Amida (Amitabha)

Title: AmidaClose TooltipAmida[AH-mee-dah]a Buddha; he presides over the Pure Land or Western Paradise and is widely venerated in Japan. (Amitabha)

Type: Sculpture

Associated Religious Tradition: BuddhismClose TooltipBuddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.

Origins

• Geography: Japan
• Date: Early 14th century
• Period: KamakuraClose TooltipKamakura[kama-KOO-ra]a city in Eastern Japan. It is the namesake of the historical Kamakura period, 1185–1333. period (1185–1333)

Physical Properties

• Material: Wood with gold leaf
• Dimensions: H × W × D: 112.6 × 45.5 × 44.1 cm (44 5/16 × 17 15/16 × 17 3/8 in)

Crediting Information

• Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
• Credit Line: Purchase—Harold P. Stern Memorial Fund and Charles Lang Freer Endowment in appreciation of Nancy Fessenden and Richard Danziger and their exemplary service to the Galleries as leaders of the Board of Trustees
• Accession Number: F2002.9a-f

In SanskritClose TooltipSanskrit[san-SKRIT]the Indian language in which the earliest Hindu hymns, as well as many later scriptures, were composed. A cosmopolitan language used across South and Southeast Asia for centuries, it is the language of numerous Buddhist texts. Buddhist texts known or believed to have been translated from Sanskrit are considered authoritative., AmidaClose TooltipAmida[AH-mee-dah]a Buddha; he presides over the Pure Land or Western Paradise and is widely venerated in Japan. is known as Amitabha, which means “Infinite Light.” Amida is regarded as a great savior BuddhaClose TooltipBuddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. in the MahayanaClose TooltipMahayana[MA-huh-yaa-nuh]literally, “Great Vehicle”; a major Buddhist movement that emerged sometime before the second century CE and produced a large body of sacred texts. Encompassing several schools of practice, Mahayana encourages practitioners to follow the bodhisattva path and strive to become Buddhas. and Pure Land Buddhist schools.

According to the fundamental Pure Land scripture—the Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra (or Infinite Life SutraClose Tooltipsutra[SOOT-ruh]literally, “aphorism”; a scripture recording a sermon or teaching attributed to the Historical Buddha. )—Amida Buddha started as a monk named Dharmakara many eons ago. He vowed that once he gained BuddhahoodClose TooltipBuddhahood[BOOD-huh-hood]the state of being a Buddha and the goal of all bodhisattvas., anyone who has confidence in him and invokes his name will be reborn in his paradise. Those who have faith will live in the Western Paradise in bliss until they reach enlightenmentClose Tooltipenlightenmenta moment of great wisdom and understanding; the highest level of consciousness, believed to be achieved through meditation and adhering to the basic moral teachings of Buddhism..

Practitioners of Pure Land BuddhismClose TooltipBuddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE., called JingtuClose TooltipJingtu[JING-too]Pure Land Buddhism in which Amida Buddha is the main object of worship. It is the Chinese term for the Japanese “Jōdo.” in Chinese and JōdoClose TooltipJōdo[JOH-doh]Pure Land Buddhism in which Amida Buddha is the main object of worship. It is the Japanese term for the Chinese “Jingtu.” in Japanese, believe that rebirth in Amida’s Western Paradise (Sukhavati) is ensured for all those who invoke Amida’s name with sincere devotion. According to the Buddhist texts, this Pure Land is a paradise of happiness: people live in peace and abundance, the sky is filled with beautiful music, and trees produce priceless gems.

Pure Land Buddhism spread from India to China and then to Japan. Within Japanese Buddhism, devotion to Amida Buddha reached a crescendo late in the HeianClose TooltipHeian[HEY-un]a former capital of Japan, modern-day Kyoto. It is the namesake of the historical Heian period, 794–1185. period (794–1185) and peaked in the KamakuraClose TooltipKamakura[kama-KOO-ra]a city in Eastern Japan. It is the namesake of the historical Kamakura period, 1185–1333. period (1185–1333). Worship of Amida was promoted by the promise of salvation and by the Japanese belief that mappōClose Tooltipmappō[MUP-poh]the final period of decline of the Buddhist Law. Japanese Buddhism determined that it began in the eleventh century., the final period of decline of the Buddhist Law, had begun in the eleventh century.

In Pure Land Buddhism, it is believed that one attains salvation solely through the mercy of Amida Buddha, rather than through good acts or prayers. Devotees believe that meditation and the recitation of Amida’s name will lead to liberation from samsaraClose Tooltipsamsara[SAAM-saa-ruh]literally, “wandering”; the continuous and inherently unsatisfactory existence over countless lifetimes in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. and to rebirth in his Western Paradise, where future enlightenment would be unhindered.

AmidaClose TooltipAmida[AH-mee-dah]a Buddha; he presides over the Pure Land or Western Paradise and is widely venerated in Japan. BuddhaClose TooltipBuddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. (known as Amitabha in SanskritClose TooltipSanskrit[san-SKRIT]the Indian language in which the earliest Hindu hymns, as well as many later scriptures, were composed. A cosmopolitan language used across South and Southeast Asia for centuries, it is the language of numerous Buddhist texts. Buddhist texts known or believed to have been translated from Sanskrit are considered authoritative.) tilts slightly forward on his lotus blossom composed of multiple, delicately carved petals. This sculpture represents Amida Buddha descending to welcome a recently deceased believer into the heavenly realm. The forward-tilting posture stresses the purpose of his mission.

Amida wears a monk’s robe slung over his shoulders. He stands with his right hand up in the abhaya mudraClose Tooltipmudra[MOOD-ruh]a symbolic gesture of the hands or pose of the whole body found in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain art., a fearless hand gesture that signifies reassurance and safety. In a greeting and welcoming mudra, his left arm is lowered. His hair consists of hundreds of curls and forms an oval on top of his head (ushnishaClose Tooltipushnisha[oosh-NEE-shuh]a protrusion from the top of the skull of a Buddha, sometimes depicted as a knot of hair; one of the thirty-two marks of a great man.). This hairstyle is a symbol of the Buddha’s supernatural powers and reflects his superior wisdom. His ears are long, which allow him to hear all people in need. His unlimited compassion is embodied by his benevolent gaze aimed toward the observer below.

In the second half of the thirteenth century, a new, gradually discernable Buddhist sculptural style appeared in Japan. Its features are amply present in this figure. Artisans fashioned intricate faces, feet, and garment folds separately and assembled the parts. Detailed with paint, gold leaf, and glass or crystal eyes, the completed figures were lifelike and seamless. Three documents associated with this sculpture reveal information about when it was made, its style, and its original purpose. A Buddhist sutraClose Tooltipsutra[SOOT-ruh]literally, “aphorism”; a scripture recording a sermon or teaching attributed to the Historical Buddha. fragment dated 741 (several centuries before the sculpture was made) was discovered inside. It has been suggested that this date was used to invoke the spirit of eighth-century Japan, when the political and living situations were more stable.

This sculpture represents AmidaClose TooltipAmida[AH-mee-dah]a Buddha; he presides over the Pure Land or Western Paradise and is widely venerated in Japan. BuddhaClose TooltipBuddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment., the Lord of the Western Paradise, descending to console and welcome a recently deceased believer into the heavenly realm. “Welcoming approach,” or raigōClose Tooltipraigō[RYE-goh]“welcoming approach” of Amida Buddha to gather the spirit of a deceased person and carry it back to the Pure Land., paintings and sculptures like this were significant religious items near the time of a person’s death. Buddhist priests frequently delivered similar paintings or small sculptures to believers’ deathbeds as a final promise of salvation to encourage them to remain devoted and motivated to pursue birth in the Pure Land.

At death, seeing the welcoming approach (raigō) or merely Amida Buddha alone became connected with promised enlightenmentClose Tooltipenlightenmenta moment of great wisdom and understanding; the highest level of consciousness, believed to be achieved through meditation and adhering to the basic moral teachings of Buddhism. and rebirth in the Pure Land in Japan. Some Japanese households still retain raigō shrines, and raigō paintings and sculptures are presented to people on their deathbeds. Reciting the Amida SutraClose Tooltipsutra[SOOT-ruh]literally, “aphorism”; a scripture recording a sermon or teaching attributed to the Historical Buddha. and the name of Amida are common death rites in most Chinese Buddhist funerals as well.

1. Describe what you see in the statue. What is he standing on?
2. What do you notice about the arrangement of the figure? What does he seem to be doing?
3. What is the significance of his hand gesture?
4. Why do you think the color gold was chosen to paint the figure?

1. Why is the statue of AmidaClose TooltipAmida[AH-mee-dah]a Buddha; he presides over the Pure Land or Western Paradise and is widely venerated in Japan. standing in a forward-tilting posture?
2. Why are beliefs about the afterlife important in BuddhismClose TooltipBuddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE. and other religions?
3. How would you imagine the Western Paradise where Amida resides to be like?
4. What would a perfect place or paradise look like to you?

Ideals of Beauty: Asian and American Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. London and Washington, DC: Thames and Hudson World of Art, 2010. Pp. 70–71.

Mason, Penelope. History of Japanese Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.

Paths to Perfection: Buddhist Art at the Freer|Sackler. Washington, DC: Freer|Sackler, the Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art, 2017. Pp. 13, 37, 223–27.

Pine, Red. Why Not Paradise: The Pure Land of Amitabha BuddhaClose TooltipBuddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.. Spokane, WA: 2019.