A round metal or wooden plate with a separately made or repousse (hammered from the rear) image of a Shinto deity *…

The subject of a number of paintings in the possession of Danzan Jinja 談山神社 on Tōnomine 多武峯 in Nara. Kamatari is a deity…

A Shinto deity. Although the word deity may imply a singular definite presence, kami have no fixed number, form or…

Also read Kankiten. Also Shōten/Shōden 聖天. Abbreviation of Daishō kangiten 大聖歓喜天. The elephant-headed…

A transformation scene of the Pure Land *jōdo hensō 浄土変相 based on the…

Also Kanzeon 観世音, Kanjizai 観自在. The bodhisattva *bosatsu 菩薩 who personifies…

Also called Kōya Myōjin 高野明神. An old hunter represented with a white dog or dogs or as a courtly figure in formal…

The Japanese name of the Indian deity (Sk: Hariti), a protector of children who was the wife of Panchika. Her name was…

Sk. kalavinka. Originally a sparrow-like bird that lived in the snowy mountains ofthe Himalaya range, reputed to possess a…

Devotional paintings of the deities and landscape of Kasuga Taisha 春日大社 which was founded in Nara in the 8th century as the…

A form of mandala *mandara 曼荼羅 in which the deities are…

Transliteration of the Sanskrit gandharva, translatedas jikikō 食香 (scent-eater), jinkō 尋香 (scent…

Disciples or followers of Buddha. Often refers to groups of devotees who accompany an important Buddhist deity, for example…

Also read Kisshōten. Also called Kichijōtennyo 吉祥天女 or Kudokuten 功徳天 (Sk: Sri Laksmi, Mahasri,…

Also read Kisshōten mandara. A variety of dedicated mandala *besson…

Lit. painting of Sakyamuni emerging from the golden coffin. A genre of painting depicting one of the scenes from the life of…

Also sometimes abbreviated to tenjin engi 天神縁起 (History of Kitano Tenjin). A combination biography and…

Lit. Great Master Kōbō. The posthumous name of *Kūkai 空海 (774-835), the founder…

Originally a Hindi term ghra-pati meaning a householder, trader, or farmer. In China the term came to be applied…

Also read Koshima mandara. A pair of Mandala of the Two Realms *Ryōkai…

Sometimes read Kokuzō. Space/Sky Repository (Sk: Akasagarbha, Khagarbha); also called Kokūyō 虚空孕 and in Japan often…

Lit. Korean dog. A pair of lion-like guardian figures placed at each side of a shrine or temple entrance; believed to ward…

Sk: Virupaksa. A guardian deity, believed to protect the west of Buddha's realm. Usually found as part of a group of Four…

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

Also *Niō 仁王, *…

Lit. Eighty-one Deity Mandala of the Adamantine Realm. A variety of *Kongōkai…

Lit. mandala of the Adamantine Realm (Sk: Vajradhatu mandala). A mandala *mandara…

Also written 金剛薬叉明王. Kongōyasha corresponds to Sanskrit vajrayaksa, which is also the name of one of the sixteen…

Also synonymous with Kubira 宮毘羅. A god and leader of the *Yasha 夜又, the…

Also called kubon ōjōraigō 九品往生来迎. The nine possible levels of birth into *…

The standard form of the *Kongōkai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅 widely used in Japan…

Lit. peacock king of those who hold knowledge. A female deity of Indian origin (Sk: Mahamayuri). The subject of the …

Early Heian period Buddhist priest (774-835), patriarch of the Shingon 真言 sect of Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō 密教…

Devotional paintings of the three shrines of Kumano, Kumano Sanzan 熊野三山, which are called Hongū 本宮 (Kumano Nimasu Jinja…

Also known as Kurika 矩里迦, a transliteration of Sanskrit Kulika, the name of a dragon-king *…

A painting illustrating the tradition of the Abidatsumakusharon  阿毘達磨倶舎論 (Sk: Abhidharmakos'a), a renowned…

An abbreviation of Kūya Shōnin 空也上人 or Saint Kūya (903-72), the monk responsible for the spread of Pure…

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…