Chionin Temple: Biography of Master Honen

JAPAN, Kyoto; Kamakura period

This collection is commonly known as the Forty-Eight Scrolls Biography. It consists of 48 scrolls painted with over 230 scenes depicting the life of Master Honen, the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school. The scrolls are numbered after the 48 vows made by Amitabha Buddha. Painted by a group of court painters led by Fujiwara Tsunetaka, they were commissioned by Emperor Go-Fushimi (1298–1301) in 1307 of the Kamakura period to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Honen’s death, and are marked with inscriptions by the emperor and royal family. The collection was listed as a National Treasure in 1955.
Scroll 34 depicts Honen teaching the Dharma to the residents of an island between the present day Osaka and Hyogo prefectures. Honen is shown inside a house, sitting in full lotus position and holding beads in his hand. Disciples and followers are gathered both inside and outside the house to listen to the teachings. In another scene, Honen, his followers, and other passengers ride on a boat. Honen looks over at a second boat carrying a courtesan and prepares to teach the Dharma to her. The realistically painted boats are surrounded by triangular waves shaded with thin lines. Scroll 42 is a winter scene of the pagoda at Nisonin Temple, Kyoto where the remains of Honen are kept. Scroll 47 finds Honen within a house holding a razor in his hand while presiding over a tonsure ceremony for his young disciples. Honen is accompanied by sitting monks; an attendant in a blue robe kneels on the porch. The scene is simple and solemn. Painted in fluid lines and light colors, the scrolls realistically depict aspects of life during the late Kamakura period (1185–1333).