Answering to the question from Chinese empress Wu hou (years of reign: 690–705), Bodhisattva Kenshu, the third founder of the Kegon sect of Buddhism, is said to have explained the doctrine of Kegon Sutra using a gold lion in the garden as an example. This piece shows a notable technique in which minute patterns are drawn on stippled colors. Hishida used to depict the air and light not with lines but with shades of colors. In this piece, the painter advanced his style to the next level, succeeding in expressing perspective and plasticity with subtle changes of color tones.

(Designated an Important Cultural Property on June 6, 1979)