Tamonten also Bishamonten Lord of the North, Member of Shitenno Japanese Buddhism & Sculpture

Of interest is the shrine enshrining 10,000 images of Kannon. Also of interest is the thousand-year-old Keyaki tree and the large statue in front of the main gate of Ushi-oni . Legend states that in the 16th century, a devil animal with an ox head and a body like a fox appeared frequently on this plateau and scared the local people. A brave samurai named Kurando Yamada, an archery expert, shot the devil, cut off its head, and brought it to the temple in memory of the dead devil. The people called the animal Ushi-oni and believed that it had the power to purge an evil force.

One of the daughters of Fujiwara Kamatari went to China to become a concubine of the T'ang emperor Tai-tsung. Once there, she sent back three tiny but precious jewels for her brother's use in work on Nara's Kōfukuji. Unfortunately the boat sank near Shido Bay and the three jewels were stolen by the Dragon King.

He also carved an image of Kokūzō Bosatsu and dedicated it in the Okunoin. Originally called Sesaka-dera, this was built in 596 and was the ancestral temple of the Saeki clan, into which Kōbō Daishi was born. When he returned from China, he dedicated the Kongōkai and Taizōkai mandalas signifying the worlds of the cosmic Buddha and enshrined the Dainichi Nyorai as the honzon. Kōbō Daishi modeled the temple after Ch'ing-lung-si Temple in China and it took three years to build. There are more than 1500 carvings of Amida Buddha and his attendants in the rock wall behind the temple. Also carved in the wall are images of stupas and the words Namu Amida Butsu.

She carries an umbrella or parasol as a symbol of his sovereignty. She is also sometimes displayed with a mongoose, often shown ejecting jewels from its mouth. The mongoose is the enemy of the snake, a symbol of greed or hatred; the ejection of jewels represents generosity.

This, strangely enough, reminds me of contemporary football teams – either high school or college – praying for divine intervention. The winning side convinces itself that it has been shown celestial favoritism. The detail shown below is from a Meiji period painting of Bishamon. It was purchased by Patdem and posted by him at commons.wikimedia.org. Let’s start with this gorgeous Edo period, polychromed, wooden sculpture of Bishamon standing on top of a blue demon.

Later, they built a statue of the Ushi-oni near the fountain in the temple compound. There is a particular figure of statue which is called Tobatsu Bishamonten. It wears armor knitted from chains (Kinsako (金鎖甲), and protective gear called Ebigote (海老籠手) over the arms, as well as a coronet on the head.

The temple was founded by Gyōgi Bosatsu and originally called Dōjōji. It was later rebuilt by Kōbō Daishi and yet again by St. Ippen in the 13th century. When St. Ippen rebuilt it, he also converted it to the Jishū sect of Pure Land Buddhism and changed the name to its present name.

Therein, Jikokuten and Bishamonten pledge on behalf of all four to protect those who embrace the Lotus Sutra. Oldest extant statue of Tamonten is part of a set of four Shitennō statues possessed by Hōryūji Temple 法隆寺 in Nara that dates to the mid-7th Century. The skillful means provided by the puja, empowerment, and practice of the Dzambhalas work best with the right intention of developing bodhicitta to reach enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. All Dzambhalas are said to be the wealth giving form of Avalokitesvara, this means they originally emanated from Avalokitesvara or the Compassionate Buddha. Of interest here are the numerous crutches left by people who been miraculously cured during their pilgrimage.

The Deva (meaning “celestial beings”) rank above theAsura and humans in the six stages of existence. Many devas have godlike powers, and reign over celestial kingdoms of happiness and splendor. Deva live countless years, but their lives eventually end, for the Deva are not 毘沙門天 yet free from the cycle of birth and death . That distinction belongs only to the Bosatsu, the Rakan, andNyorai . Among the Eight Legions, the Deva are represented most often by Bonten,Taishakuten, the four Shitennō , and the Goddess Benzaiten. Among the eight Yashaou, and one of Bishamonten’s attendants.