Editing Amitābha (section)

== Iconography ==
[[File:Giappone - Js 014 c.jpg|thumb|Standing Amida with light rays (48 in number, symbolizing his [[Original Vow|past vows]]), haloes and welcoming mudra, Museo d'arte orientale ([[Turin]])]]
[[File:崇福寺弥陀殿西方三圣.jpg|thumb|292x292px|[[Ming dynasty]] (1368 - 1644) statues of the "Amitābha triad", consisting of Amituo, [[Guanyin]] and [[Mahasthamaprapta|Dashizi]], in [[Chongfu Temple]]<sup>[https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-sg/%E5%B4%87%E7%A6%8F%E5%AF%BA_(%E6%9C%94%E5%B7%9E) <nowiki>[zh]</nowiki>]</sup> in [[Shanxi]], [[China]].]]
[[File:Amitayus Mandala.jpeg|thumb|[[Mandala]] of Amitāyus, [[Tibet]], 19th century, [[Rubin Museum of Art]]]]
[[file:Mandala of Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life LACMA M.84.220.2.jpg|thumb|Mandala of Amitayus, in union with tantric consort]]
When depicted in the standing position (upon a lotus pedestal), Amitābha is often shown with left arm bare and extended downward with thumb and forefinger touching, with the right hand facing outward also with thumb and forefinger touching. This [[mudra|mudrā]] is called the "welcoming mudrā" (Jp: ''raigō''), and it is a gesture welcoming all beings to Amida's Pure Land.<ref>{{Cite web |last=National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (Japan) |first= |title=e-Museum - Amitabha Buddha |url=https://emuseum.nich.go.jp/detail?langId=en&webView=&content_base_id=100015&content_part_id=0&content_pict_id=0 |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=emuseum.nich.go.jp}}</ref> It signifies that wisdom (symbolized by the raised hand) is accessible to even the lowest beings, while the outstretched hand shows that Amitābha's compassion is directed at the lowest beings, who cannot save themselves.

When depicted in the sitting posture, Amitābha is often shown displaying the meditation mudrā (thumbs touching and fingers together as in the Great Buddha of Kamakura at [[Kōtoku-in]] or welcoming mudrā. The earth-touching mudrā (right hand pointed downward over the right leg, palm inward) is reserved for a seated [[The Buddha|Shakyamuni Buddha]] alone.

Amitābha is said to display 84,000 auspicious and distinguishing marks reflecting his many virtues.<ref name="olson">{{cite book |last1=Olson |first1=Carl |url=https://archive.org/details/differentpathsof0000olso |title=The Different Paths of Buddhism: A Narrative-Historical Introduction |date=2005 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=0813535611 |location=New Brunswick, NJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/differentpathsof0000olso/page/185 185] |access-date=9 June 2016 |url-access=registration}}</ref> Some common marks seen in art include rays of light (vyāmaprabhā), an aureole or large halo (prabhāvalī), his [[urna]] (spiral or circle in between his eyebrows), and a circular symbol (sometimes a swastika) on his chest (this is called [[Shrivatsa|Śrīvatsa]]).<ref name=":14" /> 

When not depicted alone, Amitābha is often portrayed with two assistant [[Bodhisattva|bodhisattvas]], usually [[Avalokiteśvara]] on the right and [[Mahasthamaprapta|Mahāsthāmaprāpta]] on the left. This iconography is known as an "Amitābha triad". The Amitābha triad likely originated in Gandhara, and is especially common in [[Chinese art|Chinese]], [[Japanese art|Japanese]], and [[Korean art]].<ref>[https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39882 "Amitabha triad"], Metropolitan Museum </ref><ref name=":14" /> 

According to Katsumi Tanabe, [[Gandharan Buddhist art|Gandhāran Buddhist art]] also depicted Amitābha in four other lesser known triads:<ref name=":14" />

* [[Maitreya]]/Amida/Avalokitasvara (the most numerous triad)
* Avalokitasvara/Amida/Maitreya
* [[Manjushri|Mañjuśrī]]/Amida/Avalokitasvara
* Mahāsthāmaprāpta/Amida/Maitreya

In Tibetan Buddhism, Mahāsthāmaprāpta is commonly replaced with [[Vajrapani]] or [[Padmasambhava]]. Some East Asian depictions also show Amitābha with a larger group of bodhisattvas, either the eight great [[Bodhisattva#Eight main Bodhisattvas|bodhisattvas]] or a host of twenty five bodhisattvas. Descent paintings (known as "raigo" in Japanese) showing Amitabha with a host of bodhisattvas coming to lead the dying to the pure land often show twenty five bodhisattvas playing music.

In the artistic traditions of [[Vajrayana|Vajrayana Buddhism]], a distinction is made between Amitāyus (Buddha of Infinite Life) and Amitābha (Buddha of Infinite Light). These two figures are seen as identical in East Asian Buddhism and some sutras use both names interchangeably. However, in Tibetan Buddhism, they are iconographically distinct. Amitāyus is depicted in fine clothes, an ornate crown, and jewels. Amitābha is depicted in simple monk's clothing ([[Kasaya (clothing)|kasaya]]).<ref name="Landaw">{{cite book|author=Landaw, Jonathan |title=Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice|year=1993|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i0I1K4tEuVwC|publisher=Snow Lion Publications|isbn=978-1-55939-832-9|pages=75, 80, 96}}</ref>