Also read Jōe Monju (Ch: shengyi wenshu). Lit. rope-robed *Monju…

Abbreviation of Shaka jūdai deshi 釈迦十大弟子. The Ten Chief Disciples of the historical Buddha *…

Sk: Ekadasamukha. Eleven-headed Kannon; a form of *Kannon 観音 with eleven miniature faces…

Also jūni yakusha taishō 十二薬叉大将, jūni shinshō 十二神王. The twelve protective deities *…

Twelve Deities. A group of tutelary deities consisting of various Hindu gods, which was incorporated into Esoteric Buddhism…

Sk: Cundi. Also Juntei Butsumo 准胝仏母, Shichigutei Butsumo 七倶胝仏母, or Butsumo Juntei 仏母准胝. …

Ten Kings. The ten kings of hell who preside at the gates of the underworld, assigning souls to heaven or hell. The Buddhist…

Ch: Shou laoren. A Chinese Taoist god known as the immortal of the Northern Song and also considered the personification of…

Sixteen arhats *rakan 羅漢. The saintly ascetics who gathered at the death and…

Also read jūroku zenjin. Abbreviation of Shaka jūroku zenshin 釈迦十六善神 or Shaka sanzon jūroku…

Thirteen Buddhas. A set of thirteen Buddhist deities, including *myōō 明王 (Sk…

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 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…

An abbreviation of Nichiren Shōnin 日連上人 (1222-82). A radical reformer of popular Buddhism and founder of the …

Lit. "25 bodhisattvas *bosatsu 菩薩." The bosatsu that are…

The 28 attendants of *Senju Kannon 千手観音. They protect those who place…

Lit. "28 lunar mansions." In the astronomical theory of both ancient India and China the path of the moon during a single…

Also read niga byakudō-zu. Lit. "picture of Two Rivers and the White Path." Inspired by a parable taught by the…

Solar Radiance and Lunar Radiance.

1　Sk: Suryavairocana and Candravairocana. Two…

A variety of *besson mandara 別尊曼荼羅 based on the Ninnō Gokoku Hannya…

Also written 二王. Also called *niten 二天 and Niōson 仁王尊. Lit. "two kings" or "benevolent kings."…

A pair of devas *ten 天 or Buddhist guardian gods, such as *…

Also Niutsuhime Myōjin 丹生都比売明神. A female mountain deity that resides in Mt. Kōya 高野. According to legend *…

Sk: Cintamanicakra. A form of *Kannon 観音, most often six armed and…

Lit. "the thus-come one." Sk: tathagata. One who has realized true enlightenment. In order to reach this state of…

A square wooden box with four legs carried as a backpack by mountain ascetic priests, yamabushi 山伏. The interior of…

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…

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 *…