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 flowering tree festooned with strands of jewels and auspicious symbols. To either side the sky is filled with 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 message. At the bottom, set within a vast panoramic landscape, are courtyards, giant lotus flowers, and pools from which the purified are being reborn.

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

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art