Taima mandara　当麻曼荼羅

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

Mandala of Taima. The most complete depiction of the *Kangyou hensou 観経変相, or the transformation scene *hensou 変相 of the KANMURYOUJUKYOU 観無量寿経. It is a religious image usually hung to the left of the main altar in the sanctuary of a Pure Land joudo 浄土 temple. The pictorialization was based on a commentary on the Buddhist sutra by Shantao (Jp: *Zendou 善導; 613-81). The appellation arose because the original version in Japan has been handed down at Taimadera 当麻寺, Nara. One of the Three Joudo Mandalas *joudo sanmandara 浄土三曼荼羅, which are revered by followers of Pure Land Buddhism. As with the *Amida joudo hensou 阿弥陀浄土変相, the painting subject focuses on an Amida triad *Amida sanzon 阿弥陀三尊, Amida surrounded by bodhisattvas *bosatsu 菩薩. In the center background is an ornate palace representing Amida's Paradise gokuraku joudo 極楽浄土. In addition, the left vertical panel or court shows the story of Prince Ajatasatru (Jp: Ajase Taishi 阿闍世太子) from the preface of the sutra. In the right vertical and lower horizontal courts the story is continued with additional depictions of the Sixteen Contemplations juurokukan 十六観 that *Shaka 釈迦 preached to the king's wife as a guide to visualize Amida's paradise. Thirteen Contemplations are arranged on the right side and the remaining three contemplations, commonly referred to as the Nine Stages of Rebirth *kubon raigou 九品来迎 or kubon oujou 九品往生, are placed in the bottom court. Scholars believe that the original Taima mandara was a large-scale embroidery imported from Tang China. It is believed that in 763 during the Nara period Chuujouhime 中将姫 had it woven with lotus threads guushi 藕糸 based on a vision she had experienced. Thus the original woven work is sometimes also called the Guushi mandara 藕糸曼荼羅. The miraculous weaving of the 4.5 meters square tsuzure-ori 綴織, usually translated as "figured (hand woven) brocade", is said to have been accomplished by a nun who was believed to be a human incarnation of the bodhisattva *Kannon 観音, the main attendant to Amida. This 8c work is still preserved today at Taimadera in fragments with a great many Kamakura period repairs. From the Heian period, with the increasing popularity of Pure Land beliefs, the work grew ever more revered. In the Kamakura period *Hounen's 法然 (1133-1212) disciple Shoukuu 証空 (1177-1247), founder of the Seizan 西山 branch of the Joudo sect, actively propagated the teachings of the Taima mandala. Hence, at this time numerous commentaries on the iconography were written and many copies of various sizes were also painted. The most notable was the well known work from 1217 preserved in Zenrinji 禅林寺, Kyoto which is regarded as the closest extant copy. Numerous later copies also exist. Moreover, the illustrated scrolls of the Legends of the Taima Mandala Taima mandara engi emaki 当麻曼荼羅縁起絵巻 (13c, Koumyouji 光明寺, Kanagawa prefecture), with its vivid illustrations and text of the mandala's miraculous origins, played an important role in the diffusion of Taima mandala beliefs.

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