gyōzō 行像

Lit. traveling image. 

1　Buddhist images shown in the position of walking, often used in portraits of priests. The wood sculpture of the priest Kūya 空也 (903-72) in Rokuharamitsuji 六波羅蜜寺, Kyoto, by the artist Kōshō 康勝 (active early 13th century) is an example of a walking image. Since the priest Kūya traveled Japan spreading the practice of nenbutsu 念仏, or praise and invocation of the name of the Buddha *Amida 阿弥陀, the depiction is especially appropriate.

2　Images used in a *nerikuyō 練供養, or religious procession, which are carried or moved on a portable shrine *mikoshi 神輿. Usually the route is fixed. Gyōzō images are either taken out of a temple or made especially for the ceremony, and the term gyōzō can also refers to the ceremony itself. Such religious processions seem to have developed in India, along with the offering of flowers, incense, music, and drama. They flourished in Central Asia and China and arrived in Japan by the 8th century. While not restricted to Pure Land sects, from the 11th century many Pure Land temples adopted the practice. An example of the use of gyōzō still seen today, is the mukaekō 迎講, or welcoming ceremony, at the Shingon 真言 and Jōdo 浄土 sects temple Taimadera 当麻寺 in Nara. Every year on April 13/14 masked participants play the parts of Amida and 25 bodhisattvas *nijūgo bosatsu 二十五菩薩 in procession, reenacting the descent of Amida to welcome the dying believer into paradise (see *raigō-zu 来迎図). During the event, the image of Chūjōhime 中将姫 (the legendary 8th-century princess-nun said to have woven the Matrix Mandala *Taima mandara 当麻曼荼羅) is brought out and carried in the procession.