Also written 曼陀羅 or 曼拏羅. Mandala. A diagram that depicts Buddhist deities according to certain geometric formats and…

The name used for the images of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ in the guise of *Kannon…

Transliteration of Sanskrit Marici, the name of a Buddhist goddess representing an amalgamation of several Hindu antecedents…

The protective deity of the Jōgyō zanmaidō 常行三味堂 of Enryakuji 延暦寺 on Mt. Hiei 比叡 in Kyoto. He is usually portrayed…

Also popularly known as Manari Myōjin 馬鳴明神 or Sanjin 蚕神 (God of Silkworms). A bodhisattva *…

Lit. "Amida looking back." An image of a standing *raigō-in Amida 来迎印阿弥陀…

Also called Komori Myōjin 子守明神 and may appear in the triad known as Mikomori Sannyoshin 御子守三女神 (see below). The deity of…

Also read shin'yo. Also written 御輿. A palanquin used to transport Shinto deities. A mikoshi was believed…

Also Jishi 慈氏, lit. "compassionate one" (Sk. Maitreya). A bodhisattva *bosatsu…

A term whose definition falls under three headings. The first refers to representations of specific Shinto deities, often in…

Lit. "mandala of a shrine." Devotional paintings (usually on large hanging scrolls) of the landscape of a shrine and its…

An abbreviation of Monjushiri 文殊師利 (also Manjushiri 曼殊室利), which transliterates Sk. Manjusri. Also translated Myōkichijō 妙吉祥…

Asanga and Vasubandhu, two 5th century Indian brothers instrumental in founding the Hossō 法相 school of Buddhism. Asanga (Jp…

Sk: Sudrsti, also Sonshōō 尊星王 or Hokushin bosatsu 北辰菩薩. Originally a deification of the Polestar, …

Translation of Sanskrit vidyaraja, meaning spell-king. Vidya literally means knowledge, but in Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō…

Lit. "Amida with welcoming descent mudras." A figure of *Amida 阿弥陀 with hand…

Painted images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as *Shaka 釈迦, *…

Arhat. Ch: luohan, Sk: arhan. Abbreviation of arakan 阿羅漢, a translation of the Sk. term arhan…

Transliteration of Sanskrit raksasa, a term for demons in general, but which may also be divided into three classes…

Also known by the Chinese name: Linji. A Tang dynasty priest who founded a major school of chan (Jp: Zen 禅) Buddhism. Zen…

The Rishukyō jūhachi-e mandara was introduced from China to Japan by Ennin 円仁 (794-864) and Shūei 宗叡 (809-884…

A group of six forms of *Kannon 観音, each of which is responsible for saving…

Also occasionally read rikudō-e. Lit. "six paths."
Paintings of the six paths rokudō 六道 of existence…

Lit. "six character name." The six Chinese characters used to write "Namu Amida Butsu 南無阿弥陀仏." An homage to the…

The sixth Zen 禅 (Ch: Chan) patriarch, Huineng (Jp: Enō 慧能, 638-713), also considered the 33rd patriarch in descent from the…

Also read "Roshanabutsu." The Rushana Buddha. Rushana is an abbreviation of Birushana 昆盧舎那 in turn a…

Lit. "mandala of the two realms," namely, the *Taizōkai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅…