tenbourin-in　転法輪印

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

Lit. Mudra for turning the Dharma-wheel. A mudra or hand gesture *in 印 symbolizing the Buddha's turning of the Dharma-wheel, i.e., his preaching of the Dharma, or Buddhist law. It assumes a variety of forms: both hands, with the thumbs and forefingers joined, are held at chest-level with the left palm turned inwards and the right palm turned outwards (e.g., central deity of the *Amida 阿弥陀 pentad in relief *oshidashibutsu 押出仏 at Houryuuji 法隆寺); alternatively, the right hand, with the thumb and forefinger joined, is turned outwards while the left hand, with the thumb and middle finger joined, is turned inwards (e.g., mural of Amida in Houryuuji *Kondou 金堂). In the Buddhist iconography of India it is known as the Dharma-wheel mudra (Sk:dharmacakra-mudra) or mudra for setting the Dharma-wheel in motion (Sk: dharmacakrapravartana-mudra), and the Sino-Japanese term tenbourin-in also tenpourin-in is probably a translation of the latter. The prototype of this mudra, although not identical to it, appears already in Gandharan sculpture , and many fine examples dating from the Gupta dynasty may be seen at Sarnath. Sarnath was the site of the Buddha's first sermon, and the fact that images of *Shaka 釈迦 found here displayed this mudra was probably one of the reasons that this mudra took root as the symbol of the Buddha's preaching of the Dharma. In Japan there are many examples of tathagata *nyorai 如来 images with this mudra dating from the Heian period and earlier, e.g., the aforementioned Houryuuji mural of Amida and the central deity of the *Taima mandara 当麻曼荼羅. There are also instances in which the fingers of the right hand are not bent (e.g., Shaka nyoraizou 釈迦如来像 at Gangouji 願興寺, Gifu prefecture), and since there are similar examples from Tang China (e.g., Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), it is possible that they are the source of this finger position. At the same time, from the end of the Nara period onward, production began of many Tathagata images displaying a symmetrical tenbourin-in with the palms of both hands turned outwards and the thumbs joined with either the forefingers (e.g., Amida nyoraizou 阿弥陀如来像 in Houryuuji Eden 絵殿), the middle fingers (e.g.,Amida nyoraizou, Hakkakuin 八角院, Kyoto), or the third fingers (e.g., Amida nyoraizou in Kouryuuji Koudou 広隆寺講堂, Kyoto). The traditional asymmetrical tenbourin-in, on the other hand, came to be referred to as the mudra of the auspiciousness of wisdom or chikichijou-in 智吉祥印 (e.g., Gouhou 杲宝 ;1306-63, DAINICHIKYOUSHO ENNOUSHOU 大日経疏演奥鈔). The tenbourin-in is especially common in images of Amida predating the dissemination of the *mida-no-jouin 弥陀定印 in the mid- and late Heian period. According to the temple traditions of Saidaiji 西大寺, Nara, the image displaying the tenbourin-in among the Four Buddhas *shibutsu 四仏 in its stupa and dating from the late Nara period, represents Houshou 宝生 (Sk: Ratnasambhava), but today scholars consider it to represent Amida. The systematization of the different forms of the tenbourin-in found in images of Amida gave birth to the following three types from among the mudras of the nine grades of Amida *Amida kubon-in 阿弥陀九品印): mudra of the upper grade, middle birth joubon chuushou-in 上品中生印; mudra of the middle grade, middle birth chuubon chuushou-in 中品中生印; and mudra of the lower grade, middle birth gebon chuushou-in 下品中生印. It is, however, anachronous to apply these terms to images antedating the Edo period. This mudra is also occasionally used in certain versions of the *Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅. Some scholars refer to this mudra as the *seppou-in 説法印, but since another mudra formed with only the right hand is also known by this name, it causes confusion if the same term is used as a synonym for the tenbourin-in.

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