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Ususama Myouou@‰G•Ή–€–Ύ‰€
KEY WORD :@art history / iconography
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Ususama also Usushima ‰G䍏a–€ is a transliteration of Sanskrit ucchusma, originally an epithet of Agni, the Indian god of fire, meaning one whose crackling becomes manifest. He is also known by various other names such as Eshaku Kongou βqΥ(Ο) ‹ΰ„, Jusoku Kongou ŽσG‹ΰ„ and Kazu Kongou ‰Ξ“ͺ‹ΰ„. He is regarded by some as the wrathful manifestation of Fukuu jouju •s‹σ¬A, one of the five Buddhas of the Diamond Realm, Kongoukai gobutsu ‹ΰ„ŠEŒά•§ and in the Tendai “V‘δ sect he replaces *Kongouyasha Myouou ‹ΰ„–鍳–Ύ‰€ as one of the five great myouou *godai myouou Œά‘ε–Ύ‰€ who are the fierce gods who preside over the five directions, in which case he oversees the northern quarter.
His cult appears to have been popular in China, and paintings of him are found among the murals of Dunhuang (Jp. Tonkou “ΦΰŠ) where are preserved the cave paintings of a thousand Buddhas from the T'ang dynasty.
He was introduced to Japan from China by the priest *Kuukai ‹σŠC (774-835), and he was invoked especially in rites for easy childbirth and the removal of impurities associated with childbirth. In the Shingon ^ŒΎ and Zen sects he is also revered as the tutelary god of the toilet.
Ususama assumes a variety of wrathful forms with two, four, six or eight arms and is often adorned with skulls and snakes and enveloped in flames. An example of a two-armed image is preserved at Zuiryuuji —΄Ž› in Toyama prefecture. The texts also describe a number of mandara ™ΦδΆ—… associated with Ususama, but there are few actual examples of them.
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