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Nikkou Gakkou @“úŒõ¥ŒŽŒõ
KEY WORD :@art history / iconography
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Solar Radiance and Lunar Radiance.

1@Sk: Suryavairocana and Candravairocana. Two bodhisattvas *bosatsu •ìŽF serving as leaders of the bodhisattva assembly in the realm presided over by *Yakushi –òŽt; they are usually represented as the attendants of Yakushi, together with whom they form the Yakushi triad Yakushi sanzon –òŽtŽO‘¸, with Nikkou to the left and Gakkou to the right. Their iconographical features are not fixed, but they often hold a solar disc (red) and a lunar disc (white) respectively, either in the palm of the hand or on a lotus, the stem of which is held in the hand: Nikkou is also associated with a three-legged bird and Gakkou with a hare or frog. Usually shown standing, they may be fully robed or bare down to the waist (e.g., those in Yakushiji Kondou –òŽtŽ›‹à“°, Nara), and there are also instances in which they wear armour underneath their robes. Because of the great popularity of the Yakushi cult in Japan, there are many examples of images of these two bodhisattvas forming part of the Yakushi triad, but there are also instances in which they form a triad with other deities, such as Senju kannon çŽèŠÏ‰¹, Doujouji “¹¬Ž› in Wakayama prefecture and *Fukuukenjaku Kannon •s‹óã®õŠÏ‰¹, Toudaiji *Hokkedou “Œ‘厛–@‰Ø“° (also known as Sangatsudou ŽOŒŽ“°).

2@Sk: Suryaprabha and Candraprabha. Two bodhisattvas found in Esoteric Buddhism mikkyou –§‹³. Nikkou appears in the Jogaishouin œŠWá‰@ section of the Matrix mandala *Taizoukai mandara ‘Ù‘ ŠE™Ö䶗…, and is also identified with Kongoukou ‹à„Œõ (Sk: Vajrateja) among the 16 Great Bodhisattvas juuroku daibosatsu \˜Z‘å•ìŽF of the Diamond World mandala *Kongoukai mandara ‹à„ŠE™Ö䶗…, while Gakkou appears in the Monjuin •¶Žê‰@ section of the Taizoukai mandara and is included among the 16 Deities of the Auspicious Aeon gengou juurokuson Œ«…\˜Z‘¸ in the Kongoukai mandara.
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(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.@No reproduction or republication without written permission.
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