Chohoji Temple: Life of the Buddha - Emerging from the Casket

JAPAN, Kyoto; Heian period

According to the Mahamaya Sutra, when Sakyamuni Buddha passed into parinirvana, his disciple Aniruddha used his spiritual powers to enter Trayastrimsa Heaven to inform the Buddha’s mother, Queen Maya. She immediately came down to earth and appeared before the casket where the body of the Buddha rested. This artwork depicts the Buddha rising from his casket to give his mother a final Dharma teaching. Based on the lines and coloring techniques, it is thought to have been painted during the second half of the 11th century. Originally belonging to the Chohoji Temple in Kyoto, the painting is currently kept in the Kyoto National Museum. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1951. Together with the painting Parinirvana at Kongobuji Temple in Wakayama, they were regarded as the two pinnacles of Buddhist art produced during the Heian period.
Sakyamuni Buddha, appearing serene and peaceful, rises from a casket placed between twin sala trees. With joined palms, he gives his final Dharma teaching to Queen Maya, who has rounded cheeks and holds a staff in her left hand. A ring of white light filled with tiny Buddha images surrounds Sakyamuni. Disciples, Bodhisattvas, the Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors, heavenly beings, and animals look up at the Buddha with admiration. The white light and small golden Buddhas around Sakyamuni stand out vividly in the center of the image. The clothes of the surrounding figures are painted in an assortment of bright colors.