Kongokai Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana)：Tokyo National Museum

Wood with lacquer and gold leaf

Japan, Heian period, 11-12th century

I recently visited the Tokyo National Museum to view a variety of beautiful Buddhist sculptures displayed there. I am uploading some of the photos of the Buddha images I took during this visit. 

This museum generously allows the photographs of its exhibits to be posted on non-commercial personal blogs and social networking sites with the exception of the items which are prohibited to be photographed.

Further information on the uploaded images of the exhibits can be found on the website of the Tokyo National Museum (https://www.tnm.jp/?lang=en).

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Dainichi Nyorai or Dainichi Buddha (Vairocana) is the supreme Buddha in the teaching of Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyo). Esoteric Buddhism or Tantric Buddhism of Japan is said to be a fusion of Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism. 

The name "Dainichi" means "the great central sun" located at the center of the macrocosm. As this name suggests, this Dainichi Nyorai, like the central sun, illuminates the whole universe with his brilliant light of supreme wisdom and compassion.

Esoteric Buddhism has two Mandala (the design of universe) worlds, namely, Vajradhatu (Kongokai or Diamond Realm) and Garbhadhatu (Taizokai or Womb Realm), each of which has a distinct Dainichi Nyorai of a different character. 

In Esoteric Buddhism, Dainichi Nyorai is the central Buddha, who, although in the form of a Buddha, is the macrocosm itself. All living things in the universe are said to be born from this Dainichi Nyorai.

It is also believed that all Buddhas, including the Buddha Shakyamuni, are the manifestation of this Dainichi Nyorai.

Aizen-myoo (Ragaraja): Tokyo National Museum

Wood with gold and other pigments, lacquer, gold leaf, and crystal

Japan, Kamakura period, 13th century

Aizen-myoo is an avatar of Buddha and the raging god of love believed in Shingon Esoteric Buddhism. He has three eyes and six arms, wears the crown of a lion's head, is red in color with anger, and is seated in the lotus position with his legs crossed. He holds a bow and arrows in his six arms to destroy human demonic stupidity, and a Hobyo (sacred water vessel) is placed below the lotus seat to sprinkle the water of mercy.

As "Aizen(love)" suggests, he is in charge of human love and lust and has the power to transform our earthly lust and greed into pure bodhicitta (enlightened mind), symbolizing the extinction of worldly desires and the attainment of enlightenment.

Humans have many desires and greed, which have the power to drive us to endless destruction and agony, but, at the same time, they also have the power to energize our lives. Aizen-myoo's teaching is to purify such crude human desires into the sinless and pure energy that causes spiritual enlightenment.

Standing Buddha Triad: Tokyo National Museum

China

Limestone

Eastern Wei dynasty, 6th century
 

This stone image is comprised of Shaka-Nyorai (Sakyamuni Buddha) in the center, Monju-Bosatsu (Manjusri) on the right and Fugen-Bosatsu (Samantabhadra) on the left.

The central image of this sculpture represents the Shaka-Nyorai (Buddha as the eternal saviour) preaching to all living beings, including human beings, based on his own enlightenment, in order to save those suffering from their delusions and agonies and to save their straying minds.

In Sanskrit, the word "nyorai" means one who comes from truth. Among the various forms of the Buddha, this deity is the supreme being who has attained the ultimate state of spiritual awakening.

With the later establishment of the Mahayana Buddhism, the images of Buddha other than the Shaka-Nyorai, that is Amida-Nyorai, Yakushi-Nyorai, Dainichi-Nyorai and so on, appeared as the transformations of the Buddha.

The shapes of the left and right palms of this Shaka-Nyorai symbolizes his limitless wisdom and compassion for removing fears and pains from all living being, giving them peace of mind and answering their wishes. 

The Monju-Bosatsu is the bodhisattva who imparts sacred wisdom to self-deluded beings to help them attain spiritual awakening. The Fugen-Bosatsu is the deity who appears everywhere as a "bodhisattva of action" to save all living things through his wisdom and compassion. A bosatsu (Bodhisattva) is one who has reached enlightenment but vows to save all beings before becoming Shaka-Nyorai Buddha.

The lotus-petal-shaped halo represents the luminous rays of the supreme wisdom and compassion emanating from the bodies of the Shaka-Nyorai and the Bosatsus. On the surface of this limestone halo, various lotus flowers, numerous transformations of Buddha, the Hiten (heavenly beings) who are flying and performing music around Buddha are beautifully engraved.

Ekadasamukha in a Niche: Tokyo National Museum

Baoqingsi temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China

Limestone

Tang dynasty, 8th century

 

Buddha Triad in a Niche: Tokyo National Museum

Baoqingsi temple, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, 

China

Limestone

Tang dynasty, 8th century

Sitting Buddha: Tokyo National Museum

Thailand

Bronze

Sukhothai style, 14-15th century

Standing Bodhisattva: Tokyo National Museum

China

Lime stone

Northern Qi dynasty, dated 552

 

Head of Crowned Buddha: Tokyo National Museum

Ayutthaya, Thailand

Bronze

Ayutthaya period, 16-17th century

 

Sitting Bodhisattva: Tokyo National Museum

India

stone

Pala dynasty, 9-10th century

Buddha entering Nirvana: Tokyo National Museum

Gandhara, Pakistan

Schist

Kushan dynasty, 2nd-3rd centry

Seated Buddha: Tokyo National Museum

Gandhara, Pakistan

Schist

Kushan dynasty, 2nd-3rd century

 

Birth of the Buddha: Tokyo National Museum

Gandhara, Pakistan

Schist

Kushan dynasty, 3rd centry

Standing Buddha: Tokyo National Museum

Near Peshawar, Pakistan

Schist

Kushan dynasty, 2nd-3rd century

Preaching Buddha: Tokyo National Museum

Preaching Buddha

Gandhara, Pakistan

Schist

Kushan dynasty, 3rd century

 

Head of Buddha: Tokyo National Museum

Hadda, Afghanistan

Stucco

3-5th century

 

The life of Buddha, First Sermon: Tokyo National Museum

Gandhara, Pakistan

Schist

Kushan dynasty, 2nd-3rd century

Sacred lotus flower: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

The large splendid flowers of sacred lotus are opening one after another and are announcing the arrival of dazzling summer with their gorgeous appearance and pleasant fragrance.

The various gentle flowers, that once bloomed so abundantly during the rainy season gone by, have already vanished into thin air completely, as if they were just the beautiful ephemeral illusions that I had under the gloomy sky.

In Japan, lotus flowers typically begin to bloom around mid-July. A lotus flower ordinarily has 16 petals, numerous short yellow stamens and a rounded yellow pistil. Pollen carried by beetles adheres onto the pistil, causing it to turn from yellow to brown and to bear many seeds.

This flower blooms early in the morning, closes in the evening and opens again the next morning. After repeating this cycle of opening and closing for four days, its elegant flower petals fall off one by one and the short life of the flower ends quietly.

Sacred lotus flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

It is said that, in ancient India, a sacred lotus flower was considered a symbol of good fortune, like purity, dignity, fertility, creativity, prosperity, longevity and so forth, because it stands up straight majestically from the midst of mud and blooms nobly without any dirt. 

When Buddhism emerged, this ancient imagery of lotus flowers was incorporated into Buddhist doctrines, and it has been treated to be the symbol of the supreme spirituality and wisdom of Buddha.

The design of a lotus flower was imported to Japan with the arrival of Buddhism and has been used as the flowery emblem of Buddha in all ritual implements and decorative objects of Buddhist culture, such as Buddhist images, religious ornaments of temples, ritual utensils, sutra scrolls, vestments, reliquary containers and so on.

Sacred lotus flower: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

In the Amitabha Sutra which describes the magnificence of the Pure Land (paradise) of Amitabha Nyorai, there is a golden wheel beneath his lotus throne and a pond of treasures under this golden wheel. The pond is covered with lotus flowers of various colors, which give off their heavenly and pure fragrances. The bottom of the pond is covered with golden sand and the places and buildings belonging to the pond are made of gold and cloisonne. 

Around this pond, exquisite music keeps sounding ceaselessly and various beautiful birds sing their songs gracefully. The chirping of the birds, the celestial music, and the sound of water represent the transcendental teachings of Amitabha Nyorai. 

The devout Buddhists, who have passed away and been reborn on the lotus-pedestals in this Pure Land, keep listening to these gracious teachings endlessly to attain supreme enlightenment.

Sacred lotus flower: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

 

Sacred lotus flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

In China, the lotus flower is said to appear nobly and purely in muddy water without being soiled by mud, and so it has been called the flower of a wise man who is untainted by worldly affairs. 

Since before the arrival of Buddhism in China in the 1st century, the lotus flower has been regarded as a sacred flower that is not tainted by worldly affairs. It is common to build lotus-ponds in temples, and the lotus flower has also become an essential part of ponds in Chinese-style gardens.

In China, the lotus flower viewing has been practiced since the 6th century. The lotus-viewing festival (Kanrensetsu), that is a day to celebrate the early morning blooming of lotus flowers in the height of summer, has been held by tradition. 

In a full-summer day, at summer resorts, elegant persons gather to enjoy the liquor of Hekitouhai cup while admiring the beautiful lotus flowers which have just bloomed early in the morning.

The Hekitouhai is a cup made from a large lotus leaf, into which liquor is poured and drunk through a cut opening in the stem of the leaf that looks like an elephant's nose. This lotus leaf cup is also called a Zoubihai (elephant's nose cup) because of its shape. 

It is said that the participants of the festival composed the songs and poems about their admiration and adoration for lotus flowers while watching the dewdrops of liquor rolling on the leaf.

This elegant Chinese celebration was introduced to Japan by Japanese scholars of Chinese classics in the Edo period (1603-1867), and it is said that the first lotus-viewing festival was held at Shinobazunoike Pond in Ueno, which was one of the most famous viewing spots of lotus flowers in the city of Edo. 

Sacred lotus flower: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

 

Sacred lotus flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

 

Sacred lotus flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

 

Sacred lotus flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)