Five Hundred Bandits 五百强盗因缘故事

Mural Location: Mogao Cave 285, South Wall (middle section)

Mural Topic: The Five Hundred Bandits Reaching Enlightenment tells the story of five hundred bandits being captured and tortured but eventually reaching enlightenment through Buddha’s teaching.

Mural Content: This mural painting is the earliest Buddhist karma story in Dunhuang. It tells the story through a long scroll progressing from east to west. The story starts with the bandits causing a disturbance and got captured, tortured, and let into the forest. It then develops with the Buddha appearing and preaching to them. The bandits convert into Buddhists and meditate in the mountains. The story demonstrates the Buddhist teaching of “dropping the knife and becoming Buddha”. To learn more about this story and the mural painting, please watch the Dunhuang Academy production of Mogao Cave 285: Praying for Peace, and extended reading of the story Conversion of the Five Hundred Bandits.

壁画方位：南壁中段通壁

壁画主题：五百强盗成佛，讲述五百个强盗为非作乱被征讨后接受酷刑，最后受佛度化入山修行的因缘故事。

壁画内容：此幅壁画是敦煌现存最早的佛教因缘故事画。采用长卷式构图自东向西推进讲述了强盗作乱遭官兵围剿、被俘受虐、放逐山林、佛祖现身说法、强盗皈依、入山修行、参禅入定等八个场景。体现了"放下屠刀立地成佛"的佛教思想。想要了解更多关于这则佛教因缘故事及其壁画，请观赏敦煌研究院出品莫高第285号窟：祈求平安 及点击延伸阅读五百强盗成佛。