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Secondary sourceSculpture12th century

The Buddha Amida

12th century

A Japanese wooden sculpture of Amida, a celestial Buddha venerated in Pure Land Buddhism, not a portrait of the historical Buddha.

This sculpture shows Amida, a later celestial Buddha figure distinct from but inspired by the historical Buddha this archive covers.

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Photograph of a seated wooden Buddha sculpture with a dark, weathered lacquered surface and small metal inlaid eyes-and-urna details. The right hand is raised with palm out, the left rests open in the lap. Plain grey studio background.
The Buddha Amida. Wooden sculpture, 12th century. Rijksmuseum.

About this source

What it is

This is a seated wooden sculpture, now in the Rijksmuseum, showing Amida, the Buddha of the Western Paradise. The figure has a dark, weathered lacquered surface with small metal inlaid eyes and urna, a raised right hand with palm out, and an open left hand resting in the lap.

Why it matters

Amida is a celestial Buddha central to Pure Land Buddhism, a tradition that developed centuries after the historical Buddha's life and remains popular in Japan today. According to the holder's own description, believers sought rebirth in Amida's Western Paradise through firm faith and repeated chanting of his name. This sculpture shows how the idea of

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Buddha on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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