Genzu mandara 現図曼荼羅

Genzu mandala. A version of the *Taizōkai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅 that is widely used today in Japan. The original version, brought to Japan from China by *Kūkai 空海 (774-835), was kept at Tōji 東寺, Kyoto, but because it began to show signs of wear in Kūkai's later years, a copy was made in 821 (Kōnin 弘仁 12), this first copy is known as the Kōnin version. The version presently used at Tōji is the fourth copy, made in the Genroku 元禄 era (late 17th century), and is known as the Genroku version. In addition, three mandala *mandara 曼荼羅, fragments were discovered in 1954 in the attic of the treasure house Hōzō 宝蔵 at Tōji, and of these the so-called kōhon 甲本 (version A) is thought to be a fragment of the second copy of the Genzu mandara, made in 1191, while the so-called Einin 永仁 version is thought to be a fragment of the third copy, made in 1296 (Einin 4). The Genzu mandara is considered to have been brought to completion by Kūkai's teacher, Huiguo (Jp: Keika 恵果, 746-805), and it represents the final form of the Taizōkai mandara, which evolved from the mandala of the Dainichikyō 大日経 (Sk: Vairocanabhisambodhi) sutra via the *Taizō zuzō 胎蔵図像 and *Taizō kyūzuyō 胎蔵旧図様. Its composition varies somewhat, but it consists of approximately 400 deities systematically arranged in 12 sections called Chūdai hachiyōin 中台八葉院, Henchiin 遍知院, Jimyōin 持明院, Rengebuin 蓮華部院, Kongōshuin 金剛手院, Shakain 釈迦院, Kokūzōin 虚空蔵院, Monjuin 文殊院, Soshitsujiin; Soshitchiin 蘇悉地院, Jizōin 地蔵院, Jogaishōin 除蓋障院, and Gekongōbuin 外金剛部院. Compared with the approximately 120 deities mentioned in the Dainichikyō this represents a more than threefold increase in the number of deities. The term genzu 現図 (current depiction) was first used by Godaiin Annen 五大院安然 (841-889/898?) of the Tendai 天台 sect. Later, in his Shosetsu fudōki 諸説不同記 a detailed comparison of the iconography of the deities depicted in the Taizōkai mandara, the imperial prince and Buddhist priest Shinjaku 真寂 (886-927) used the term to designate the orthodox Taizōkai mandara as transmitted by Kūkai in contradistinction to that brought to Japan by Shūei 宗叡 (809-84) and that preserved in the Tendai sect, and it subsequently passed into general usage. The term genzu should therefore be used to refer to the current depiction of the Taizōkai mandara. There are, however, some art historians who use the term Genzu Kongōkai mandara 現図金剛界曼荼羅 to refer to the current depiction of the *Kongōkai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅, viz. *Kue mandara 九会曼荼羅, but this usage is inappropriate. To date examples of the Taizōkai mandara that have been discovered are slightly different than the Shōei versions and Tendai version alluded to by Shinjaku, but the differences between these versions and the Genzu mandara are not as marked as those between the Genzu mandara and the Taizō zuzō and Taizō kyūzuyō and they may therefore be regarded as variants of the Genzu mandara in a broad sense.