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Amida, the Buddha of Limitless Light

ca. 1250
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 224
Amida Nyorai—referred to in Sanskrit as Amitabha Tathagata—the Buddha of Limitless Light, sits upon a lotus pedestal with his hands forming the mudra of meditation. Amida presides over his own paradise, the Western Pure Land, to which he welcomes any being who calls upon his name. His benevolent gaze, directed toward the viewer below, is symbolic of this boundless compassion. The Pure Land sects of Buddhism, with their emphasis on salvation through faith, stirred the imagination of both courtiers and commoners alike, and temples dedicated to Amida were constructed throughout Japan.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 阿弥陀如来坐像
  • Title: Amida, the Buddha of Limitless Light
  • Period: Kamakura period (1185–1333)
  • Date: ca. 1250
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Wood with lacquer, gold leaf, and color
  • Dimensions: H. 34 5/8 in. (87.9 cm); W. 28 3/4 in. (73 cm); D. 22 3/4 in. (57.8 cm)
    Overall (with pedestal): H. 61 in. (154.9 cm); W. 39 in. (99.1 cm); D.39 in. (99.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1919
  • Object Number: 19.140a–c
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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