Painted images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as *Shaka
ίή, *Yakushi ςt, *Miroku
νθΣ, *Kannon ΟΉ, *Jizou
n , but most notably, * Amida
’νΙ and his attendants, 'coming in welcome raigou@}' to the
Western Paradise. Where@Amida is depicted, the image is often called Amida
raigou-zu ’νΙ}}. Follwers of Pure Land Buddhism joudokyou ςy³ believe
that upon death Amida and his retinue will descend from his Western Pure Land
saihou gokuraku joudo ΌϋΙyςy 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 ³Κυo (the Larger
Sukhavatiyuha Sutra, or Sutra of Infinite Life ):If after obtaining my Buddhahood
all beings in the ten quarters awakening their thoughts to enlightenment and practising
all deeds of merit should cherish the desire in sincerity to be born in my country
and if I should not be surrounded by a large company, appear before them at the
time of their death, may I not attain the highest enlightenment. Amida,
often flanked by Kannon and *Seishi
¨(an image known as Amida sanzon raigou ’νΙOΈ}) and frequently accompanied
by the rest of his heavenly retinue of bodhisattvas and heavenly beings Amida
shoujuu raigou ’νΙΉO}, or sometimes limited to 25 bodhisattvas *nijuugo bosatsu ρ\άμF (known as Amida
nijuugo bosatsu raigou ’νΙρ\άμF}), is usually shown in painting as descending
towards earth on a cloud that trails off on a diagonal. The emphatic jin'un
no Amida v_’νΙ (swift cloud Amida) or hayaraigou }
(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
}σ 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 Aθ}, or returning raigou.
The
earliest raigou theme in Japan appears to have been the paintings of the
*kubon raigou
γi} (also known as kubon oujou γiΆ), or the Nine Levels of Birth, depicted
in the bottom outside court of the *Taima
mandara ΦδΆ
, also known as a Kangyou hensou ΟoΟ (Transformation Scene
of the KANMURYOUJUKYOU Ο³Κυo) and dating back to the late 8c. Independent
kubon raigou theme appeared on the wooden doors and panels of *amidadou ’νΙ° in the early Heian period. The earliest extant example is
in Byoudouin *Hououdou ½@P° (1053), Kyoto. Also instrumental in the development
of individual raigou paintings was the Tendai Vδ monk Genshin ΉM (942-1047), whose
OUJOUYOUSHUU ΆvW (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
ZΌ), the dying believer would chant the nenbutsu O§ (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
Rz’νΙ (Amida Coming Over the Mountain) in the Konkaikoumyouji ΰϊυΎ, 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. |
