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Tu Fu saw this mural in 759 at a Buddhist temple near Santai, on his way to Chengtu. Ku K’ai-chih (345–406) was known for his temple art, but Tu Fu simply uses his name to praise the actual artist, who includes scenes of the Taoist island paradise of Tsangchou as well as a few Buddhist monks. Emperor Wu (r. 502–549) once told a Buddhist and a Taoist that whichever of them could place an object first on Chienshan could use the mountain for his hermitage. The Taoist sent his cranes, and the Buddhist sent his magic staff. The mural also depicts the story of a monk who arrived from India in the fifth century in nothing more than a wooden tub. Lieh-tzu once noted that gulls are only frightened by those who think of catching them (2.11). The monk Hui-yuan (334–416) lived on Lushan and began Pure Land practice in China by vowing to be reborn in Amida Buddha’s Paradise.

Painted on the Wall of Master Hsuan-wu’s Room

TU FU

What year did Tigerhead Ku

cover this wall with scenes of Tsangchou

the red sun and forest of rocks

the blue sky and ocean of waves

a staff forever flying next to a crane

a seaborne tub beside unfrightened gulls

this is like finding the road to Lushan

following the actual steps of Hui-yuan