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The The next important division is known as Kannon-bu in which the images of god or goddess of Mercy (Avalokitesvara) such as Ekadasamukha (Juichimen Kannon), Hayagriva (Bato Kannon), Amoghapasa (Fuku Kensaku Kannon), Sahasrabhuja (Senju Kannon),Candi (Juntei Kannon), Tara, Nilakantha, Cintamanicakra are included in this division. A group with six particular Kannons form the well-known group which is commonly known as Roku Kannon or Sada Kannon. There are as many as thirty-three manifestations of Kannon or Avalokitesvara which together form another separate group in Japan. These images are of different types and there are many varieties among them. In Indian Buddhist Iconography there are 108 forms of Avalokitesvara³. Some of them are Hayagriva Lokesvara, HalahalaLokesvara, Harihariharvahana-Lokesvara, Mayajalakrama Lokesvara, da Indian Buddhist Iconography, pp. 394-431.

- 102 Sadak sari Lokesvara, Anandadi Lokesvara, Potapada Lokesvara. In this list Avalokita, Ratnapani, Ksitigrabha, Amoghapasa, Amitabha, Cintamani, Padmapani, Vajrapani etc. There are another fifty-five forms of Avalakitesvara apart from the above mentioned thirty-three. They are represented in different forms. They may have one face, two or three or more faces and two, four or more arms with different attributes. There is a confusion regarding Kannon's sex. Kannon is believed to be a female deity and again Kannon is held as a male deity. Juichimen-Kannon or Ekadagamukha Avalokitesvara has eleven faces. The central head is proportionate with the body of the figure and the other ten subordinate heads are in gradual diminutive form. Among the se ten faces the front three faces should be in a smilling attitude and benign in aspect. The faces of the left are fierce looking and the right faces should bear three sharp teeth or fangs which take upward turn. The last face is always a smiling me. Above these faces a small figure of Amitabha is generally placed. There is a legend that Bodhisattva had to overcome eleven hinderances on his way to achieve the Buddhahood. Thus the eleven heads are symbolic of those hinderances. As Takaaki Sawa mentions in his work the ten subordinate heads should be of the same size as the principal head, In spit of this textual rule, the sculptors did not find it 1. Art of Japanese Esoteric Buddhiam, p. 32.

103 convenient to give effect to the prescribed forms as provided in the canonical texts. One representation of Juichimen Kannon at the Dogan-ji temple is a unique example of this type of icon. It was enshrined during the middle of the 9th century. The icon holds a pot in its left hand, while the right hand is stretched upto its knee which is completely open. The fingers of the right hand are directed towards the earth. The face shows the mixed expression of both joy and sorrow. The Japanese are principally the enthusiastic worshippers of the Buddha. Their reverence to the Kannons comes next. Soon after Buddhism entered into Japan, Kannon became a very popular deity. Kannon is the bestower of happiness. Amida-kyo or Amitabha Sutra or Saddharmapundarika Sutra mentions the name of Kannon. Apart from these texts, the Darani Josu or Dharani which is full of descriptions of the Tantric rituals, also mentions about Kannons. characteristics of Rudra are also attributed to Kannon. Some According to a legendary belief, Amida once tried to save all people from evil acts and place them in the western heaven. But when he returned back from his abode, the western heaven, he saw that there grew many more evil persons than what he experienced before and that is why he felt deep sorrow for the lamentable situation and in an

- 104 anguish his head broke into ten pieces. Later Amitabha placed those ten pieces on his main head since then he remained eleven-headed or Ekadasamukha with twenty-two eyes and two hands. Thus Kannon came to be regarded as the reliever of all sorrows and poverty and he became the god of mercy. According to the Buddhist cosmological belief there exist many world and in some of these worlds Avalokitesvara propagated Buddhism. Sometimes he appeared in the form of Bodhisattva. There are also different views regarding the eleven faces of the god. eleven heads including According to one view, there are the principal one, but in the view of others, there are eleven heads of the deity excluding the principal head, Esho, the Japanese Buddhist priest mentioned that Kannon should be twelve headed. Thus there are also different characteristics of different Kannon figures. Anyway, generally, the eleven-headed Kannon holds a In Japan " vase in his one hand and a lotus in the other hand. there are also various other types of Kannon figures. He is depicted as having one face with two arms, sometimes one face with four arms. Six or ten arms are also mentioned. But the mention of eleven-headed and twelve-handed figures is very frequent. There are even thousand armed figure of Kannon. We have also come across nine-headed Kannon. This type of Kannon also finds a remarkable place. Eleven-headed Kannon may also have four arms according to the convention established by a

- 105 Chinese monk belonging to the T'ang dynasty. It is said that in India also this form of one four-armed image was seen in a cave temple (unfortunately no further details were available)². Kannon is a bodhisattva, which is why he should be dressed in princely robes and decorated with ornaments and the crown bedecked with various jewels. A small figure of Amitabha is placed in the crown of Kannon, In the Tantric Buddhist ritual of Japan Kannon is placed in the first rank among the important deities. The figure of a eleven-headed Kannon (P 1.V|||, Fig.1.) stands on a lotus pod. This figure was made during the Heian period (10th Century A.D.). The ten diminutive heads surround the principal head. 'Kebutsu' is carved on the forehead of each of the diminutive heads. The sculpture is made of wood. The whole composition is elegant and brightness is marked all over this beatiful piece of sculpture. The hands depict two different postures. The palm of the right hand is stretched, while the left hand holds a vase with flowers. One of these flowers is full blown and the other is just a bud emanated from a single stalk. The lotus is a usual symbol of Avalokitesvara. Unlike the Chinese eleven-headed Kannon of T'ang dynasty as discussed in this work (see Pl.VII Fig.3), its 1. Art of Japanese Esoteric Buddhiam, p. 19.

106 diminutive heads are placed surrounding the central head. The folds of drapery is very well-arranged and carved skil. fully. Now this image is owned by the Kaijusan-ji temple in Kyoto. The height of the image is 45.5 c.m. We may refer to another Juichimen Kannon or elevenheaded Avalokitesvara image of the 9th Century A.D. It is made of sandal-wood and owned by the Agency of Cultural Affairs, Tokyo. It also bears almost the similar iconographic features as that of the image described in the foregoing paragraphs. The marked difference is concerning the decoration of the image with ornaments. The image of the Kaijusan-ji has no ornaments ch its body, while the image with the Agency of Cultural Affairs is decorated with necklace, armlets, wristlets, bangles and waist-girdle, and the pitcher in its left hand does not contain any lotus flower or leaf. There is another Kannon known as Yumetagae Kannon or the god who changes the evil dream of the devotees into a good one and this Kannon is featured as standing erect with halfclosed eyes. 'In Nara the figure of Sho-Kannon in the Yakushi-ji temple (Pl.V, Fig.2. ) is mainly made for averting the illeffects of the evil spirits and goblins.