Seated in diamond posture (dhyanasana) with legs crossed in full lotus, and hands held flat in his lap. This traditional Chinese wood carving of the meditating Buddha is presumably Amida Buddha (Sanskrit: Amitabha). Though such posture is at times used for the historic Buddha Shakyamuni; given Amida's enormous popularity in China; and that the diamond posture (dhyanasana) is a distinguishing gesture of Amida Buddha, we concluded that the iconography of this Buddha is likely Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light.
Amida has been considered the most benevolent of all Buddhas by the Chinese since the 5th century AD. His popularity grew in Japan around the 12th century on. Amida Buddha is often seen in the second court of Buddhist temples by the side of Shakyamuni.
This sculpture, which was carved from a single block of camphor wood shows the stylistic grace of Qing carvings. The figure is seen suspended on a double lotus; his robe is deeply carved in symmetrical arrangement, yet retains a naturalistic liveliness even though Amida is engaged in deep meditation. Indeed, the Buddha is on the plane of the absolute, the distinction between the passive and active no longer exist. Though time has weathered much of its original colors, nontheless, the spirtual presence in the Amida Buddha statue remains radiant.