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. Legends about Bishamonten .
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Bishamon-Ten . 毘沙門天
Tamonten (Vaishravana)
Bishamon is the god of warriors (but not of war) and prayed to for victory prior to battle. He is also a god of defense against foreign invaders, a deity of healing with the power to save emperors from life-threatening illness and to expel demons of plague, to keep personal enemies at bay, and to reward followers with riches, good fortune, and even children. Around the 15th century, he was enlisted as one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods owing to his association with treasure and wealth.
Bishamonten is usually clad in armor, with a spear in one hand and a pagoda in the other. He is the scourge of evil doers, and the most powerful among the Guardians of the Four Directions.
The
Shigisan Engi Emaki 信貴山縁起絵巻 (Illustrated Handscroll of the Legends of Mt. Shigi), was painted in the 12th century as a tribute to Bishamon's miraculous power to ward off illness and expel the demons of plague. It includes the story of how Bishamon cured Emperor Daigo 醍醐天皇 (885-930) by dispatching Kumāra 倶摩羅 (Bishamon's youthful dōji 童子 attendant) to help the sick emperor.
Mark Schumacher has all the details !
Bishamonten helps those born on the day of the tiger, in the hour of the tiger and in the year of the tiger.
He is especially venerated with tiger amulets at Mount Shigisan and Mount Kurama.
The tiger in the Asian zodiac represents the north-east, the direction of evil influences (kimon 鬼門). Thus Bishamon helps to protect in this direction.
. komainu 狛犬 / 高麗犬 / 胡麻犬 "Korean Dog" .
- Click for more photos !
Stone tigers like Komainu in front of Bishamon temples.
Bishamonten and Tiger Toys of Japan
Mount Shigisan and the Tiger
. Tora トラ - 虎 - 寅 Tiger Toys .
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Prayer for his strength:
"Namu Tobatsu Bishamonten!
To subjugate the demons! Grant me thy power!"
Click on the photo to look at more statues !
source : hidemichitanaka.net
成島毘沙門天 Narushima Bishamonten
The largest statue in Tohoku, made from one stem of keyaki wood, 4.73 meters high.
Iwate, Hanamaki 岩手県花巻市東和町北成島５－１
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Bishamonten Jin Jinja 毘沙門天神神社
Bishamon Tenjin Jinja
Shrine for the God Bishamonten in Tono, Iwate
source : dostoev.exblog.jp - 遠野不思議
. Tono Jisha Meguri 遠野寺社巡り
temples and shrines in Tono, Iwate .
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Bishamonten Festival and Daruma Market
Bishamonten Festival in Fuji
富士、毘沙門天大祭
Bishamonten is one of the Four Great Deities (shi tenno 四天王) , who protect Buddhism in the four courners of the world.
He is also one of the Seven Gods of Good Luck (shichi fukujin 七福神).
This festival occures according to the old lunar calendar, so the date is shifting from December to February at the Temple Myoho-ji (Myoohoo-ji 妙法寺). Daruma dolls with a big beard are the speciality of this Daruma Market. This beard is one of the characteristics of the main deity, Bishamonten, of this temple. The road from the Yoshiwara station to the temple is lined with stalls and maybe more than 500.000 people are on their feet during the three days of this festival and more than 150.000 dolls are sold.
毘沙門天はだるま市が
有名で、三大だるま市のひとつであることすら知らなかった。両脇の出店に売られているだるまの数は、良くこれだけの数を集めたかと感心するぐらい大量の数である。今まで見てきた数の何十倍以上のだるまが、両側に所狭しと並べられている .
Look at a Daruma stamp from the station :
. 吉原宿, Yoshiwara-juku .
Hige ひげだるま 髭だるま
Daruma with a beard
© PHOTOS http://f801.at.webry.info/
Bishamonten Festival Telephone Card
Japanese LINK
角田市鳩原毘沙門堂奉納絵馬
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Papermachee Doll of Bishamonten-Badger
Bishamon Tanuki 毘沙門狸
だるまNEWS Nr. 18. Daruma News
It has the Sanskrit Sylable (bonji 凡字) for this deity on the belly:
. Tanuki 狸 Badger amulets and Talismans .
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The Bishamondo Hall in Yamashina Kyoto
毘沙門堂
This temple is most famous for the red autumn leaves (momiji), which form a red carpet on the stone stepp acces road to the temple.
It also has a "moving" painting on the fusuma sliding door, when you walk past it, the table seems to change from very small to very large.
宸殿襖絵 - 狩野益信の作 from the Kano School
MORE : www.bishamon.or.jp
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Bishamonten dorei 毘沙門天 土鈴 clay bell
Bishamonten ema 毘沙門天 絵馬 votive plaque
Bishamonten hariko 張子papermachee doll
Bishamonten omamori 毘沙門天 お守り amulets
. Shichifukujin 七福神 Amulets .
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. . . . . H A I K U
Bishamonten and Atago
kigo for the New Year
Messenger from Bishamonten
Bishamon no tsukai 毘沙門の使 (びしゃもんのつかい)
毘沙門の使神
The Centipede is the Messenger of Bishamonten.
Ceremony at Atago, Atago no shinji 愛宕の神事（あたごのしんじ）
Messenger from Atago, Atago no tsukai 愛宕の使（あたごのつかい）
. . . o-koto no tsukai お事の使（おことのつかい）
Hatsu Atago, hatsu Atago 初愛宕 (はつあたご)
First visit to Atago
In former times it was known that people who believe strongly in the Atago Deity will die on the special day dedicated to Atago 縁日の日,
the 24th of each month. Legend says Saizo felt his death coming, made his preparations on the day before and then died in the evening of the Atago Day in the 6th lunar month.
. Kani Saizō Kani Saizo 可児才蔵 .
Hiroshige: Messenger to the Bishamon Temple. Shiba Mount Atago
広重『江戸名所図会』［芝愛宕山］
This is a ceremony on January 3 at the temple Enpuku-Ji in Atago/Kyoto.
Priests from various temples around gather here to celebrate the eating of the first white rice in large portions.
Suddenly the Messenger from Bishamonten appears (with two others) in special colorful robes. He wears a samurai's helmet and a large staff in the form of a rice spatula (shamoji 杓子）, whith which he stabs the earth three times.
The messenger (retainer) of Bishamon was thought of as a
centipede (mukade, hyakusoku 百足 ), who also protected the gold mines. Centipedes are said to possess an ability to spot gold mines. Therefore people used to carry centipedes in bamboo tubes when they went to the mountains in search for gold.
These messenger centipedes are different from ordinary ones. There is something glossy and noble about them, and they appear in a drawing room, sitting room, and in the places Kojin deities and water gods preside over. You must not kill them by mistaking them for common centipedes. You may take their appearance for a sign of some change in your happiness and prosperity.
愛宕山円福寺毘沙門の使ひ
© coocan.jp
. mukade 蜈蚣 と伝説 Legends about the centipede .
毘沙門の使ひの百足 殺めしも
Bishamon no tsukai no mukade ayameshimo
centipede, you messenger
of Bishamonten -
I will honorably kill you
- tahata masuhiro
a dragonfly
does the 100 prayers circuit -
Mount Atago
Kobayashi Issa and the Prayer Wheel
. The Atago shrines of Japan .
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The warlords Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin both used a centipede on their flags.
sashimono 指物／差物／挿物 war flag
mukade 無加天、蜈蚣
"WKD : Centipede gold coin", mukade koban . 百足小判
Bishamonten and Temple Kurama, First Day of the Tiger
. WKD : Kurama Festivals 鞍馬山
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Centipede, Millipede (mukade) KIGO
Tsuba sword decoration with design of Bishamon and centipede
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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Bishamonten Festival
Twinkling Orion
in the dark blue sky
the festival of Bishamon temple
People wait the midnight bells
start of the sutra
Full of smoke of incense sticks
Sharpen cold air
The long line of People
Under Orion
- etsuko yanagibori , 2008
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Bishamonten is often shown together with
Fudo Myo-O.
毘沙門天と不動明王 - or rather a look-alike
Shitoku Dooji
指徳童子 Shitoku Doji
source : kyobibutsuzou.com 不動三尊
source : www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~kazu_san
. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja – Vidyaraja – Fudo Myoo .
External LINKS
Stone Carvings of Bishamonten and Fudo Myo-O
Mori Hachimangu, Kyoto
Stone Statues of Bishamonten and Fudo Myo-O
Shikoku
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Ema votive tablet with Kannon, Fudo and Bishamonten
BACK TO
Saijiki of Japanese Ceremonies and Festivals
. 俵藤太秀郷 Tawara Tota .
and the legend of the centipede at Lake Biwa
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..... Bishamonten, Tamonten (Vaishravana).....
Entstand aus einer hinduistischen Gottheit der Krokodile (Kubira).
Selbständige Version des Tamonten der vier Himmelskönige.
Lebt nördlich vom Heiligen Berg Kailash im Himalaya.
Nach der Theorie des Weltenberges lebt er als oberster Ten zusammen mit Taishaku Ten in der Welt der 33 Ten-Gottheiten (sanjuusan ten), dem Bezirk Tooriten (Traavastrimsa).
Gott des Reichtums, den er an gute Menschen verteilt. Beschützer der Kannon.
In China als Bewacher der oft rebellischen Nordregionen besonders verehrt. Der japanische Fürst (1530-1578) hielt sich für eine Inkarnation des Bishamonten.
Uesugi Kenshin 上杉謙信
In Japan auch einer der sieben Glücksgötter. Dabei gewährt er die Gnade: Sofortige Zerstörung der sieben Übel und sofortige Gewährung der sieben Glückseligkeiten (shichinan kokumetsu shichifuku sokushoo).
Manchmal mit Mäusen zusammen abgebildet (Mäuse zerkauen die Bogensehnen der Feinde).
In gesonderter Halle verehrt zusammen mit Statue des Kichijooten als weiblicher Figur. (Kichijooten wahrscheinlich als Gattin oder Schwester des Bishamonten.)
Ikonografie:
Hohe Krone. Dreizack mit langem Stab oder dem Stab der Lehre in der rechten Hand; linke Hand mit der Pagode des Gesetzes hoch erhoben. Bei manchen Figuren, oft als Tamonten, werden diese Gegenstände gerade umgekehrt gehalten. Chinesische Rüstung mit Brust- und Beinpanzer. Auf dem Brustpanzer der Kopf eines wilden Meeresteufels, symbolisiert, daß Bishamonten früher wohl eine Meeresgottheit war.
Steht auf einem wilden Meeresteufel. Später wurde dieser Teufel auch "Amanojaku" genannt.
Eigentlich handelt es sich dabei um Kobolde (jaki), die nach der Theorie des Weltenberges Sumeru in der Welt unterhalb der vier Himmelskönige leben und auf Befehl mit ausziehen, um die Feinde des Buddhismus zu zerstören.
Zusammen mit Fudoo Myo- als Begleitfigur eines Nyorai oder Bosatsu.
Besondere Statuen:
Tobatsu Bishamonten 兜跋毘沙門天
Bewacht das Königreich Tobatsu im Westen. "Tobatsu" bedeutet möglicherweise Tibet (Toban), es bedeutet auch: einen wallenden Mantel tragen.
Wurde als Schutzgottheit der Burg-Städte besonders verehrt. In China in Anxi (Anseijoo) soll Tobatsu Bishamonten vor der belagerten Stadt erschienen sein und die Feinde vertrieben haben.
Trägt einen wallenden Mantel über der Rüstung und einen langen Stab mit drei Zacken in der rechten sowie eine Pagode in der linken Hand.
Steht auf den Dämonen Biranba, Niranba oder auf der Erdgottheit Jiten (Chiten). Diese Gottheiten ragen mit dem Oberkörper aus einem Felsensockel und tragen Bishamonten auf den hoch erhobenen Händen. Manchmal auch hohe Krone mit Vogelkopf.
© Gabi Greve
Buddhastatuen (Buddhastatues) Who is Who
Ein Wegweiser zur Ikonografie von japanischen Buddhastatuen
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. Enkū 円空 Master Carver Enku (1632 - 1695) .
at temple Hoozenji 宝泉寺
Hosen-Ji. Gifu 関市. This temple has more Enku statues and is dedicated to Fudo Myo-O.
source : tabinoashiato.blogspot.jp
source : enkukobo.cocolog-nifty.com/blog
The wood is hinoki ヒノキ cedar.
CLICK for more photos !
Bishamon standing on a demon 邪鬼.
The wood is ichi-i 一位 yew tree.
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. Legends about Bishamonten .
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