Rakudenji Temple: Illustration of the Lotus Sutra

JAPAN, Nara, Tawaramoto; Kamakura period

Also known as the Lotus Sutra Mandala, this painting is part of a set of four paintings based on the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra. Originally kept at Rakudenji Temple, the restoration records inscribed on the painting indicate that it was created during the late Kamakura period (1185–1333). It was listed as an Important Cultural Property and is now kept in the Honkoji Temple.
The painting is covered with captioned scenes from seven chapters, namely the “Chapter on Devadatta,” the “Chapter on Encouraging Devotion,” the “Chapter on Peaceful Practices,” the “Chapter on Emerging from the Earth,” the “Chapter on the Lifespan of the Tathagata,” the “Chapter on Discrimination of Merit and Virtue,” and the “Chapter on the Merit of Rejoicing.” The scenes from these chapters are arranged in a clockwise direction beginning from the top right hand corner with images of Manjusri Bodhisattva teaching in the Naga Palace, the enlightenment of the naga king’s daughter, the Jataka of sacrifice for a gatha by jumping off a cliff, Bodhisattvas emerging from the earth, the parable of the father and son, the parable of the cakravartin and the pearl in his top-knot, the parable of the joy of giving and receiving alms, the offering of the jewel by the naga king’s daughter at the meeting of the two Buddhas, and the offering of flowers and fragrances to the Buddha teaching the Dharma. Monks reading sutras and teaching the Dharma to listening disciples are interspersed between the scenes. Due to the large number of distinct images, the painting is extremely detailed. Trees, rocks, water, clouds, characters, and buildings are interspersed within the scenes.