Six Roots of Sensations

Scene #20, Baodingshan, Dazu (map)

The figure in this relief is Fu Dashi (497-569), a Zen master who taught that the senses deceive the mind. Here the six (sic) senses are personified by animals, who are tethered to Fu Dashi's platform: Sight, a dog; Hearing, a crow; Smell, a snake ; Taste, an unidentified animal; Touch, a fish; and Passion, a horse. The master cradles a monkey, personifying Mind, in his lap.