敦煌壁畫西方淨土變與藥師淨土變對置成因分析=On the Contraposition of the Illustrations of the Western Paradise Sutra and of the Bhaisajya-guru Sutra in Dunhuang Wall Paintings
Since the early Tang dynasty,the locations of many sutra illustrations had become more fixed in Dunhuang caves,and some of these illustrations appeared in opposed pairs,such as the illustrations of both the Western Pure Land and the Bhaisajya-guru’s Pure Land,which were usually painted on the south and north walls,respectively,in the main chamber.This tradition was followed in later times and became a fixed model,not only expressing their mutual complementarity,but also emphasizing the meticulous care of Buddhism for the life and death of humans.
