Dajue Temple Great Hero Hall: Illustrations of the Eastern and Western Pure Lands

CHINA, Jiangsu, Yixing

These murals are located on the two sides of the back wall in the Great Hero Hall at Dajue Temple. They were drafted by Wang Tianjin, a painter from Quanzhou.
The Eastern Pure Land mural shows the Medicine Buddha seated on a high throne. The Buddha is flanked by Suryaprabha and Candraprabha Bodhisattvas, and a number of figures in various poses. Their happy expressions reflect the joyous atmosphere of the Pure Land.
The Western Pure Land mural depicts Amitabha Buddha with Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattvas. Each figure has a nimbus and a mandorla, and sits on a lotus throne beneath a canopy. In the upper register, there is a pavilion that radiates light which illuminates the Buddhas of the Ten Directions. Heavenly beings appear riding on clouds above the Bodhisattvas, monks, disciples, and devotees who are all seated around the Buddha, listening to him as he teaches the Dharma. The lower register contains balustrades, nets, trees, ponds with blooming lotuses, and birds of various colors. There are 382 figures in each scene.