Onjoji Temple: Usnisavijaya Mandala

JAPAN, Shiga, Otsu; Kamakura period

This 13th century mandala based on the Usnisavijaya Dharani Sutra symbolically depicts Vairocana Buddha in the Diamond Realm. It was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1900.
Vairocana sits in full lotus position on a lotus throne within a moon disc in the center of the mandala. Usnisa Sitatapatra, Jayosnisa, Usnisavijaya, Usnisatejorasi, Usnisavikirna, Mahodgatosnisa, Abhyudgatosnisa, and Anantasvaraghosa are arranged symmetrically around the Buddha. All of the figures wear a necklace and have a high topknot, a nimbus, and an aureole. Ribbon and Dharma wheel patterns are painted in the background of the large circle that contains the figures. In the lower register, Acala sits within a triangle on the right, Trailokyavijaya stands in a crescent on the left, and an incense burner is shown within an oval in the center. A canopy hangs at the top of the picture, flanked by heavenly beings sitting on clouds. The symmetrical, neatly arranged mandala is painted with pale colors and dark ink.