11 Amida Hand Raised BlackGold
Japan. Medieval Kamakura Style, late 19th century reproduction. Amitabha, the Buddha of great compassion, mercy and forgiveness, stands at the heart of the great East Asian salvation religion of Mahayana Buddhism. Faith alone in the Lord of the Western Paradise, it is believed, will guarantee rebirth in a paradise of beauty, pleasure and ease. The right hand raised in reassurance (abhaya) and left hand lowered in liberality (varada) - lotus pedals marking the laksanas on the palms - are the two mudras associated with the belief in raigo, a central tenet of the Pure Land religion. According to belief, the Dhyani Buddha himself appears at certain designated locations on earth to welcome the souls of the departed and escort them directly to the Western Paradise.
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