Aizen Myouou　愛染明王

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

Also Aizen'ou 愛染王. Sk: Ragaraja. A deity unknown in India. The word 'raga' originally referred to the color red and, by extension, the passions. Aizen is an esoteric Buddhist deity whose nature expresses the idea that earthly desires are a pure aspiration to enlightenment, bodaishin 菩提心, and these desires need not inspire illusion or cause suffering. He is revered as a transformation of kongou satta 金剛薩た. Aizen Myouou and his *mandara 曼荼羅, *Aizen mandara 愛染曼荼羅, are the *honzon 本尊 of the keiaihou 敬愛法, a rite celebrated for harmony and friendship. This rite, popular in Japan, combines the merits of five ritual attainments that may otherwise be achieved separately. Beliefs in the power of Aizen varied and changed with time: although he was worshipped by Emperor Shirakawa 白河 (1053-1129) in the late Heian period for good health and long life, and by Eison 叡尊 (1201-90) in the Kamakura period for encouraging the Dharma and repelling the Mongol invasion, he later came to be worshipped for assisting relationships between men and women, as a deity who could bestow beauty and as the protective deity of courtesans. Pilgrimage to sites of Aizen worship became popular among the common people of Japan, as they believed his talismans were efficacious against injury. Pilgrimage to the Aizendou 愛染堂 of Shitennouji 四天王寺 in Osaka was famous. Because, being homophonic, Aizen was confused with aizen 藍染, indigo *ai 藍, dealers established aizenkou 愛染講, devotional confraternities devoted to Aizen. Aizen is described in the KONGOU ROUKAKU ISSAI YUGAYUGIKYOU 金剛峯楼閣一切瑜伽瑜祇経 (YUGIKYOU 伽祇経), translated by Jingangzhi (Jp: Kongouchi 金剛智, Sk: Vajrabodhi, 671-741). The Sanskrit and Tibetan translations of the YUGIKYOU do not mention Aizen, and there are images of him only in sutras from Japan. Aizen sits in a ring of flame on a red lotus, above an offering vase with jewels spewing forth. He is red in color, with three eyes, six arms, and a fierce expression. In his foremost hands he holds a five-pronged vajra and a bell (like kongou satta). In the second set of hands he holds a bow in his left and an arrow in his right, thus bearing a resemblance to the Greco-Roman god of love. His hindmost set of hands holds attributes or mudra that differ from one art work to another. Kamakura period texts of esoteric iconography explain that artists chose attributes or mudra depending on the ritual purpose of the art work. For example, when the purpose of the ritual was to promote tranquility, Aizen holds a sun disk in his left hand, but when the purpose was to increase prosperity, he holds a jewel. Japanese visitors to China returned with texts and images of Aizen in the early Heian period. These vistors included *Kuukai 空海 (774-835), who brought back an Aizen mandara; the Shingon 真言 monks Eun 恵運 (798-869) and Shuuei 宗叡 (809-884); and the Tendai 天台 monk Enchin 円珍 (814-891). Based on records, we can say that the earliest known appearance of Aizen in an art work occurred in a painted Aizen'ou mandara 愛染王曼荼羅 with seventy figures, executed on a wall of the Gomadou 護摩堂 (889) of Onjouji 園城寺 in Shiga prefecture. Among the later Aizen images, one made for the Endou 円堂 of Hosshouji 法勝寺 built by Retired Emperor Shirakawa 白河 at the end of the 11c was copied in drawings preserved at Daigoji 醍醐寺 and Ninnaji 仁和寺, both in Kyoto, and this work is thought to have resembled the image that once belonged to Kuukai. The oldest surviving painting of Aizen is from the late Heian period and belongs to the Hosomi 細見 Collection in Osaka. Among extant sculptures, there is a late Heian example from Kongoubuji 金剛峯寺 on Mt. Kouya 高野 in Wakayama prefecture Entries in 12c and 13c-diaries refer to the celebration of the ritual of Aizen and the making of images. The popularity of the cult of Aizen in the Kamakura period may owe to Eison. In 1281, Eison performed the ritual of Aizen at a seven-deity goma ceremony performed at Otokoyama Hachimanguu 男山八幡宮 to repel the Mongol invasion. This ceremony was dedicated to a group of deities, including the *godai myouou 五大明王, *Daigensui Myouou 大元帥明王, and Aizen. In the ceremony, an arrowhead was shot in hopes of repulsing the invasion; this arrowhead was taken from a small (32cm) figure in the Aizendou of Saidaiji 西大寺 sculpted in 1247 by Zen'en 善円 at the behest of Eison. Made in prayer during the period when Eison was reviving Saidaiji, this sculpture was meant to promote Buddhism. Frequently Aizen and *Enmaten 閻魔天 were worshipped in conjunction because both were believed to overcome difficulties in death. After the 13c, *Fudou Myouou 不動明王 and Aizen were closely related; they often appear together as guardian figures on the doors of *zushi 厨子 enclosing images of *shari 舎利, relics.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。