Todaiji Temple: Fifty-Five Visits of Sudhana

JAPAN, Nara; Kamakura period

According to the restored inscription written by Ryohen on the back of the frame, this picture was painted by Rai’en of Okayama. In 1294, Hokkyo Token of Kosanji Temple in Kyoto donated it to Shokaiji Temple in Harima (present day Hyogo) in commemoration of his deceased parents. In 1421, the monk Koya brought it to Todaiji Temple, and it was repaired in 1423. The painting was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1938.
An inscription in the upper register, written in Chinese Song calligraphic style, reads “Avatamsaka Assembly of Spiritual Mentors.” Below, Vairocana Buddha is shown sitting in full lotus position on a white lotus throne. Lines of colored light radiate from the Buddha’s nimbus and aureole.
Fifty-four small squares cover the rest of the painting, each containing an image of one of the visits of Sudhana described in the “Gandavyuha Chapter” of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Sudhana made a total of 55 visits, but since Manjusri Bodhisattva was visited twice, there are only 54 images. Each visit is identified by an inscription in the upper right corner of the square. The mentors, each with a distinct, impressive appearance, are often shown sitting on thrones looking down at the smaller kneeling figure of Sudhana.