Amitābha Buddha in Sukhāvatī Paradise

Paintings and sculptures in early Tang dynasty China established a vision of Amitābha’s paradise. In scriptures, Amitābha sits under a jeweled canopy at the center of a palatial structure, surrounded by monks, disciples, and bodhisattva attendants. This painting elaborates on that description, creating an otherworldly environment in which heavenly music can almost be heard. In the foreground, a pond is surrounded by flowering trees and flying ducks. The composition, showing Amitābha’s promise of salvation fulfilled, survived as a model for similar visions of the Western Paradise wherever the Pure Land faith spread.