A vision of salvation : raigō painting
Date
1985
Authors
Chin-Bryant, Gail Fay
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Abstract
Pure Land, referring to the belief in the Western Paradise of Buddha Amitabha, was a form of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasized faith as an easy route to salvation. It had begun in North-west India by A.D. 100, then spread north-east to China and Japan, rising in popularitv in the latter country between the late tenth and twelfth centuries. During this initial period of popularization in Japan, a new genre of Buddhist scroll paintin9 called raigo-zu arose from the Pure Land tradition. Raigo-zu depicts the vision seen by a person at the point of death. The vision is of Amitabha and his hosts descending to welcome the soul to the Pure Land; it is the sign of salvation. The subject of the vision of Amitabha's descent is taken from the Three Pure Land Sutras, which promise salvation to all who have faith in and reflect upon Amitabha.
The raigo theme can be seen in the wall murals of Tun-huang in China, but continental examples of raiqo paintings in scroll form are rare. In Japan, however, such paintings are numerous. This thesis examines the religious and social conditions in Japan that contributed to the popularization of independent raigo images on silk scrolls. The artifact under investigation is The Descent of Amitabha and Hi s Holy Multitude, a painting kept at the Treasure House of Mount Koya. This work is the earliest extant example of a fully developed raigo painting.
According to popular tradition, the Tendai monk Genshin (942-1017) is credited with creating many raigo works, including the above image. In order to investigate the origins of the introduction of the raigo theme to Japanese Buddhist art, Genshin's philosophy, life, and artistic reputation must be explored. His teachings and practices, as- stated in his treatise, the Ojoyoshu, are a synthesis of Tendai and Pure Land doctrines. Genshin is part of the Pure Land historical continuum in which the mental condition of faith gradually eclipses meditative practices as the most important prerequisite for salvation; he represents an intermediate stage in the continuum.
Raigo painting is a manifestation of the doctrines of Genshin and the degree of faith of his patrons, the aristocrats of the Fujiwara period (896-1184). Without a wealthy class of secular patrons, raigo painting could not have become an accepted genre of Buddhist art. Such paintings were necessary because the religious capacity of these aristocrats was weak; they required images to inspire their faith and direct their worship. A raigo image, such as The Descent of Amitabha and His Holy Multitude, is a product of a materialistic society in search of salvation and a religion in pursuit of an all powerful faith. It is an artifact of the process of change within religious beliefs and practices.