Fudō Myōō 不動明王

The chief of the Five Great Myōō, *Godai Myōō 五大明王, Fudō has been, and still is, one of the most popular deities in Japan, shown in paintings and sculptures in temples, and also in outdoor images that range from ancient stone sculptures to modern pseudo-bronze fiberglass. Propitiated throughout all levels of society, from the emperor to common people, and in Shugendō 修験道 mountain asceticism and folk religion as well as in esoteric Shingon 真言 and Tendai 天台 Buddhism, he is also a fully naturalized Buddhist deity susceptible to mixed Shinto and Buddhist worship (see *Shintō bijutsu 神道美術). He is the representative of *Dainichi 大日, who appears in a fierce form and protects and aids those engaged in esoteric practice, eliminating hindrances, vanquishing evil spirits, and thus allowing the practice to be completed. He is the most important principal image, *honzon 本尊, of goma 護摩, a fire ceremony (see below). His name appears first in the Fukūkenjaku jinpen shingonkyō 不空羂索神変真言経, translated by Bodhiruci (Jp: Bodairushi 菩提流志) in 709. He is portrayed on the north side of a Kannon mandara 観音曼荼羅 that has *Shaka 釈迦 in the center. He holds a noose and a sword. In the Dainichikyō 大日経, translated by Shanwuwei (Jp: Zenmui 善無畏, Sk: Subhakarasimha, 637-735) in 725, his name appears as Fudō and Mudō 無動, both serving to translate the Sanskrit Acalanatha (the unmoving guardian), one of the epithets of the Hindu deity Shiva. He is described as having the body of a youth, a feature that distinguishes him from many other deities. He appears in the Jimyōin 持明院 (Godaiin 五大院) of the Womb World Mandala, *Taizōkai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅.
The title Myōō was added to his name in a commentary on the Dainichikyō by Yixing (Jp: Ichigyō 一行, 683-727). He begins to appear in texts as an independent deity slightly later. Although it is certain that Fudō is of Indian origin, there are no extant early Indian images. There are a few 8th-century images from China, including a 709 stone relief sculpture now in the Field Museum in Chicago. There are later images from Tibet and India. In Japan, Fudō was enshrined as one of the Godai Myōō in rituals to safeguard the nation in the early Heian period. In later times he continued to be addressed in public ritual on occasions of national difficulty, such as the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, and internal rebellion. From the end of the Heian and during the Kamakura period, belief in Fudō spread gradually to include warriors and the common people. With the rise of interest in paradises, he appears in stories aiding people in their desire to be reborn in paradise and coming to rescue them in hell, all common activities of many deities at this time. Fudō was included among the Thirteen Buddhas, *Jūsanbutsu 十三仏, and was given a day on which he was honored. The development of interest in Fudō was also linked to the growth of mountain asceticism. The appearance of Fudō follows various strands, which can be separated into two stages, one consisting of early iconography brought back from China in the 9th century by *Kūkai 空海 (774-835), Ennin 円仁 (794-864), and Enchin 円珍 (814-891), and the other brought back in the late 9th century and early 10th century by Annen 安然 (ca. 841-89 and 898) of the Hieizan Godaiin 比叡山五大院 and Shunnyu 淳祐 (890-953) of Ishiyamadera 石山寺. His iconography was divided into 19 aspects. In spite of there being subtle differences in his form, Fudō is always recognizable. The chief characteristic of the early Fudō iconography is that both eyes should be open, and two upper teeth should protrude over his lower lip. The paintings of the Kifudō 黄不動 (Yellow Fudō, see below), however, show two lower teeth protruding over his upper lip. Later iconography has one upper tooth going up and another going down . The oldest image of Fudō is the one in the lecture hall, *Kōdō 講堂, of Tōji 東寺 (Kyōōgokokuji 教王護国寺) in Kyoto. It shows Fudō seated on his typical dias made of blocks in the shape of Mt. Sumeru, *shitsushitsuza 瑟々座, with a halo of fire, *ka'en kōhai 火焔光背, behind him. He holds a sword in his right hand and a noose in his left hand. Unlike other fierce figures, his hair is gathered at one side (this may differ in a few images). As in most images of Fudō he has a rather heavy physique. The many important images of Fudō apart from those included in sets of the Godai Myōō, include the 1006 sculpture in Dōjuin 同聚院 in Tōfukuji 東福寺, Kyoto. It is thought to have been the central image of the Godai Myōō of the Godaidō 五大堂 of Hosshōji 法性寺, dedicated by Fujiwara Michinaga 藤原道長 (966-1027) in 1006. There are also the late Heian Fudō of Dairin'in 大林院, one of the halls of Enryakuji 延暦寺 in Shiga Prefecture, and the late Heian images of the Kongōbuji *Fudōdō 金剛峯寺不動堂 on Mt. Kōya 高野, Wakayama Prefecture. This Fudōdō, built in 1198, was moved to its present position in 1908 from elsewhere on Mt. Kōya, while the Fudō sculpture is said to be the work of the hall founder, the monk Gyōshō 行勝 (1130-1217). The image is accompanied by images of the Eight Great Child Attendants, *Hachidai Dōji 八大童子, who serve Fudō, dated 1198 (two are later) and made by Unkei 運慶 (? - 1223). Among paintings, there are a number of special images of Fudō such as the Kifudō, which shows the appearance of the deity as he appeared to Enchin in 838 during meditation. Although the original is a secret image at Miidera 三井寺 (also called Onjōji 園城寺), Shiga Prefecture, there are a number of copies, the oldest of which is the late Heian period painting in Manshuin 曼殊院 in Kyoto. The golden color departs from iconographic descriptions of Fudō as blue-black in color. The heavily muscled physique is also unusual, for Fudō's body usually looks exceptionally smooth. The Akafudō 赤不動 (Red Fudō) of Myōōin 明王院 on Mt. Kōya holds a sword with the dragon Kurikara 倶利迦羅 wound around it. He sits on a rock, accompanied by *Seitaka Dōji 制た迦童子 and *Kongara Dōji 矜羯羅童子. Although Fudō may appear alone, his usual attendants are Seitaka and Kongara Dōji, and he may be accompanied by eight child attendants. Thirty-six attendants are often listed in his rituals, and a Nanbokuchō period painting of Hōkōji 宝光寺 in Okayama Prefecture, shows him with 49 attendants. Unusual images include the painting of Fudō and his two attendants called Hashirifudō 走り不動 (Running Fudō, late Kamakura period) an unusual departure for a deity whose name means unmoving. The late Heian Takayama Fudō 高山不動 of Jōrakuin 常楽院 in Saitama Prefecture is not actually Fudō in iconography, but rather *Gundari Myōō 軍荼利明王. Revered as Fudō at this ascetic site, it was probably locally made and is roughly, simply, and powerfully carved. Fudō may also appear in *mandara 曼荼羅 such as that based upon the Ninnōgyō sutra, *Ninnōgyō mandara 仁王経曼荼羅. Drawings of Fudō are well-known. These tend to be copies, several steps removed, of the work of earlier artists. For example, a late Heian to early Kamakura periods drawing of Fudō accompanied by *Bishamonten 毘沙門天, Kurikara, and the two child attendants is in Entsūji 円通寺 on Mt. Kōya. It is thought to show the style of Genchō 玄朝, a monk of Gangōji 元興寺 in Nara (fl. second half of 10th century), and thought responsible for certain features of iconography, and that of Enjin 円心 (fl. in the second half 11th century). A drawing in Ishiyamadera 石山寺 again shows the style of Genchō and, according to the inscription, was copied by Jōchi 定智 (fl. 12th century). A large number of such drawings are found in Daigoji 醍醐寺, Kyoto, including the most famous, a 1282 drawing by Shinkai 信海 that shows Fudō standing on a rock rising from the sea. Kurikara, a dragon wound around a sword, may appear in paintings of Fudō or alone as a substitute for Fudō sculptures of both Kurikara and Fudō are often found near ascetic practice places, such as small waterfalls. The significance of Fudō is due not only to his being a transformation of Dainichi, but also in large part to his role as a honzon for goma, a fire ceremony still popular today in which defilements are symbolically burnt. Goma (Sk: homa) was and is still performed in Hinduism. Although goma can be performed for many deities, of the three major ones—Dainichi, *Nyoirin Kannon 如意輪観音, and Fudō—Fudō is felt to be particularly appropriate because he is continually occupied in a fire meditation in which all hindrances are burned up by knowledge. Goma is usually performed with the intent of tranquility and harmony, although it can have other purposes. A small goma may be performed by a devotee or by a priest in a hall, while a large outdoor goma called saitō goma 採燈護摩 (also written 柴燈護摩) is performed by mountain practitioners, yamabushi 山伏, as an esoteric ceremony. Goma is still also performed at Tōji for the imperial ritual of the goshichinichi-no-mishuhō 後七日御修法 .