Icon and Visualization of Buddhist Rituals in the Goryeo Illumination of the Sixteen Contemplations of Amitabha Sutra

The Illumination of the Sixteen Contemplations of Amitabha Sutra is a Buddhist painting that illustrates the contents of the Contemplation of Amitabha Sutra using storytelling in visual form. Currently, there are four surviving pieces from the Goryeo Dynasty. Notably, they depict elements such as the Prediction of Enlightenment(摩頂授記), the Swastika(卍字), and figures participating in an offering, which are not specifically mentioned in the sutra. By focusing on these iconographies, which have not been actively examined in previous research, a new interpretation is attempted from the perspective of Goryeo Dynasty’s unique perception of the Pure Land and visual representations of Buddhist rituals.Although the Illumination of the Sixteen Contemplations of Amitābha Sutra in Goryeo Dynasty of uses the Song Dynasty’s painting as a model, elements like the Prediction of Enlightenment scene involving Amitabha, the swastika, the thousand-spoked wheel mark(千輻輪印), and the verses from The Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra Sutra reflect Goryeo Dynasty’s traditional Huayan thought. Particularly, the Prediction of Enlightenment scene reflects Goryeo Dynasty’s unique view on attaining rebirth in the Pure Land and enlightenment through the bodhisattva practice advocated by the Huayan and Tiantai schools.Additionally, the placement of the offering platform and figures in the 12th contemplation that visualize the Amitabha Triad expresses the aspirations of the devotees, donors, and creators who sought rebirth in the Pure Land and enlightenment at that time. Notably, including female figures and nuns in the group of offering figures reflects the status of women in Goryeo Buddhism of that era.Considering these characteristics, the Illumination of the Sixteen Contemplations of Amitabha Sutra transcends the simplistic purpose of being worship or appreciation art. It represents visually the concepts of rebirth in the Pure Land and attainment of Buddhahood through Buddhist rituals such as chanting, contemplation, and ceremonial gatherings. Moreover, through a poem written by Goryeo official Won Cheon-seok(元天錫) as he gazed upon the Western Paradise with Nine Grades painting(西方九品圖), it becomes clear that the paintings served as religious art displayed prominently for worship when individuals or groups engaged in rituals related to Amitabha’s Pure Land, involving chanting and contemplation.In this way, the Illumination of the Sixteen Contemplations of Amitabha Sutra, which has a strong character rooted in Buddhist rituals, was concentratedly produced in the 13th and 14th centuries in Goryeo. This reflects the expansion of the Goryeo people’s Buddhist view of the Pure Land, which aimed for rebirth and enlightenment after death, from individuals to the collective level of chanting associations(念佛結社).