Sherry D. Fowler
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780824856229
- eISBN:
- 9780824872977
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824856229.003.0007
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
Painted and printed sets of Thirty-three Kannon transported from China in the fifteenth century inspired the shift to Thirty-three Kannon worship. This new theme in Japan is exemplified by the ...
More
Painted and printed sets of Thirty-three Kannon transported from China in the fifteenth century inspired the shift to Thirty-three Kannon worship. This new theme in Japan is exemplified by the celebrated set from 1412 attributed to Minchō. Another area of transition between the Six and Thirty-three Kannon cults is in the fact that the main temple icons of the major Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage routes all feature one of the Six Kannon rather than any of the thirty-three images described in the Lotus sūtra or those imported from China. Within the context of pilgrimage, one surprising area of transition between the cults is found in the imagery cast into large bronze bells used at Buddhist temples. Finally, beginning in the seventeenth century, boundaries of the distribution of multiple Kannon imagery were pushed even further as publications of the printed iconographic manual Butsuzō zui, which clearly organized illustrations of groups of Seven and Thirty-three Kannon, rapidly proliferated throughout Japan and then abroad, giving Kannon worldwide exposure.Less
Painted and printed sets of Thirty-three Kannon transported from China in the fifteenth century inspired the shift to Thirty-three Kannon worship. This new theme in Japan is exemplified by the celebrated set from 1412 attributed to Minchō. Another area of transition between the Six and Thirty-three Kannon cults is in the fact that the main temple icons of the major Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage routes all feature one of the Six Kannon rather than any of the thirty-three images described in the Lotus sūtra or those imported from China. Within the context of pilgrimage, one surprising area of transition between the cults is found in the imagery cast into large bronze bells used at Buddhist temples. Finally, beginning in the seventeenth century, boundaries of the distribution of multiple Kannon imagery were pushed even further as publications of the printed iconographic manual Butsuzō zui, which clearly organized illustrations of groups of Seven and Thirty-three Kannon, rapidly proliferated throughout Japan and then abroad, giving Kannon worldwide exposure.
Sherry D. Fowler
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780824856229
- eISBN:
- 9780824872977
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824856229.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
As this book makes former groups of Kannon visible, it also explores the fluidity of numerical categorizations of deities that attempt to quantify invisible beliefs. Although initially formed with ...
More
As this book makes former groups of Kannon visible, it also explores the fluidity of numerical categorizations of deities that attempt to quantify invisible beliefs. Although initially formed with the idea of corresponding to the six paths of transmigration in Buddhist thought, the Six Kannon were anything but a monolithic cult. As the Lotus sūtra explains, in order to save a sentient being most expediently Kannon can assume thirty-three different types of bodies. Yet the plethora of images of Kannon seen all over the world reveals that there are many more forms and that the number thirty-three stands for the great number of variations Kannon can take. Pious motivations commonly drove the faithful to use creative calculations to adjust the number of Kannon to suit their needs.Less
As this book makes former groups of Kannon visible, it also explores the fluidity of numerical categorizations of deities that attempt to quantify invisible beliefs. Although initially formed with the idea of corresponding to the six paths of transmigration in Buddhist thought, the Six Kannon were anything but a monolithic cult. As the Lotus sūtra explains, in order to save a sentient being most expediently Kannon can assume thirty-three different types of bodies. Yet the plethora of images of Kannon seen all over the world reveals that there are many more forms and that the number thirty-three stands for the great number of variations Kannon can take. Pious motivations commonly drove the faithful to use creative calculations to adjust the number of Kannon to suit their needs.
Sherry D. Fowler
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780824856229
- eISBN:
- 9780824872977
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824856229.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
When Kannon (Avalokiteśvara in Sanskrit) appears in multiple manifestations, the compassionate Buddhist deity’s magnificent powers are believed to increase to even greater heights. This book examines ...
More
When Kannon (Avalokiteśvara in Sanskrit) appears in multiple manifestations, the compassionate Buddhist deity’s magnificent powers are believed to increase to even greater heights. This book examines the development of sculptures, paintings, and prints associated with the cult of the Six Kannon, which began in Japan in the tenth century and remained strong until its transition, beginning in sixteenth century, to the still active Thirty-Three Kannon cult. The complete set of Six Kannon made in 1224 and housed at the Kyoto temple Daihōonji is an exemplar of the cult’s images. With a diachronic approach, beginning in the eleventh century, individual case studies are employed to reinstate a context for the sets of Six Kannon, the majority of which have been lost or scattered, in order to clarify the former vibrancy, magnitude, and distribution of the cult and enhance knowledge of religious image-making in Japan. While Kannon’s role of assisting beings trapped in the six paths of transmigration is a well-documented catalyst for the selection of six, there are other significant themes at work. Six Kannon worship includes worldly concerns like childbirth and animal husbandry, strong ties between text and image, and numerous cases of matching with Shinto kami groups of six.Less
When Kannon (Avalokiteśvara in Sanskrit) appears in multiple manifestations, the compassionate Buddhist deity’s magnificent powers are believed to increase to even greater heights. This book examines the development of sculptures, paintings, and prints associated with the cult of the Six Kannon, which began in Japan in the tenth century and remained strong until its transition, beginning in sixteenth century, to the still active Thirty-Three Kannon cult. The complete set of Six Kannon made in 1224 and housed at the Kyoto temple Daihōonji is an exemplar of the cult’s images. With a diachronic approach, beginning in the eleventh century, individual case studies are employed to reinstate a context for the sets of Six Kannon, the majority of which have been lost or scattered, in order to clarify the former vibrancy, magnitude, and distribution of the cult and enhance knowledge of religious image-making in Japan. While Kannon’s role of assisting beings trapped in the six paths of transmigration is a well-documented catalyst for the selection of six, there are other significant themes at work. Six Kannon worship includes worldly concerns like childbirth and animal husbandry, strong ties between text and image, and numerous cases of matching with Shinto kami groups of six.
