Akasagarbha Bodhisattva

JAPAN; Kamakura period

Akasagarbha Bodhisattva was particularly revered in early Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism, and is associated with the Memory Retention Practice, a Vajrayana ritual said to grant the ability to perfectly remember and understand any teaching or text to those who can complete it. Practiced in Japan since the Nara period (710–794), it involves chanting Akasagarbha’s mantra one million times in 50 or 100 days. This 13th century picture is painted on a round plate of laurel wood, making the central figure appear as if within a full moon. It is listed as an Important Cultural Property.
Sitting in full lotus position on a lotus throne, Akasagarbha Bodhisattva forms the varada (wish-granting) mudra with the right hand, and holds a long-stemmed lotus and a flaming jewel with the left hand. The Bodhisattva wears a headdress and ornaments. A stole flutters around the arms and shoulders. Gold is used to highlight the folds of the clothing and the multiple rays of light emitted by Akasagarbha. The stem of the lotus throne extends into a mound of earth at the bottom of the picture.