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bosatsu@•μŽF
KEY WORD :@art history / 1@iconography,@2@sculptures
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1@Abbreviation of bodai satta •μ’ρŽF‚½, a transliteration of the Sanskrit bodhisattva (Pari bodhisatta). Lit. being (sattva) destined to attain enlightenment (bodhi). Initially used in the early Buddhist canon as a designation of *Shaka Žί‰ή, the founding Buddha of the Buddhist faith, prior to his enlightenment; later it assumed the more general meaning of any being seeking enlightenment. In Mahayana Buddhism it became the term of designation for the ideal religious practitioner who, although destined for Buddhahood, vows to postpone his own enlightenment until he has helped others to reach this state. Ranked just below a Buddha, a bodhisattva is of central importance in Mahayana Buddhism, which emphasizes the possibility of all beings attaining Buddhahood. In theory anyone who aspires to enlightenment and performs the requisite practices is regarded as a bodhisattva. In popular belief, a bodhisattva is looked upon as a divine being with boundless compassion who assists those in distress. Countless such bodhisattvas are mentioned in the Mahayana sutras. In Japan, the most popular bodhisattvas include *Fugen •Œ«, *Jizou ’n‘ , *Kannon ŠΟ‰Ή, *Kokuuzou ‹•‹σ‘ , *Miroku –νθΣ, *Monju •ΆŽκ, and *Seishi ¨ŽŠ. Because Shaka in the period prior to his enlightenment serves as the prototype of the bodhisattva, a bodhisattva is usually represented as a layperson (male or female) with the headwear, garments, and adornments characteristic of a member of the nobility in ancient India. An exception is Jizou who assumes the form of a monk. The upper half of the body of a bodhisattva is often exposed. With the exception of *Batou Kannon ”n“ͺŠΟ‰Ή, the bodhisattva is generally endowed with a peaceful countenance. The bodhisattva sometimes have many faces and arms ;*Juuichimen Kannon \ˆκ–ΚŠΟ‰Ή and *Senju Kannon ηŽθŠΟ‰Ή. In Buddhist iconography, the bodhisattva division, bosatsubu •μŽF•”, constitutes one of the main categories into which Buddhist deities are classified ranking second, just after *nyorai ”@—ˆ.

2@Masks for bugaku *bugakumen •‘Šy–Κ, representing a bodhisattva (see 1 above) and used in the now extinct performance called Bosatsu. Certain 13c records indicate that the dance had lost popularity at court by then. Most Bosatsu masks found today are Buddhist processional masks, gyoudoumen s“Ή–Κ, though some at Tsurugaoka Hachimanguu ’ί‰ͺ”ͺ”¦‹{ in Kanagawa prefecture, are labeled as belonging to a set of bugaku masks.
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