Monju　文殊

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

An abbreviation of Monjushiri 文殊師利 (also Manjushiri 曼殊室利), which transliterates Sk.Manjusri. Also translated Myoukichijou 妙吉祥, lit. exquisite auspicious one. The second most popular bodhisattva *bosatsu 菩薩 after *Kannon 観音 in Mahayana Buddhism. Regarded as the wisest bodhisattva, he appears in many Mahayana sutras as a leading interlocutor because of his debate with *Yuima 維摩 (Sk:Vimalakirti) in the YUIMAGYOU 維摩経 (Sk:Vimalakirtinirdesa-sutra). Representations of this scene are found in both China and Japan (e.g., clay statues in Houryuuji Gojuu-no-tou 法隆寺五重塔, Nara). He also plays an important role in the HANNYAGYOU 般若経 (Sk: Prajnaparamita-sutra), a text devoted to the exposition of 'wisdom' hannya 般若. He is closely associated with *Fugen 普賢, and together they serve as the two attendants of *Shaka 釈迦. In one version of the *Shaka sanzon 釈迦三尊, Monju is positioned on the left of Shaka, symbolizing wisdom, and Fugen on the right, symbolizing praxis (practical reality). According to the KEGONKYOU 華厳経 (Sk: Avatamsaka-sutra), Monju resides on a mountain in the northeast, and in China this was identified as Wutaishan (Jp: Godaisan 五台山), which became a major center of his cult. This cult was then introduced to Japan by the monk Ennin 円仁 (794-864), who visited Wutaishan during his travels in China (838-47). Many different forms of Monju, some with distinctive names, are described in various texts, but in Japan he is commonly represented riding a lion and holding a raised sword in his right hand, symbolizing the cleaving asunder of the clouds of ignorance. In his left hand he holds a scroll which represents the HANNYAGYOU and which is sometimes supported by a lotus. He is sometimes represented with four companions. The first is the youth Zenzai Douji 善財童子 whose pilgrimage to 53 places in which he met 55 saints is described in the final chapter of the KEGONKYOU The other three are the king of Khotan (Jp: *Uten'ou 優填王), the elder Saishou Rounin 最勝老人 and the monk Buddhapari (Jp: Butsudahari 仏陀波利). This format is called the Monju quintet, Monju gosonzou 文殊五尊像, and well-known statuary representations may be seen at Monjuin 文殊院 and Saidaiji 西大寺, both in Nara. In a variation of this format, called Monju crossing the sea, Tokai Monjuzou 渡海文殊像, Monju tokai-zu 文殊渡海図, Monju and his entourage are depicted on clouds crossing the sea (supposedly in the direction of Wutaishan). A painting of this group from the Kamakura period is kept at Daigoji 醍醐寺 in Kyoto and is designated a national treasure. In Esoteric Buddhism mikkyou 密教 Monju appears in the Womb World Mandala *Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅 in the central Chuudai hachiyouin 中台八葉院 holding a book in his right hand and a lotus surmounted with a five-pronged vajra in his left hand. As the central figure in the Monjuin he holds a lotus surmounted with a three-pronged vajra in his left hand. In the Diamond World Mandala *Kongoukai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅 he is identified with Kongouri 金剛利 (Sk:Vajratiksna) among the sixteen Great Bodhisattvas juuroku daibosatsu 十六大菩薩, and he also figures among the so-called Thirteen Buddhas juusanbutsu 十三仏, presiding over the memorial service held on the 21st day after a person's death Monju is said to have eight attendants *hachidai douji 八大童子, which appear in the Monjuin of the Taizoukai mandara. In addition there are various forms of Monju differentiated in accordance with the number of syllables in the corresponding mantra shingon 真言, these being Ichiji Monju 一字文殊 (One-letter Monju), Goji Monju 五字文殊（Five-letter Monju), Rokuji Monju 六字文殊 (Six-letter Monju) and Hachiji Monju 八字文殊 (Eight-letter Monju), with ichiji monju, for example, guarding against natural disasters and nightmares. Similarly some representations of Monju are differentiated in accordance with the number of knots in which his hair is arranged, these being Ikkei Monju 一髻文殊 (One-knot Monju), Gokei Monju 五髻文殊 (Five-knot Monju), Rokkei Monju 六髻文殊 (Six-knot Monju) and Hakkei Monju 八髻文殊 (Eight-knot Monju), with Ikkei Monju, for example guarding against still childbirth and rain. There are also several varieties of manadala *mandara 曼荼羅 centered on Monju. In the Tendai 天台 sect he is enshrined in temple dining halls in the form of a monk, Sougyou Monju 僧形文殊 as an embodiment of the ideal monk, and a similar form of Monju, Shousou Monju 聖僧文殊 is found in the meditation halls of Zen temples. There is also an infant Monju, Chigo Monju 稚児文殊 who is represented as a young boy since he is believed to be perennially young (in the scriptures his stock epithet is youthful ; Sk:kumarabhuta). There is also a rope-robed Monju *Joui Monju 縄衣文殊 based on a Chinese tale that is the motif in a Zen painting.

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