Shingon artwork.

[Indrajala]

Shameless self-promotion , but I wrote a blog post with photos I took today reviewing the art at a certain Shingon temple in Tokyo.

http://huayanzang.blogspot.com/2011/02/ ... tsuin.html

Please have a look.

[Mr. G]

Very cool pics Huseng! Japan is at the top of my list of places to visit.

Who is this a pic of?:



Looks like a statue of Shinran.

[Su DongPo]

Who is this a pic of?:

I believe that would be Kūkai 空海 / Kōbō-Daishi 弘法大師 (774–835), the founder of Shingon Buddhism. He is referenced in the first few sentences.

Yes, nice photography.

[Mr. G]

Who is this a pic of?:

I believe that would be Kūkai 空海 / Kōbō-Daishi 弘法大師 (774–835), the founder of Shingon Buddhism.

Heh, I figured that....for some reason I swear I've seen statues of Honen and Shinran that look exactly the same. Thanks SDP.

[Indrajala]

Truth be told the bronze statues of Japanese priests start looking the same. Kasa hat, staff and robes with begging bowl. Without saying so I can't usually tell the difference.

[Tatsuo]

Hōnen and Shinran wouldn't wear the begging bowl. There are iconographic differences between the statues of founders of Japanese Buddhism. Hōnen and Shinran may sometimes look similar, which comes from the biographical background. Both were involved in the Hijiri movement so they would wear the same clothes, but Hōnen is typically depicted seated, whereas Shinran is shown standing with staff, hat and prayer beads.

Btw. it isn't quite right, what you wrote about Aizen Myōō (or rather I've never heard about that interpretation, that he is being called King of Love, "because of his great love for the Buddha who also protects him. He also loves all sentient beings and works for their benefit."). On JAANUS Aizen Myōō's name is explained in the following way:
"The word 'raga' originally referred to the color red and, by extension, the passions. Aizen is an esoteric Buddhist deity whose nature expresses the idea that earthly desires are a pure aspiration to enlightenment, bodaishin 菩提心, and these desires need not inspire illusion or cause suffering."
But I really like you photos! Great work

[Su DongPo]

Truth be told the bronze statues of Japanese priests start looking the same. Kasa hat, staff and robes with begging bowl. Without saying so I can't usually tell the difference.

I'll talk your word for it in general, but I have seen many photos of Kobo Daishi statues, and a few Meiji era examples of the same in Taiwan, and they are all starting to look exactly like O-Daishi.