Item: Amitabha Buddha - Pureland (Sukhavati)

Amitabha Buddha (Tibetan: san gye o pa me. English: the Buddha of Boundless Light) in the pureland of Sukhavati teaching to the eight great bodhisattvas, shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.

Seated in the perfect posture of meditation, red in colour with one face and two hands, blue-black hair in tufts with a red top-knot ornament and the split ears of a prince, he wears the robes of a fully ordained monk. The two hands are placed in the lap in the mudra (gesture) of meditation and hold a black begging bowl. With the two legs folded in vajra posture seated above a pink lotus and peacock supported throne, he is surrounded by a dark blue and orange nimbus and green aureola under a canopy of flowers blossoming above, adorned with hanging jewels. At the sides, heavenly gods on white clouds shower down precious jewels, wishing gems and flower blossoms.

At the sides are the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, 'the heart sons of the Buddha,' each with their own colour: Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya, Kshitagarbha and Samantabhadra, Vajrapani, Manjushri, Akashagarbha and Sarvanivarana-vishkambhin.

Amitabha Buddha resides in the western direction in the pureland called Sukhavati (Tib.: dewa chen. Eng.: Land of Great Bliss). Full descriptions of his iconography and environment are found in the Sukhavati-vyuha Sutra.

At the top left is the Tibetan teacher Tsongkapa and on the right is Chaturbhuja Avalokiteshvara with one face and four hands.

Jeff Watt 10-2007