raigou-zu　来迎図

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

Painted images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as *Shaka 釈迦, *Yakushi 薬師, *Miroku 弥勒, *Kannon 観音, *Jizou 地蔵, but most notably, *Amida 阿弥陀 and his attendants, 'coming in welcome' raigou 来迎. Where Amida is depicted, the image is often called Amida raigou-zu 阿弥陀来迎図. Follwers of Pure Land Buddhism joudokyou 浄土教 believe that upon death Amida and his retinue will descend from his Western Pure Land saihou gokuraku joudo 西方極楽浄土 to earth to welcome and escort the devotee back to his Paradise. The doctrinal basis for this belief is to be found in the nineteen of Amida's 48 vows enumerated in the MURYOUJUKYOU 無量寿経 (the Larger Sukhavatiyuha Sutra, or Sutra of Infinite Life). Amida, often flanked by Kannon and *Seishi 勢至 (an image known as Amida sanzon raigou 阿弥陀三尊来迎) and frequently accompanied by the rest of his heavenly retinue of bodhisattvas and heavenly beings Amida shoujuu raigou 阿弥陀聖衆来迎, or sometimes limited to 25 bodhisattvas *nijuugo bosatsu 二十五菩薩 (known as Amida nijuugo bosatsu raigou 阿弥陀二十五菩薩来迎), is usually shown in painting as descending towards earth on a cloud that trails off on a diagonal. The emphatic jin'un-no-Amida 迅雲阿弥陀 (swift cloud Amida) or hayaraigou 早来迎 (fast raigou) type shows Amida hastily descending at an angle of 45 degrees, lending a degree of inevitability and immediacy to Amida's promised salvation . In the rapid descents Amida often stands and is turned three-quarters to the side, but in the more gentle descents, he may be seated displaying the *raigou-in 来迎印 mudra and facing forward. A variant pose shows Amida and his attendants turned completely around and heading back to his Pure Land Paradise. This is called the kaeri raigou 帰り来迎 (returning raigou). The earliest raigou theme in Japan appears to have been the paintings of the *kubon raigou 九品来迎 (also known as kubon oujou 九品往生), or the Nine Levels of Birth, depicted in the bottom outside court of the *Taima mandara 当麻曼荼羅, also known as a *Kangyou hensou 観経変相 (Transformation Scene of the KANMURYOUJUKYOU 観無量寿経) and dating back to the late 8c. Independent kubon raigou theme appeared on the wooden doors and panels of *amidadou 阿弥陀堂 in the early Heian period. The earliest extant example is in Byoudouin *Hououdou 平等院鳳凰堂 (1053), Kyoto. Also instrumental in the development of individual raigou paintings was the Tendai 天台 monk Genshin 源信 (942-1047), whose OUJOUYOUSHUU 往生要集 (Essentials of Salvation) served as a guide for the Amidist faithful, helping them in their final moments to ensure their rebirth in Amida's Pure Land. Genshin's vivid descriptions of the glories of Amida and his Pure Land inspired the creation of a different lineage of raigou paintings and a set of practices for the faithful as they approached death. For example, in terminal practice (see *rokuji myougou 六字名号), the dying believer would chant the nenbutsu 念仏 (supplication to Amida), lie on his bed, place his head to the north and face west, where one or more sculptures of Amida or an Amida raigou painting would be strategically placed in his line of vision. A five colored cord, like that attached to the painting of the *yamagoe-no-Amida 山越阿弥陀 (Amida Coming Over the Mountain) in the Konkaikoumyouji 金戒光明寺, Kyoto, would then be attached to the image or painting at one end and held by the devotee at the other, thereby establishing a physical link between the two at the moment of death.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。