Shaka hassou　釈迦八相

KEY WORD :　 art history / iconography

Lit. eight phases (or aspects) of Shakamuni *Shaka 釈迦. Also referred to as hassou joudou 八相成道 (eight-phase attainment of the path), hassou jigen 八相示現 (manifestation of the eight phases), or simply hassou 八相 (eight phases). The eight major events in the life of the historical Buddha Shaka, that constitute a popular format for artistic representations of Shaka's life *butsuden-zu 仏伝図. The practice of selecting eight particular events in which to encapsulate the course of Shaka's career is thought to have been established in China. There are several traditions regarding the events constituting the eight phases; probably the most common one is derived from the SIKYOUGI 四教義 (Ch: Shjiaoyi; The Meaning of the Four Teachings) by Zhiyi (Jp :Chigi 智��; 538-597). Its eight parts include: (1) goutosotsu 降兜率, descending from Tusita Heaven; (2)takutai 託胎 also nittai 入胎, entering his mother's womb; (3)shusshou 出生 also shuttai 出胎, birth; (4)shukke 出家, renouncing the world to become a mendicant; (5)gouma 降魔, subjugating demons; (6)joudou 成道, enlightenment; (7)tenbourin 転法輪, turning the wheel of the law or preaching the Dharma; and (8)nyuunehan 入涅槃 also nyuumetsu 入滅, entering nirvana or death. In another tradition, based on the Dacheng Qixin lun (Jp: DAIJOUKISHINRON 大乗起信論, Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Great Vehicle), (5)gouma is omitted and jutai 住胎 (abiding in his mother's womb) added after (2)takutai. The hassou joudo places the central importance in Shaka's life on his attainment of enlightenment (6). In Japan, sets of images of these eight phases are recorded as having been enshrined in, for example, the East and West Pagodas of Yakushiji 薬師寺 in Nara, although these particular examples are no longer extant. There are, however, many examples of paintings depicting these eight scenes: those depicting either Shaka's enlightenment or his death in the center, with the remaining seven events on the periphery, are known as Shaka hassou joudou-zu 釈迦八相成道図 (painting of Shaka's eight-phase attainment of the path) and Shaka hassou nehan-zu 釈迦八相涅槃図 (painting of Shaka's eight-phase nirvana; see *nehan-zu 涅槃図) respectively. A renowned example of the former is preserved at Daifukudenji 大福田寺 in Mie prefecture and equally renowned examples of the latter are found at Manjuji 万寿寺 in Kyoto and Tsurugi Jinja 剣神社 in Fukui prefecture. Didactic works such as the SHAKA HASSOUKI 釈迦八相記 (Account of the Eight Phases of Shaka) and SHAKA HASSOU MONOGATARI 釈迦八相物語 (Story of the Eight Phases of Shaka), aimed at the general populace, utilized these eight phases as a convenient device for teaching the salient points in the story of Shaka's life.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。