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49 Treasure Trees, Manichaean Monastery Cave Mural in Tuyok (Western China) Tuyok SW, Grotto #2 and #7

7x7 Treasure Trees

The wall opposite the main entrance of the Southwestern Toyuk Grotto No.2 and  No 7, as well as the northern Number 2 Grotto, and the central number Grotto 7 all contain pictures of the seven by seven Manichaean treasure trees, the northern grotto has these accompanied by an image of Mani, the Envoy of Light, and of the meditations of the disciples on other walls and ceilings. S.W Grotto 2 is dated to the mid to late seventh century. (Chao, Huashan, "New evidence of Manichaeism in Asia.  Monumenta Serica, No 44 (1996), pp 267-315) or to the fifth century by Yamabe.

The forty-nine individual Treasure Trees do not differ in their artistic rendering and are always shown in seven rows of seven. These are explained further as an object of visualization in remaining fragments from the cave walls themselves, as well as in the Visualization Sutra, a sutra used by the Pure Land schools whose origin hearkens back to these Manichaean meditation grottos:

"When the visualization of the ground has been completed, the next visualization is of the jeweled trees. In visualizing the jeweled trees, one should see them one by one and form an image of seven pathways that are lined with these trees. Each tree is eight thousand yojanas high, and is adorned with blossoms and leaves made of the seven kinds of jewels. Each blossom and leaf is the color of a different jewel. From the lapis lazuli-colored blossoms is emitted a golden light; from the rock crystal-colored is emitted a crimson light; from the emerald-colored is emitted a sapphire light; and from the sapphire-colored is emitted a pearl-green ray of light. In addition, coral, amber and all the other myriad jewels serve as dazzling ornaments. "Exquisite nets of pearls completely cover the trees, and each tree is veiled by seven layers of nets. Between each of the nets there are five billion exquisite flower palaces that resemble the palace of Lord Brahma, and within each of them reside celestial children. Each of these children wears ornaments made of five billion noble wish-fulfilling jewels. The light from these mani jewels shines brightly for a radius of a hundred yojanas in all directions, not unlike a constellation of a billion suns and moons, but no words can fully describe the brilliance of this light. The intermingling of the light from these various jewels produces a color unexcelled among all colors."The rows of these jeweled-tree paths are evenly arranged, and their foliage is equally spaced. From among the leaves appear exquisite blossoms, and upon these flowers, fruits made of the seven kinds of jewels spontaneously appear. Each blossom is twenty-five yojanas in diameter, and their petals shine with a thousand colors and have a hundred different patterns so that altogether, the leaves are like heavenly ornaments. This array of exquisite blossoms is the color of the golden sands of the Jambu River and resembles revolving wheels of fire gently turning among the leaves; and from these flowers, fruits well up as if from Sakra’s vase.

"These fruits issue forth great floods of light that form banners, flags and countless canopies adorned with jewels. Within these jeweled canopies, all the deeds of the Buddhas of the three-thousand-great-thousand worlds are illuminated, and the Buddha-Lands of the Ten Directions also appear within. "When you have seen the trees in this way, visualize each detail in order: perceive the trunks, the branches, the leaves, the blossoms and the fruits, and let your vision of all of them be clear and district. This is the visualization of the trees and is called the Fourth Visualization. To do this visualization is called the right visualization; to do another is called an incorrect visualization.".

"There the precious trees are all arrayed in formations,
The precious fruits always grow, neither wither nor rot,
Uniform in size (lit. big and small alike) and without nibbling worms,
Verdant, thriving, abundant, and naturally existing. 
Bitter and poisonous, sour and rough, dark and black
Is not the precious fruit, but is fragrant and delicious;
Nor is it empty inside whilst full outside,
But bright in and out, tasting like the sweet dew.
The roots and stem, branches and leaves of the precious tree
Are all like the sweet dew, top and bottom and throughout the body:
Fragrance, overspreading, fills the whole world,
And precious flowers, illuminating each other, are always red and white."

"I respectfully worship, laud, and praise the ever-flourishing Tree,
With numerous treasures, dignified, solemn, and delicate beyond compare,
Supreme in quality, developing to fill the world:
Its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits ....All the Buddhas come from its flowers;
All wisdom and kindness grow from its fruits.
It can nourish the five kinds of sons (or seeds) of Light,
It can conquer the five kinds of greed."