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Miroku@–íčÓ
KEY WORD :@art history / iconography
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Also Jishi ŽœŽ, lit. compassionate one (Sk.Maitreya). A bodhisattva *bosatsu •ěŽF believed to be at present residing in heaven (Jp: Tosotsuten Š•—Ś“V, Sk: Tusita) awaiting the time when he is to return to earth as the next Buddha. He is therefore also referred to as the Buddha Miroku Mirokubutsu –íčӕ§ or future Buddha Miraibutsu –˘—ˆ•§ or Shouraibutsu Ť—ˆ•§. According to the prevailing belief, his advent is to take place 5,670 million years after the death of *Shaka Žß‰Ţ the founder of Buddhism, whose precise dates of birth and death are unresolved. He is thus represented as either a bodhisattva or a Buddha, and he is revered by followers of both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. It is recorded that an image of Miroku was brought to Japan from the Korean kingdom of Paekche (Jp: *Kudara •SĎ) in 584, and he was one of the most important figures in the early Japanese Buddhist pantheon. When represented as a bodhisattva, he is often seated with one or both legs pendant. Especially common among early images is the half-cross-legged contemplative image hanka shiyuizou ”źććŽvˆŇ‘œ, a position with the left leg pendent, the right leg crossed over the left knee, and the fingers of the right hand lightly touching the cheek, e.g., Kouryuuji L—˛Ž› in Kyoto and Chuuguuji ’†‹{Ž› in Nara. When represented as a Buddha, he is shown with the standard characteristics of a Tathagata *nyorai ”@—ˆ. Early examples include that at Taimadera “––ƒŽ› (late 7c) in Nara and one of several images at Houryuuji –@—˛Ž› (711) in Nara. From the Heian period onwards the Esoteric Buddhist variation of Miroku in bodhisattva form came to predominate. This form characterized by a stupa, tou “ƒ either in his crown or in his hand. There was a widespread interest in eschatological thought in the late Heian period, in which much emphasis is placed on the final phases of life, the rewards and the punishments of the afterlife, and the end of the world. In order to take advantage of his reputation for compassion there was a revival of the Miroku cult at this time, although it was eventually overshadowed by the Pure Land faith, Joudokyou ň“y‹ł. This revival produced depictions of Miroku in Tusita Heaven, Tosotsuten mandara Š•—Ś“V™Ö䶗… an example of which is at Enmeiji ‰„–˝Ž› in Osaka. Also produced were images of his descent to earth in order to welcome and convey devotees to his heaven: Miroku raigou-zu –íčӗˆŒ}} such as that in Shoumyouji Ě–źŽ›, Kanagawa prefecture. Miroku also figures among the so-called Thirteen Buddhas juusanbutsu \ŽO•§ who preside over the memorial service held on the 42nd day after a person's death. In Esoteric Buddhism mikkyou –§‹ł he appears in both the *Taizoukai mandara ‘Ů‘ ŠE™Ö䶗… and *Kongoukai mandara ‹ŕ„ŠE™Ö䶗…. In the Taizoukai mandara he appears in the central Chuudai hanchiyouin ’†‘䔪—t‰@ holding a lotus surmounted with a vase in his right hand and displaying the mudra for bestowing fearlessness *semui-in Ž{–łˆŘˆó with his left hand. In the Kongoukai mandara he is included among the sixteen Deities of the Auspicious Aeon gengou juurokuson ŒŤ…\˜Z‘¸. Texts also mention a 30-armed form, illustrations of which are found in iconographical manuals, but no statuary representations are known. There is also a mandala known as Miroku bosatsu mandara –íčӕěŽF™Ö䶗… centered on Miroku; examples of this from the Kamakura period are preserved at Daigoji ‘çŒíŽ› in Kyoto and Reiunji —ě‰_Ž› in Tokyo.
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