Amida Nijugobosatsu Raigo-zu, 14th century, Nambokucho period, ink, color, gold on silk, 120.7 × 86.5 cm, Seattle Art Museum.
“Scenes depicting the raigo, or descent of Amida and his entourage, gained great popularity during the Fujiwara period (10th–late 11th century). At the moment of death, Amida and his twenty-five attendants (bosatsu in Japanese, or bodhisattva in Sanskrit) would descend to accompany the soul of the recently departed to the Pure Land. Kannon, the most compassionate bosatsu, holds the lotus for transporting the soul, as Amida, surrounded by attendants playing musical instruments and dancing, anticipates the return to the Western Paradise. As one approached death, a common practice that arose during this period was to orient oneself towards the west and hold a colored string attached to Amida in a raigo painting—leaving nothing to chance. Typically hanging scrolls were displayed only for specific rituals, as opposed to the more permanent statues. Based on the size and lavish attention given to Amida and his retinue, it is quite possible this scroll may have been the focal point of more formal rituals.”