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Artist Unknown
Amida Raigô (Descent of Amida)
15th century
Ink, color, gold pigment and cut gold leaf (kirikane) on silk
The complexities of Esoteric Buddhism and
the austerities of Zen stand in marked contrast to Jôdo, or Pure
Land Buddhism. Where enlightenment in Esoteric Buddhism and Zen
was a matter of personal, and often extremely arduous effort,
salvation in Pure Land belief depended entirely on the believer's
faith in divine compassion. This painting represents the highest
expression of that faith. Known as a raigô image, it depicts
Amida, Buddha of the Pure Land paradise, and his two attendants
descending from the Pure Land to accept the soul of a dying believer.
Rays of golden light emanate from Amida to signal his coming.
Pure Land doctrine describes the heavenly music, fragrant scents,
and showers of lotus petals that accompany Amida's arrival. Seishi,
the bodhisattva on the left, folds his hands in prayer, and yet
another manifestation of Kannon Bodhisattva bears a small lotus
throne on which the believer will be reborn in the Pure Land
paradise. The diagonal motion of the figures down and across
the painting stands in stark contrast to the iconic, frontal
views used in most paintings of Buddhist deities, such as the
Esoteric Buddhist Bodhisattva scroll in this gallery. This attests
partly to the function of raigô images. Descent of Amida
paintings were often hung next to the beds of dying believers
who would hold golden threads attached to the painting as they
prayed for rebirth in the Pure Land.
Belief in Pure Land doctrine began in earnest
among the nobility during the middle of the Heian period (794-1185).
The simplicity of this teaching, with its focus on faith and
compassion, quickly gained widespread support among people of
all classes. By the fifteenth century, when this painting was
made, Pure Land adherents far outnumbered those of any other
Buddhist denomination.
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University
Art Museums, Gift of the Hofer Collection of the Printed and
Graphic Arts of Asia in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Langdon Warner
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