Overview

This painting systematically illustrates the Esoteric Buddhist monasteries atop Mount Kôya. The scenic aerial view from the south unfolds across a long horizontal surface, depicting the activities of the monks and lay people and a rich natural landscape. On the panels of the right-hand screen are arranged, from right to left, the large gate, the western stupa, the main hall, the large stupa, the academy, and the cluster of temples known as Daidenpô-in (literally, "the great halls of the Dharma transmission"). On the left-hand screen, from right to left, are the temples known as Kongôzanmai-in (literally, "the temples of the Diamond Meditation (Skt., vajra-samadhi)), the training hall, and the inner zone (Oku-no-in). The large rendition of the Kongôzanmai-in temples, where these screens have been preserved, is noteworthy.