“Spiritual Matters: Material Culture and Japanese Religion” Lecture Series: Nenbutsu: From Mantra to Manzai

The nenbutsu is a unique form of religious expression in Japanese cultural history. Because its verbalization was preferred over its original usage in visualization meditation, it took on a variety of liturgical forms that led to its jump into art and theatre. Below is a fourteenth-century picture of Kuamidabutsu, a disciple of Hônen, leading a performance ritual of elegantly sung nenbutsu.