Kue mandara　九会曼荼羅

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

The standard form of the *Kongoukai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅 widely used in Japan. The name Kue mandara or nine-assembly mandala, derives from the fact that it is composed of nine mandala *mandara 曼荼羅, namely, the Joushin-e 成身会 in the center and the surrounding *Sanmaya-e 三昧耶会, Misai-e 微細会, Kuyou-e 供養会, Shiin-e/Shiin-ne 四印会, Ichiin-e/Ichiin-ne 一印会, Rishu-e 理趣会, Gouzanze-e 降三世会 and Gouzanze sanmaya-e 降三世三昧耶会. The KONGOUCHOUKYOU 金剛頂経 (Diamond Peak Sutra; Sk: Sarvatathagatatattvasamgraha) on which the Kongoukai mandara is based describes a total of 28 mandala, namely, six in Chapter 1, ten in Chapter 2, six in Chapter 3, and six in Chapter 4. The first six mandala of the Kue mandara correspond to the six mandala described in Chapter 1, while the last two correspond to the first two mandala described in Chapter 2. There are various views on the origins of the Rishu-e, but it was probably adapted from the *Rishukyou mandara 理趣経曼荼羅. The eight outer mandala are all variant or abbreviated forms of the central Joushin-e, typical of mandara deriving from the KONGOUCHOUKYOU in which diverse variations are produced from a single basic pattern. The 28 mandala described in the KONGOUCHOUKYOU were, however, originally independent mandala, and there exists an example in Tibet where all 28 mandala have been drawn separately. Today it is generally considered that it was Huiguo (Jp: Keika 恵果, 746-805), under whom *Kuukai 空海 (774-835), the founder of the Japanese Shingon 真言 sect, studied in China, who first combined nine separate mandara and thereby created the Kue mandara. In Japan it has been regarded as the standard form of the Kongoukai mandara ever since Kuukai brought it back from China, and in the Shingon sect it has been used as one of the two mandara forming the *Ryoukai mandara 両界曼荼羅. In the Tendai 天台 sect, on the other hand, the *Kongoukai hachijuuisson mandara 金剛界八十一尊曼荼羅 is often used in its place. Representative examples of the Kue mandara include the Denshingon-in mandara 伝真言院曼荼羅 at Touji 東寺, the Takao mandara 高雄曼荼羅 at Jingoji 神護寺, both in Kyoto, and the *Kojima mandara 子島曼荼羅 at Kojimadera 子島寺 in Nara, all of which have been designated national treasures and were all produced as one of a pair of Ryoukai mandara.

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