Parables Of Filial Piety

Scene #18, upper right side (map)
Baodingshan, Dazu

These sculptures illustrate selected jataka tales of Buddhist filial piety, even displaying the texts themselves to prove that Zhao was not just making this up. It's worth repeating that the point of all this was to defend Buddhism against the damaging Confucian charge of unfiliality.

At the lower left, the child Prince Subhuti accompanies his royal parents (standing) into exile. The father rests one hand on his sword; his other arm supports the boy. Subsequently (not shown), the Prince offered his own flesh to feed his starving parents. Lower right, Prince Mahasattva sacrifices himself to feed a hungry tiger and her cubs. His distrought parents examine their son's remains on a table beside the tiger. Upper right, a farmer releases a filial parrot who took grain from the farmer's field in order to feed its parents. Beside this figure, Prince Kshanti (right corner) sacrifices his eyes and bone marrow to make a medicine for his father (at table, upper right). Upper left, Shakyamuni (kneeling) reveres his parents (seated above).