Buddhist Maxim on the Saving Power of Amida

Buddhist Maxim on the Saving Power of Amida

Gukyoku Reisai

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Like adherents of the Pure Land sects of Buddhism, Gukyoku Reisai, a prominent Zen monk, believed in the saving power of Amida Buddha. This couplet, written in Chinese cursive script, reads, from right column to left: For an utterly evil person, there is no other expedient means. Simply recite the name of [A]mida to achieve birth in Paradise. —Translated by John T. Carpenter

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Buddhist Maxim on the Saving Power of AmidaBuddhist Maxim on the Saving Power of AmidaBuddhist Maxim on the Saving Power of AmidaBuddhist Maxim on the Saving Power of AmidaBuddhist Maxim on the Saving Power of Amida

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.