Touch of a Woman

Study on a Female Figure in Japanese Images of Parinirvana

Abstract

This study delves into the portrayal of the female figure depicted at the feet of the Buddha in Japanese parinirvana images, with a specific focus on the Myōhō-ji rendition and its subsequent resumptions. Through an examination of Chinese translations of pertinent sutras, the research explores the potential influence of hinayana texts as a source for this motif, which conveys the notion that impurity can be transmitted through a woman’s touch. To elucidate a more profound comprehension of the significance attributed to the presence of an elderly woman in visual depictions of parinirvana, an array of literary sources were scrutinized. The findings indicate that her inclusion likely served as a catalyst for a discourse between Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda concerning the position of women within the Buddha’s assembly of disciples, encompassing their roles as lay devotees, epitomized by the elderly woman, and as ordained nuns, symbolized by Gautami.