool), Dafangbianfo bao′en jing大方便佛報恩經(Sutra of Mahopani Buddha on gratitude towards parents),and Genben-shuoyiqie youbu pi′naiye zashi根本說一切有部毗奈耶雜事(Events from the Mula-Sar-vastivada-Vinaya),it can be seen that the illustration in Mogao Cave no. 296 was。paint-ed according to Xianyu jing. The story of Bhiksuni Suksma has later on influenced people’s life and some sort oftradition which is still prevalent and popular in Northernwest China.
