Daisenji Temple: Lotus Sutra Mandala

JAPAN, Hyogo, Kobe; Kamakura period

This 14th century Tendai school mandala is meant to be used during the study of the Lotus Sutra. The central image depicts Prabhutaratna Buddha inviting Sakyamuni Buddha to join him in the Prabhutaratna Pagoda that emerges from the ground as proof of the truth of Sakyamuni’s Dharma teaching on Vulture Peak, as described in the “Chapter on the Emergence of the Prabhutaratna Pagoda” in the Lotus Sutra. It was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1901.
In the center of the painting, Prabhutaratna Buddha sits next to Sakyamuni Buddha on a lion throne, mirroring his relaxation posture with one leg pendent and the other tucked up against the body. The two figures are surrounded by eight lotus petals with Bodhisattvas within them. The two-tier rectangular frame features 16 Bodhisattvas on the inner tier and wisdom kings, heavenly beings, and vajras on the outer tier. Within the four corners of the inner frame, there are images of the four chief disciples of the Buddha.