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Welcoming Descent of Amida (Amida Raigō)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
In the Pure Land school of Buddhism, Amida Buddha is the focus of worship. Pictured here is the raigō , or the moment when Amida descends with his retinue to welcome a dying person into his Pure Land, called the Western Paradise. Once there, a person can concentrate on becoming enlightened. Images like this one could be placed before a person on their deathbed to help them stay faithful and motivated to attain birth in the Pure Land.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineWelcoming Descent of Amida (Amida Raigō) (阿弥陀二十五菩薩来迎図), 1300–1333. Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333). Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on silk; painting: 171.8 x 84.5 cm (67 5/8 x 33 1/4 in.); mounted: 269.1 x 113.3 cm (105 15/16 x 44 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1953.123
