Butsugen mandara　仏眼曼荼羅

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

A variety of *besson mandara 別尊曼荼羅 (a mandala concerning a single deity) centered on *Butsugen butsumo 仏眼仏母. The central deity Butsugen butsumo is depicted with her hands forming the *hokkai jouin 法界定印 mudra and seated at the center of a lotus with three circles of eight petals each. In the first circle, Ichijikinrin Butchou 一字金輪仏頂 (see *Ichijikinrin 一字金輪) is seated in front of Butsugen butsumo, whereas the other seven petals are occupied by deities representing the seven planets. On the eight petals of the second circle the eight great bodhisattvas *bosatsu 菩薩, of the RISHUKYOU 理趣経 (Sk: Prajnaparamitanaya sutra; Sutra of the Principle of the Prefection of Wisdom; Taishou No. 243, etc.) are depicted, and on the eight petals of the third circle the Hachidai Myouou 八大明王 are depicted. In the outer periphery are the eight offering bodhisattvas and four guardian bodhisattvas of the *Kongoukai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅. The Butsugen mandara is based on the KONGOUBU ROUKAKU ISSAI YUGA YUGIKYOU 金剛峯楼閣一切瑜伽瑜祇経 (Taishou No. 867). The main deity of this mandala is called Kongou kichijou 金剛吉祥 (Sk: Vajrasri , and in Japan Kongou kichijou has traditionally been regarded as another name for Butsugen butsumo. This sutra is said to have been translated by Jingangzhi 金剛智 (Jp: Kongouchi 金剛智, Sk: Vajrabodhi; 671-741), but contemporary scholars entertain doubts about its supposed Indian origins. In Japan this mandala was used in esoteric rites of pacification and subjugation, and there are many extant examples, typical ones being those preserved at Touj 東寺 in Kyoto and Shinagawadera 品川寺 in Tokyo. These extant examples exhibit, however, minor differences in the disposition of the deities in the outer periphery.

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