Following the pathway, you will come to the museum, En’yū Warehouse. Treasures such as Buddhist statues and sliding screens which tell the story of Sanzen-in are displayed here. Of course the real treasure is the depiction of Ōjō Goraku-in’s ceiling.
Using the latest infrared technology, they were able to recover the images from the original painting, and over the span of 7 years were finally able to recreate it as what you see here. On a background of blue, bodhisattvas and other sacred beings are depicted leading followers to the pure land.
Here, we want to draw attention to one thing in particular. This is the orchestra painted in the forefront of the painting. Deva, assistants to the buddhas, are depicted playing flutes and drums, as if representing the beautiful and melodic teachings of Amitabha Buddha.
On the opposite side of the hall, jewels and the feast of the holy land are depicted, which is meant to represent the happiness of those heading to the pure land and those who memorialize them.
Lastly, if you look to the left, you will see that the second to last being, unlike the others, is facing straight forward. This is another incarnation of Amitabha, Hōzō Bodhisattva, who is said to look over the past. Here, he is depicted defying space and time by looking straight at his future self, the Amitabha that oversees the path to the afterlife.
On the left side, there is another bodhisattva who is facing behind. This is Maheśvara (Buddhist counterpart to Hinduism’s Shiva), who looks over those who cannot fully understand the teachings of Buddhism.
When this painting was first painted, those who saw these paintings, the painting on the ceiling, and the Amitabha triad could feel the magnificence of the pure land.
Many things happen that are out of our control in this world and most things don’t work out in our favor, but we find solace in the few things we know for certain. The depiction of the pure land here surely calmed the unease of many people.