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Raigō (Japanese: 来迎, lit. "welcoming approach"; Sanskrit: pratyudyāna) in Japanese Buddhism is the appearance of the Amida Buddha on a "purple" cloud (紫雲) at the time of one's death.
Depictions
The Amida would arrive either accompanied by two bodhisattva, making it a triad depiction, or with a large retinue that also includes musicians playing celestial music accompanying the Buddha. The Buddha would then lift the spirit of the deceased up and ascend back to the pure land. The belief of the Western Paradise for the souls is the most popular.
It has given rise to a type of Japanese paintings (raigō-zu). As a ritual, such a painting is carried into the house of a person who is near death.
Among the upper classes, raigō paintings and sculpture became very popular, as they depicted the Amida Buddha coming down in celebration in relation to dead relatives or to one's own house. Some of these paintings are clearly yamato-e, or Japanese paintings in that they gave artists a chance to paint Japanese landscapes.
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The Amida arriving at the person's home, hanging scroll painting, 13th century
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Raigō painting from the late Heian period
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The Amida welcomes Chûjôhime to the Western Paradise, hanging scroll painting, 16th century, owned by the University of Michigan Museum of Art
See also
- Deathbed phenomena - Parapsychologic experiences with some similarities with Raigō
References
- "Raigō". HighBeam Research, Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- "Exchange: Taima Temple Mandala: Amida Welcomes Chûjôhime to the Western Paradise". exchange.umma.umich.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- Ryosuke Morooka (2011-03-11). "現代民話と＜お迎え＞体験 ("Modern folktales and Deathbed phenomena")". 社会科研究: 子どもの学びを拓く. 32. Shimane University Web Archives of Knowledge: 1–12. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- "【浄土宗】第48回浄土宗総合研究所公開シンポジウム「おむかえー来迎の話をしよう」のお知らせ". Japan Buddhist Federation. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
External links
Media related to Raigō at Wikimedia Commons
