Amitabha Thangka of Blissful World

[Amitabha Blissful World Thangka]

Amitabha Blissful World Thangka, 18th century, Tibet, cloth, color, painting heart 30.5cm vertically, 22cm horizontally. The old collection of the Qing Palace. Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Life, is worshipped by all sects of the Tantric Sect. In the Tantric Sect, the Buddha of Infinite Life is usually a bodhisattva dressed in a heavenly robe and decorated with wreaths. The shape of this Buddha’s costume is relatively rare. This picture shows Amitabha’s Western Pure Land of Blissful. Amitabha Buddha has a red body, two hands holding a bowl, and is now meditating. The top of the Buddha is painted with the founder, the master and the gods of the Yellow Sect. From top to bottom, it lists the three masters and disciples of Karpa, the five Buddhas, the original Buddha, the dense Vajra, the Shengle Vajra, the Great Vajra and the Avalokitesvara, the Manjusri and other great Bodhisattvas, as well as the Gods of the Buddha Mother, the Joy, the Avatar, the Dharma Protector and other gods, forming a complete Tantric god lineage. It is different from the “Pure Land Change” of the same subject matter of Xianzong, which focuses on the solemn and unique features of the Blissful World, reflecting the differences between Xianmi teachings. In the painting, those sitting on the left and right side of Amitabha are Shizhi and Guanyin Bodhisattva respectively. The lower part of the painting is protected by the auspicious heavenly mother, the six-arm brave protection method, the treasure Big Black Sky, and the fallen devil. In the picture, the Buddhas from ten directions praise the Pure Land of Blissful bliss, the offerings of the gods, and the flying of the Pure Land Buddhas to return to the Buddha temples are also displayed in the heaven. These plots, together with the treasures everywhere below, and the lotus in the Eight Merit Pool, are all based on the records of the classics. Looking at this Thangka, the content is complex and the plot is vivid. The Qing Palace used this as a blueprint to weave an exquisite tapestry map of the blissful world of Amitabha Buddha, which can be compared and appreciated
There is a white silk label on the back of the Thangka, which is inscribed in four characters of Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan in ink, in which the Chinese text is: “The image of Amitabha Buddha in the blissful world…”, and the yellow bar is attached: “In the middle, this sample is divided into three axes”.

阿弥陀佛极乐世界唐卡背后白绫签