Quick Answer: Who Is Amitabha?
Amitabha (阿弥陀佛, Āmítuófó) is the Buddha associated with the Western Pure Land in Mahayana Buddhism. In Mandarin, Amituofo is the spoken form of his Chinese name.[1]
- Names: Amitabha means “Infinite Light.” Amitayus means “Infinite Life” and is another name associated with this Buddha.[1]
- Western Pure Land: The shorter sutra describes Sukhavati (极乐世界, Jílè Shìjiè) as Amitabha’s realm, where followers aspire to be reborn.[1]
- Devotion: Reciting his name is a common form of nianfo (念佛, niànfó), or recollection of a Buddha.[2]
The examples below connect Chinese Pure Land practice with two Southern Song paintings. An inscription or museum label can settle an identification when visual clues are shared with other Buddhas.
Someone hearing Amituofo in a temple and someone studying a silk painting may encounter the same figure in very different ways. Saying the name can be a form of devotion, while a painter can show the name, its Buddha and the realm that devotees hope to reach in a single image.
What Amituofo Means
Amituofo combines the Chinese transcription of the name with fo, the word for Buddha. In the shorter Amitabha Sutra, Shakyamuni explains the name by pointing to the Buddha’s light, which reaches other worlds without obstruction, and to his immeasurable lifespan. English editions may use either the Amitabha or Amitayus name when referring to the text.[1]
How Recitation Relates to the Pure Land
The sutra places Amitabha’s realm in the west and describes it with lotus pools, music and jeweled features. In Chinese Pure Land Buddhism, rebirth there is understood as a chance to continue toward awakening under favorable conditions.[1][2]
Nianfo covers remembering or bringing a Buddha to mind. One widespread Chinese form is saying Namo Amituofo (南无阿弥陀佛, Námó Āmítuófó), an expression of homage. Buddhist prayer beads can help a practitioner keep count during repetition.[2]
Two Ways to Recognize Amitabha in Chinese Art
Read the Attendants and Inscription
A thirteenth-century silk scroll at the Cleveland Museum of Art shows Amitabha between Guanyin (观音, Guānyīn), the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and Dashizhi (大势至, Dàshìzhì), the bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta. The three figures share a circle of light. Above them, ten columns invoking Amitabha rise from lotuses. The words and the two companions identify the scene. The lotus and halo alone are widely used in Buddhist art.[3]
Look for the Act of Welcoming
A Southern Song painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicts the Buddha on his way from the Pure Land. The museum reads the figure as Amitabha descending to welcome devotees to his realm. Traces of a place name revealed by infrared imaging help locate the work in the history of Ningbo. Compare the action in this image with the three figures enclosed in light in the Cleveland scroll.[4]
FAQs About Amitabha
Is Amituofo the same as Amitabha?
Yes. Amituofo is the Mandarin form used for Amitabha Buddha. The full homage adds Namo before that name.[1][3]
How is Amitabha related to Guanyin?
In Pure Land triads Guanyin appears as one of Amitabha’s two attendants. Guanyin also appears separately in many other Chinese Buddhist images.[3]
Does a lotus seat identify Amitabha?
A lotus seat appears under many Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Check for an inscription, recognizable attendants or a labeled scene of Amitabha welcoming devotees.
Sumber
[1] Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts. The Amitabha Sutra, CBETA T0366
[2] Jakub Zamorski. Practice and Understanding in Modern Chinese Pure Land Buddhism
[3] Cleveland Museum of Art. Buddha Amitābha with Two Attending Bodhisattvas
[4] The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Buddha Amitabha Descending from his Pure Land