蓬溪宝梵寺明代壁画，绘制于明景泰元年（1450）前后。图像内容以分列东西两壁的十六罗汉为主体，北壁现存西侧药师佛并十二夜叉，东西壁北端各绘布袋、达磨，四角隅下方配置四天王，两侧壁上方绘二十天人，侍者及僧俗人物穿插其间，共计9铺95人。壁画技艺高超，风格独特，在中国壁画史上占有重要位置。壁画主体部分罗汉图像，基于《法住记》十六罗汉记述表现。罗汉造型主要继承蜀地五代贯休式样，并吸收中原北方罗汉像因素而自成一格，兼具世俗化、写实性与装饰性特点。构图突破传统罗汉图像的人物组合模式，并借鉴水陆画的空间表现手法，创造出自由多变、天人合一的独特境界。艺术表现一反同时期寺院壁画的程式化风气，体现出一定独创性和文人意趣的渗透。药师佛并十二夜叉为东方净土图像，其对称位置所缺失壁画推测为西方阿弥陀净土，二者构成净土图像系统，为修持者向往归依之处。中央佛坛主尊造像很可能为释迦说法，它一方面与药师、阿弥陀组成净土信仰相关的三佛图像，同时介入以十六罗汉为主体的传法图像系统。禅宗初祖达磨位居西壁诸罗汉之首，体现禅宗传灯思想与罗汉传法思想的混同；弥勒化身布袋和尚置身东壁诸罗汉之首，是将弥勒传法思想与神僧传说结合，表现罗汉住世护法等待未来世弥勒降生；达磨、罗汉、弥勒三者作右绕次序排列，构成传法系统图像。四天王与二十天组成护法二十四诸天，以环廓之势体现护法思想。净土、传法、护法三部分图像有序组合，构成以传法思想为主导的图像整体。该壁画为探求罗汉信仰与禅宗思想的关系提供了重要线索。

The murals of Bao Fan Temple at Peng Xi County is dated back to cir. 1450 (Ming Dynasty). The murals mainly include the images of the sixteen arhats, accompanied by Bhaisajyaguru, Maitreya, Dharma and the twenty four deva. 9 sections remain till now. With an outstanding skill and unique style, they are quite important in the history of Chinese murals.The murals mainly include the images of the sixteen arhats, which are expressed on the basis of the “Fazhu-sutra”. These arhat figures follow the pattern initiated by Guan Xiu, who was born in the Shu State of the Five Dynasties. They also take elements from the arhat figures found in the north central China, forming an unique style of their own by being secularized, realistic and decorative. The composition surpasses the traditional mode and refers to the spatial techniques of the Shuilu painting, which gives out a free and variant effect that implies the harmony between man and universe. Deeply influenced by the literati painting, the artistic expression of these murals goes against the standardized styles of the temple mural painting. The main section of Bhaisajyaguru with twelve yakshas on the front wall indicats the oriental Pureland. It is probably represented in couples with a lost image of the western Pureland of Amita Buddha. Both of Pureland are thought to the end-result of Buddhists. The sculpture on the central foundation represents in all probability of Sakyamuni disseminating the Dharma. On the one hand, as an intervention, it connects with three Buddha images which belong to Pureland belief. On the other hand, it unifies a whole system of Buddhist painting which is the main body of the murals. Dharma is sitting at the western end of the arhats, implying the phenomena that people tend to mix the different thoughts of Buddhadharma-spread and hand down the Zen. Maitreya is sitting at the eastern end of the arhats, meaning the arhats remaining in the world and waiting for the birth of Maitreya. Dharma, Arhats and Maitreya are arranged from right to left which indicates Buddhadharma being handed down. The twenty-four deva which includes Caturmaharajika-deva in four corners of the temple and other deva on tops of the paintings, form the Buddaharma-protected which surrounding the whole paintings. The three parts of the mural form a whole system of Buddhist painting to convey mainly the though of Buddhadharma-spread. The murals contribute noticeable clues to examine the relationship between arhat belief and Zen thoughts.