Amitabha Buddha Mandala

CHINA; Tang dynasty

The mandala illustrates the Sutra on the Mandala of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas and follows the layout system of the Womb Realm Mandala, but was based on the Amitayus Tathagata Contemplation and Offering Liturgy. Its function was to help those desiring rebirth in the Western Pure Land by allowing them to visualize its details in graphic form. The artwork was listed as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1966.
The figure in the center is Amitabha Buddha seated in meditation posture and surrounded by the Eight Great Bodhisattvas. Clockwise from the top are: Akasagarbha, Ksitigarbha, Avalokitesvara, Maitreya, Sarvanivarana Viskambhin, Manjusri, Vajrapani, and Samantabhadra. All the figures have a circular nimbus integrated into an oval mandorla. Vases are placed at each corner of the mandala and the background consists of repeated squares with a floral design. Experts judge this to be of Tang dynasty (618–907) origin, although an inscription on the back gives the date 963, which is believed to be a later addition.