Mogao Cave 254

Mogao Cave 254 was built in Northern Wei (439-434AD). This cave, with an oblong main hall in plan and a central pillar in the center, is one of the most representative Northern Wei caves. On the four sides of the central pillar are niches with stucco figures. The ceiling around the central pillar is flat with painted latemendecke motifs and the front part is gabled with moudeled rafters in relief. The sidewalls are divided into four sections. Near the ceiling are musicians in heavenly palace, the upper part of the middle section are four niches with Buddha sculptures in dhyana or pafyankabandha gesture, and below the niche are story paintings of the Sattva Jataka, the Sibi Jataka and thousand-Buddha motifs. In the center of the west wall is a white-robed Buddha surrounded by thousand-Buddha motifs. Beneath the gabled end of the front part is a niche with a crossed-legged Bodhisattva, and below the niche are illustrations of Sakyamuni's Enlightenment, the Attack of Mara, and the story of Sundarananda.
The Sattva Jataka in cave 254 is painted according to the Suvamaprabhasa-uttamaraja Sutra : one day, the third prince Sattva went out with his two brothers and saw one tigress with seven cubs on their way. The tigress was so hungry that it wanted to eat her cubs. So, the prince decided to save the tigers by feeding himself to them. The story is painted in this order; 1) three princes going out; 2) Sattva sticking his neck; 3) Sattva jumping down from the cliff; 4) Sattva feeding himself to the tigers; 5) Sattva's parents crying in deep sorrow. The whole story is painted with a technique called "episodes of different time composed in one picture". Many sutras record this story, and those in the Kizil Grottoes are mainly based on "Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish"
Opposite to the Sattva Jataka is the Sibi Jataka on the north wall. As Volume I of the "Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish" says king Sibi in Jambudvipa observed the Bodhisattva way and was desirous to do better. One day, Sakra wanted to test his resolve, then he transformed into a hungry hawk chasing a dove, which sought refuge with the king. King Sibi would use his own flesh to save the dove. However, all the flesh he cut off from his body is lighter than the dove. In the end, he stood up and sat in the balance.
Narratives of the Sibi Jataka are very similar to the one painted on the north wall in Northern Liang cave 275.