hachidai douji 　八大童子

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

Lit. eight great youths. Eight attendants of either *Monju 文殊 or more commonly *Fudou Myouou 不動明王. Fudou hachidai douji 不動八大童子 (the eight attendants of Fudou) are described in the HACHIDAI DOUJI HIYOU HOUBON 八大童子秘要法品, and their names are as follows: Ekou douji 慧光童子, Eki douji 慧喜童子, Anokudatsu/Anokuta douji 阿耨達童子, Shitoku douji 指徳童子, Ukubaga douji 烏倶婆迦童子, Shoujou biku 清浄比丘, *Kongara douji 矜羯羅童子, and *Seitaka douji 制た迦童子. In artistic representations Fudou is generally shown either alone or flanked by Kongara and Seitaka to create the Fudou triad fudou sanzon 不動三尊. There are few examples of him accompanied by all eight of these attendants. A fine set of wooden figures, six of which are attributed to Unkei 運慶 (?-1223), is preserved at Kongoubuji 金剛峯寺 (Mt. Kouya 高野, Wakayama prefecture). Another set, carved by Kouen 康円 in 1272, is housed at Kannonji 観音寺 in Tokyo. Noteworthy examples of polychrome paintings of Fudou accompanied by these eight attendants include those kept by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (originally from Mt. Kouya; 13c) and at Choufukuji 長福寺 (Okayama prefecture; 14c). Monju hachidai douji 文殊八大童子 (the eight attendants of Monju) are mentioned in several texts, and they appear in the Monju-in 文殊院 of the *Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅. Their names are as follows: Koumou 光網 (Sk: Jaliniplabha), Houkan 宝冠 (Sk: Ratnamukuta), Mukukou 垢光( Sk: Vimalaprabha), Keishini 髻設尼 (Sk: Kesini), Ubakeishini 烏波髻設尼 (Sk: Upakesini), Shittara 質多羅 (Sk: Citra), Jie 地慧 (Sk: Vasumati), and Choushou 召請 (Sk: Akarsani). The last five are female and are collectively known as Monju goshisha 文殊五使者 (the five messengers of Monju). In some texts Fushigie 不思議慧 (Sk: Acintyamati) and Kugoe 救護慧 (Sk: Paritranasayamati) are substituted for Houkan and Shittara respectively.

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hachidai douji 八大童子 at Kouyasan Reihoukan 高野山霊宝館

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