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Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Pure Land (Sukhavati)

ca. 1700
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 253
Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life, is also known as Amitabha, one of the five Cosmic Buddhas of Esoteric Buddhism. He is shown in his paradise, Sukhavati, the Western Pure Land, enthroned beneath a massive flowering tree festooned with immeasurable riches, jewels and auspicious symbols. To either side the sky is filled with clouds bearing throngs of ecstatic demigods who bear offerings and scatter flowers. Seated below are the eight great bodhisattvas, and between them are two large, low tables covered with offerings. To either side are the vast assembled audiences who receive Amitayus’s teachings. At the bottom, set within a vast panoramic landscape, are courtyards, giant lotus flowers, and pools from which the purified are being reborn.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Pure Land (Sukhavati)
  • Date: ca. 1700
  • Culture: Central Tibet
  • Medium: Distemper with gold on cloth
  • Dimensions: 56 1/4 × 39 1/2 in. (142.9 × 100.3 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Barbara and William Karatz Gift and funds from various donors, 2004
  • Object Number: 2004.139
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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