Followers of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism in Japan believe that, at the moment of death, Amida Buddha will descend from his paradise to receive the soul of a faithful follower. This painting depicts Amida floating downward on clouds. He is accompanied by the bodhisattva Seishi, whose hands are clasped in prayer, and Kannon, who holds a lotus upon which to receive the soul of the dying. The extreme refinement of the painting, rendered entirely in gold on indigo-dyed silk, is a hallmark of Buddhist imagery of Japan's Kamakura period (1185-1333).