Essay name: Buddhist iconography in and outside India (Study)
Author:
Purabi Gangopadhyay
Affiliation: University of Calcutta / Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture
This work aims to systematically present the development and expansion of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist iconography from India to other countries, such as China, Korea, and Japan. This study includes a historical account of Indian Buddhist iconography and the integration of Brahmanical gods into the Mahayana-Vajrayana phase.
Chapter 4: Japanese Buddhist Iconography (a Comparative Study)
100 (of 101)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
184
Indian Buddhism also different stories are told by the
Buddhist monks regarding Asura. Later on he is regarded
as the protector of Buddhist faith..
In Japan Ashura is regarded as one of the eight
Hachi-bu-shu (eight classes of demi-gods or supernatural
being who protects Buddhism)".
2 One of the representations of Ashura as Hachi-bu-
shu is preserved in the Kofuku-ji in Nara. This image is
childlike in appearance, It is six handed and he is stand-
ing on a rock pedestal. It is made of dry-lacquer (Pl.XXX,
Fig.2).
1 Citragupta/Taizanfukun
Citragupta, the attendant of Yama is commonly known
as Taizanfukun in Japan. The idea of Taizanfukun entered
into Japan from India through China. This cult became very
popular during the Tang dynasty of China. In Japan during
the late Heian period the deity gained more importance
In the Visnudharmottara he is described as two-handed.
He is also placid looking. He keeps one eye on Yama. In
his right hand he holds a pen and in the left a leaf. He is
controlling the fortune and longivity of human being. Susanoq-
no-mikoto is sometime identified with Taizanfukun.
no-mikoto is the younger brother of 'Amaterasu Omikami', the
1. PJA(S), p. 161.
2. HDIJBP, p. 145.
Susanoo
