Abbreviation of Tenryū hachibushū 天竜八部衆. Eight classes of Indian deities who were converted by *…

Lit. eight great youths. Eight attendants of either *Monju 文殊 or more commonly *…

Lit. *Amida, 阿弥陀, with teeth exposed. An image of a standing Amida with his…

Devotional paintings of the cult of Hakusan 白山 (white mountains), a group of mountains that border Gifu, Fukui,…

In full Hannya-haramitsu (or Hannya-haramitta) bosatsu 般若波羅蜜(般若波羅蜜多)菩薩. A bodhisattva *…

The transformations in which *Kannon 観音 appears in order to save sentient…

Flying apsaras. Heavenly beings invisible to the human eye, believed to fly with superhuman power and speed. Found in Middle…

Lit. *Amida 阿弥陀 with a Jeweled Crown. A typical representation of Buddha *…

Drawings or paintings, zu 図 depicting the doctrine and stories of the Lotus Sutra Hokekyō 法華経,…

Lit. Lotus Mandala. Also Hokekyō mandara 法華経曼荼羅 (mandala depiction of the Lotus Sutra), Hokekyō hōtō mandara…

A variety of mandala dedicated to specific deities *besson mandara 別尊曼荼羅…

Commonly known as Hōnen Shōnin 法然上人 or St. Hōnen (1133-1212), founder of the Pure Land, Jōdo 浄土 sect in…

The original Buddhist identity of a Shinto deity *kami 神. Sometime before the…

Lit. Illustrations of original lives. The original lives; honjō 本生 or honshō, or former lives of the…

A specific type of mandala *besson mandara 別尊曼荼羅, based on the Daihō…

Lit. star mandara. A variety of dedicated mandala *Butsugen mandara…

Lit. Six Patriarchs of the Hossō sect. In Japan: Shin'ei 神叡 (d. 737), Genbō 玄昉 (d. 746), Zenshu 善珠 (723-97), Gyōga 行賀(729-…

Ch: Budai. A semi-legendary, itinerant 10th-century Buddhist monk who became a popular subject in Chinese and Japanese ink…

Also read Sanjūbanjin. Various sets of thirty *kami 神 who…

Abbreviation of Kannon sanjūsanshin 観音三十三身. The 33 forms in which, according to the *…

Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods (Sk: Trayastrimsa deva). Also referred to as Tōriten とう利天, with tori thought to be…

Large-scale hanging scroll paintings of the landscapes of shrines and temples which include images of pilgrims worshipping…

Also read Samaya-e. The second of the nine *mandara 曼荼羅 comprising…

Also read Samaya mandara. A form of *mandara 曼荼羅 (mandala)…

Also Hie Sannō mandara 日吉山王曼荼羅. A class of Shinto devotional paintings having to do with Hie Sannōsha 日吉山王社 (…

Lit. "the oracles of the three shrines." These popular hanging scrolls, sold at Ise Jingū 伊勢神宮 were the focus of devotion *…

Lit. "three thousand Buddhas." One thousand Buddhas are believed to appear in the worlds of the past, present and future…

One of Three Jōdo Mandalas *Jōdo sanmandara 浄土三曼荼羅. A type of *…

Also read Kiyotaki Gongen. A protective deity associated with the Chinese temple Qinglongsi (Jp: Seiryūji 青竜寺) in Chang'an (…

Abbreviation of Seiryōjishiki Shaka nyorai-zō 清涼寺式釈迦如来像, also known as *…

Lit. "obtained strength." Also Daiseishi 大勢至 (Sk: Mahasthamaprapta), or he who has obtained great strength. Also …

Also read shoshuku; also shukuyō 宿曜. Meaning constellation, this term refers in Buddhist iconography…

Lit. "the youth Seitaka." One of two chief attendants of *Fudō Myōō 不動明王 (the…

Sk: Sahasrabhuja-arya-avalokitesvara. Thousand-armed Kannon or *Kannon 観音 with…

Lit. "the Buddha *Amida 阿弥陀 preaching a sermon seppō…

Lit. "eight phases (or aspects) of Shakamuni *Shaka 釈迦." Also referred to as…

Lit. "Shaka triad." A group of 3 Buddhist images composed of *Shaka …

1　Abbreviation of Shakamuni 釈迦牟尼 or Shakamon 釈迦文 (Sk: Sakyamuni), meaning sage of the Sakyas. The name by…

Lit. "the Four Buddhas."

1　The first four Buddhas said to have appeared during the current era of…

Lit. "Seven Buddhas of Healing." Seven manifestations of *Yakushi 薬師 or the…

Lit. "the seven gods of good fortune." The group comprises *Ebisu 恵比須, *…

A mandala produced for a specific ceremony or ritual use. Lit. "*mandara 曼荼羅…

Lit. "eight patriarchs of the Shingon sect." The founders of Esoteric Buddism mikkyō 密教. These mythical and…

Offerings made at shrines to Shinto gods *kami 神. The most sacred…

Also read Shiragi Myōjin and Shinra Zenjin 新羅善神. The deity that protects Miidera 三井寺 (Onjōji 園城寺) at the…

An abbreviation of Shinran Shōnin 親鸞聖人 (1173-1262), the founder of the New Pure Land sect, Jōdo shinshū…

Lit. "body of the *kami 神." A sacred object which is worshiped as a…

An image, either in sculpture or painting, of a deity *kami 神 in its Shinto or…

Four types of mandala, the dai mandara 大曼荼羅 (great mandala), *Sanmaya mandara…

Four Guardian Kings. Pre-Buddhist Indian deities including *Taishakuten…

Sk: Aryavalokitesvara. Also written 正観音. This is the term for the simplest form of *…

Also known as Seishoku Daikongō Yasha 青色大金剛薬叉. A deity who protects against diseases believed to be caused by…

Idealized portraits in sculpture and painting made for the worship and reverence of Shōtoku Taishi 聖徳太子 (ca. 574-…

*Mandara 曼荼羅 (mandala) of the Sutra for Praying for Rain. A variety…

Lit. "seed syllable mandala." A mandala *mandara 曼荼羅 in which the deities are…

Also read Shūkongōjin. Also called Kongōshu 金剛手, Jikongō 持金剛, *…

Mt. Sumeru. Also called Myōkōsan 妙高山 or Kinzan 金山. A great mountain that, according to ancient Indian cosmology, towers…

Lit. "Buddha coming forth from the mountains." A scene from the life of the historical Buddha (Sk: Sakyamuni, *…

One of the most popular Shinto deities, who is shown in the form of a Buddhist monk and who protects warriors and the…

Lit. "mandala in the form used for worship." Devotional paintings (usually on large hanging scrolls) showing the deities of…

A variety of *besson mandara 別尊曼荼羅 that evolved from the cult centered…

Important Buddhist teachers, high priests, and founders of Buddhist sects; often worshipped by followers. Statues and…