Rokudō: The Six Realms

Rokudō (六道), the six paths, are the realms in which beings are reborn according to their deeds. Escaping this cycle is the goal of Buddhist practice, and the vivid imagery of the six realms, especially the hells, gave Japanese painters some of their most memorable subjects.

The six realms

Realm Japanese Condition
Gods Ten Pleasure, but still bound to fall
Humans Nin The best place to hear the teaching
Ashura Shura Endless conflict and jealousy
Animals Chikushō Ignorance and fear
Hungry ghosts Gaki Insatiable hunger and thirst
Hells Jigoku Torment matched to wrongdoing

Protectors of the six realms

Compassion reaches every realm. Six forms of Kannon and six Jizō, one for each realm, are set up in temples and at cemetery gates, and Enma and the Ten Kings judge the dead who pass between.

The six realms in art

  • Hell and hungry ghost scrolls. Handscrolls of the late twelfth century, Jigoku zōshi and Gaki zōshi, depict torments with unsettling realism.
  • Rokudō-e. Sets of hanging scrolls of the six realms, used in preaching. The Kamakura set of Shōjuraigōji is the most famous.
  • Kumano preaching mandalas. Edo period paintings carried by travelling nuns, showing the path of a human life and the realms beyond, with the river of the dead and the hags who wait there.

Collecting notes

  • Kumano mandalas and Edo hell paintings appear on the market and are popular for their narrative energy. Look for completeness and condition of the pigment.
  • Hell paintings were used in teaching, so wear from rolling and display is normal.

In the collection

Browse Buddhist paintings and scrolls. Our collector concierge can search Japan for rokudō paintings.

See also

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