Inner Asia: Art of the Tarim I: Qizil and Khotan
Qizil, Peacock cave ca. early 5th century, murals to the left of the
entrance. The Temptation of the Fasting Buddha by the Daughters of Mara.
Seen at the left are the three beautiful young women while to the right
are the old hags that they become. This is a very unusual representation
of this scene in that it usually takes place at the moment just before the
enlightenment or even after the enlightenment. This may be from a now lost
version of the narrative.
