The wall paintings in the Buddhist cave monasteries of Ajanta (second-first centuries BC and fifth-sixth centuries AD) convey unique insights into the life of the Ancient Indians and their culture. The painted Buddhist legends proclaim ethics, in which help for beings in distress is valued higher than one's own personal welfare, and is often even worth more than one's own life. The book presents the results of more than 30 years of research in the paintings and their literary and cultural background. Many of the painted scenes are identified and interpreted for the first time.