Muwisa Temple Ultimate Bliss Hall: Amitabha Buddha and the Eight Great Bodhisattvas

SOUTH KOREA, South Jeolla, Gangjin; Joseon dynasty

This mural of Amitaba Buddha welcoming beings to the Pure Land was originally painted on the west wall of the Ultimate Bliss Hall in Muwisa Temple. It has been moved to a repository that was specially built to preserve the treasures of the temple. According to the Amitayurdhyana Sutra, beings reborn in the Western Pure Land are divided into nine grades according to their capacities. Beings that belong to the highest grade of the highest class are said to possess devotion, faith, and aspiration. Such beings would be received by Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattvas, along with numerous Buddhas, monks, and heavenly beings upon their deaths.
Amitabha is at the center of the mural; the Eight Great Bodhisattvas and eight monks stand in two rows on the sides. The Buddha looks towards the left. The left hand forms a mudra while the right hand is held out to the side. The shape of the usnisa, the square face, the thin eyes, and the folds of the robe are all painted in the style of the 14th century during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392).
Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta wear headdresses that are decorated with a Buddha image and vase respectively. Each of them holds a vase, and a sutra case. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva wears a head scarf, another example of the influence of Goryeo art on this mural. The eight monks are partially visible behind the Bodhisattvas.