A
radiant wash of gold illumines the inside of this zushi. What appears to be merely
an old lacquered box when closed, reveals, when open, an infinite space of luminous
consciousness. The stately golden Buddha is Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light
carved with utmost finesse; the standing serene, parallel arcs of his falling
garment lending a gentle rhythm that compliments the imperturbable stability.
The face is broad with full cheeks, curving lips and arching brows above softly
downcast eyes. In the Jodo sect, reciting with a pure heart the words “Manu Amida
Butsu,” secures entry into the Pure Land, the western paradise of Amida Buddha.
The Buddha of Infinite Life is the personification of compassion; the intermediary
between Supreme Reality and mankind. He represents the Higher Self, and the esoteric
meaning of rebirth into his paradise is the awakening of Bodhicitta in the human
heart.
