Shojuraigoji Temple: Six Realms of Existence

JAPAN, Shiga, Otsu; Kamakura period

In the Essentials of Rebirth in the Pure Land written by Master Genshin of the Tendai school, both the sufferings of beings in the lower realms and the joys of the Pure Land are described in detail. This set of 13th century paintings vividly illustrates some of these descriptions in order to encourage people to recognize the brutal nature of worldly life and aspire to a higher rebirth. There are a total of 15 paintings, each measuring 155.5 cm high and 68 cm wide, depicting the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and heavenly beings. The set was listed as a National Treasure in 1963.
In the paintings of the hells, there are horrifying scenes of torture within a desolate landscape of rocks and flames. Fierce demons with multiple heads and eyes torment naked, helpless sinners. The demons are muscular and brightly colored, while the human figures are small and emaciated, emphasizing their miserable condition.
The asuras are powerful, violent spirits due to their karma of anger and pride. Their realm is portrayed as a place of perpetual warfare in which they fruitlessly struggle to overthrow the rulers of the heavens. In the sky above the ocean, asuras with multiple arms are shown battling against an army of heavenly beings.
Impermanence is emphasized in the images of the human realm. In one painting, the corpse of a beautiful woman is depicted three times as it becomes bloated and decays. The graphically portrayed rotting body clashes jarringly with the healthy trees that bloom overhead. In another picture, small figures and animals are painted at the bottom of a vast landscape of rolling waves, mountains, and trees. Fine details, beautiful landscapes, and imaginative scenes make these some of the most treasured depictions of the six realms produced during the late Heian and Kamakura periods.