|
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
1 in a princely figure holding a lotus, found as one of the Buddha's attendants in early sculpture: and 2 in Siva, whose other name Isvara is probably a component of the name Avalokitesvara. The name Avalokitesvara was translated into Chinese as Kouzeon 光世音 or Kanzeon (and shortened to Kannon). Kannon has been used widely in East Asia, since it is given in the most popular translation of Lotus Sutra HOKEKYOU 法華経 by Kumarajiva's (Jp: Kumarajuu 鳩摩羅什, c.350-410). Isvara is translated as Jizai 自在 in Chinese, and Xuanzhuang (Jp: Genjou 玄奘, 600/602-664) translated Avalokitesvara as Kanjizai. The first part of the name means "to regard", and the meaning of the name is usually said to be "Lord who regards (sentient beings with compassion)". There are many texts concerning Next Editing Starts Here Kannon. He is described as an attendant of Amida in the KANMURYOUJUKYOU 観無量寿経. He is one of those visited by Zenzai douji 善財童子 in the KEGONKYOU 華厳経, and he is the main figure in short and magical HANNYA SHINGYOU 般若心経 (Heart Sutra). The most important text in Japan concerning the belief in Kannon is the 25th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the KANZEON BOSATSU FUMONBON 観世音菩薩普門品, also known independently as the KANNONGYOU 観音経, which recounts, in both prose and verse, Kannon's responsiveness to those in need of help. The prose section includes a list of the forms that Kannon may take to aid those in need. This list is the origin of the concept of the 33 forms of Kannon *sanjuusanshin 三十三身 and of the mutability of form of this deity. Different strands of belief contributed to the meaning of Kannon. Several 6-8c Indian sculptures of uncertain date and provenance show an ascetic figure somewhere between Siva and Avalokitesvara in iconography. The belief that Kannon could save those in trouble is conveyed in a sculpture in the caves of Kanheri; a large figure of Kannon is surrounded by vignettes in which he rescues people from various calamities. Strong associations with kingship are also part of Kannon belief, and rulers have been considered incarnations of Kannon. Kannon is the Mahayana ideal, the model of the perfectly enlightened bodhisattva who perfects his enlightenment yet never leaves the active world. Forms of Kannon are often worshipped as main images in temples. The name Avalokitesvara is masculine in form, but particularly in China Kannon was identified with female native deities and was often considered female. In India and Tibet he was thought to have two female attendants, of whom the more prominent was Tara *Tara Bosatsu 多羅菩薩. Tara also was considered his female equivalent. Kannon was not shown as a woman in Japan, and Tara Bosatsu was not worshipped independently. Yet, some forms of Kannon such as *Juntei 准胝 are at times described as female, and female Shinto deities *kami 神 were usually identified as forms of Kannon, particularly Shoukannon and *Juuichimen Kannon 十一面観音. Kannon was the first Buddhist deity to have been shown in esoteric forms in India. Already in the 7c, some of the esoteric forms can be found in Buddhist sculpture. Most esoteric forms appear in the Kannon Section (Kannon-in 観音院, also called Renge-in 蓮華院) of the Matrix Mandala *Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅. By the mid-8c in Japan texts about esoteric Kannon were available. The first known text dealing with Juuichimen is the JUUICHIMENKYOU 十一面経 (733). In 753 the FUKUUKENJAKU SHINPEN SHINGONKYOU 不空羂索神変真言経, a major esoteric text that speaks of *Dainichi 大日 and first mentions *Fudou Myouou 不動明王, enters Japanese records. Texts concerning *Senju Kannon 千手観音, *Nyoirin Kannon 如意輪観音 and *Batou Kannon 馬頭観音 date from the same time. Images of Kannon were made as part of Emperor Shoumu's 聖武 (701-56) effort impose Buddhist structure on Japan. Temples dedicated to Kannon were founded, many following the apparition of the deity or the miraculous appearance of an image. A temple dedicated to Kannon was often built in a mountain, beside a rock formation, near a spring, or near some other remarkable landscape feature, suggesting that the site was already sacred and was adapted to Buddhist use. Stories of such images and temples abound among engi 縁起 (origin stories) and setsuwa 説話 (religious stories), and they found expression in accompanying paintings (see *shaji engi-e 社寺縁起絵). The mountain temples particularly were considered sites of Kannon's paradise Fudaraku, fully Japanising the deity, as Putoshan 普陀山 in Zhejiang had been revered in China. Varieties of practice connected with belief in Kannon ; Kannon shinkou 観音信仰 were: the practice of group confession, worship of the Six Kannon *Roku Kannon 六観音 as a means of salvation in all the Six Realms of transmigration (see *rokudou-e 六道絵), and pilgrimage to sites of Kannon images. By the end of the 10c, Ishiyamadera 石山寺, Kiyomizudera 清水寺, Kuramadera 鞍馬寺, Hasedera 長谷寺, Tsubosakadera 壷坂寺, Kokawadera 粉河寺, and many other sites were widely known and visited Kannon temples in the Kansai 関西 region (Kyoto-Osaka). In the 11 and 12c other sites were included to make the pilgrimage circuit of 33 temples that came to be known as the saigoku junrei 西国巡礼. Following the establishment of the Kamakura bakufu 鎌倉幕府 in the 13c, the circuit of 33 temples in the Kantou 関東 region (modern Tokyo metolopolitan area) was established. A third circuit was added and its number of temples altered to 34 to give in all a circuit 100 Kannons. The images of Kannon, especially those in the saigoku junrei, are so holy that some are kept secret *hibutsu 秘仏 and are shown infrequently or, in several cases, not at all. Activities associated with the worship of Kannon have been (as with other deities) focused through devotional confraternities known as kou 講. These had a more important function in earlier times when members could not go on pilgrimage without group support, but they continue today. Popular art such as horse painting *ema 絵馬, printed talismans, printed books, white coats, and printed scrolls on which to enter the seals and brushed names of the 33 sites are associated with pilgrimages and with kou activities. Images of Kannon are perhaps more common than those of any other deity in Japan. The earliest are bronzes that show a simple figure, wearing a crown and often holding a jewel, usually identified as *Guze Kannon 救世観音. The first painting of Kannon is on a wall of Houryuuji *Kondou 法隆寺金堂 in Nara. Kannon's paradise was painted by the mid 8c. Late 7c and 8c sculptures of Kannon are amongst the most famous Japanese sculptures, including fine large pieces such as the Shoukannon of Touindou 東院堂 in Yakushiji Touindou 薬師寺東院堂 and the *Fukuukenjaku Kannon 不空羂索観音 of *Hokkedou 法華堂 (also known as Sangatsudou 三月堂) in Toudaiji 東大寺, both in Nara. A tradition of plain wood sculpture, modelled on Indian sandalwood sculpture *danzou 檀像, produced the Hokkeji 法華寺 Juuichimen Kannon (mid-9c). Both esoteric and exoteric paintings were made and Kannon was shown alone as well as in groups. In Pure Land Buddhism, Joudokyou bijutsu 浄土教美術 Kannon appears in paintings of Amida descending to receive dying souls, raigou 来迎, and also in Kannon raigou 観音来迎. With the transmission of Zen 禅 Buddhism in the late 12c a new set of images of Kannon entered Japan. These include the heavily robed figures of *Byakue Kannon 白衣観音 and *Youryuu Kannon 楊柳観音, solitary figures meditating in the wilderness. Since around the 14c, illustrations of the stories of Kannon temples and images were produced in abundance. Kannon continued to be the single most popular Buddhist figure. In addition, images apparently of Kannon called *Maria Kannon マリア観音, functioned as Christian images in the secret worship of Christianity during the Edo period. Today, images such as the giant Kannon of Tsubosakadera in Nara may testify to a continuing interest in this deity.
(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。