DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.75620#0116
80
GANE^A IN JAPAN
Fig. 6. Vajra-vinayaka.
fright and assuming the form of a Vinayaka, disappeared in the heavens. It will
be seen below how Vinayaka was subjugated and became a ‘ Protector of Buddhism'.
In time, the 'Remover of Obstacles', particularly venerated, according to Sir
Charles Eliot, as forming part of a mandala, gained a certain popularity in Japan.
Statues were made of him copied from his Vinayaka form in the mandalas, and
temples such as Hozan-ji at Ikoma were dedicated to him. As was inevitable, his
representations later took on other aspects, and we find him in his classic Indian
form holding his broken tusk and with one tusk
missing. His images were given a more human aspect
in Japan than in India, and he was sometimes depicted
with a laughing expression.1 He was often repre-
sented standing, with from two to six arms. In his
Vajra-vinay aka form he carried a vajra, while in his
form of Kaku-zen-cho he was conceived with three
heads each having three eyes, and in his four arms he
held a sword, a radish, a round object (modaka ?),
and a sceptre. He was supposed to be seated on a
mountain and was referred to as ' King of Elephants '.
It is not probable that any of these forms, however,
were known until long after Kobo Daishi's time. At
any rate, the Vinayaka form remained one of the
minor deities, and there is no record of a Ganesa
cult other than that of Kangi-ten, said to have been
brought to Japan, as we have mentioned above, by
Kobo Daishi.
The cult of Kangi-ten, which was secret and eso-
teric, was based on the doctrine of Yoga; and the
'Divine Couple ' was looked upon by the Shingon sect
as representing the Union of the Soul of the Universe
(Vairocana) with the Primordial Essence (the Eleven-
headed Avalokitesvara in feminine form).
In order to understand the strange cult that developed around the double form
of Ganesa, we must return to China and trace the religious movement before Kobo
Daishi's sojourn in that country.
The tenets of the Hidden Doctrine (mikkyd) were brought to China from India
in 720 by the Indian sramana Vajrabodhi2 and his Sinhalese disciple, Amoghavajra.3
They introduced not only the use of mantras, dharanis, mandalas, and other Tantric
practices, but the cult of the Adi-Buddha, Maha-Vairocana, which was founded on the
doctrine of Yoga conceived as the Union of the Individual with the Universal Spirit.
After the death of Vajrabodhi, Amoghavajra returned to Ceylon and India in
search of a copy of the Mahd-Vairocana-sutra, their manuscript of which had been
lost at sea in a violent storm on their voyage to China. We have seen above that
he met the saint Nagabodhi in south India and studied with him the mystic diagram
1 v. Pl. 37.
2 Japanese Kongo-chi
3 Japanese Fuku-sanzo.
GANE^A IN JAPAN
Fig. 6. Vajra-vinayaka.
fright and assuming the form of a Vinayaka, disappeared in the heavens. It will
be seen below how Vinayaka was subjugated and became a ‘ Protector of Buddhism'.
In time, the 'Remover of Obstacles', particularly venerated, according to Sir
Charles Eliot, as forming part of a mandala, gained a certain popularity in Japan.
Statues were made of him copied from his Vinayaka form in the mandalas, and
temples such as Hozan-ji at Ikoma were dedicated to him. As was inevitable, his
representations later took on other aspects, and we find him in his classic Indian
form holding his broken tusk and with one tusk
missing. His images were given a more human aspect
in Japan than in India, and he was sometimes depicted
with a laughing expression.1 He was often repre-
sented standing, with from two to six arms. In his
Vajra-vinay aka form he carried a vajra, while in his
form of Kaku-zen-cho he was conceived with three
heads each having three eyes, and in his four arms he
held a sword, a radish, a round object (modaka ?),
and a sceptre. He was supposed to be seated on a
mountain and was referred to as ' King of Elephants '.
It is not probable that any of these forms, however,
were known until long after Kobo Daishi's time. At
any rate, the Vinayaka form remained one of the
minor deities, and there is no record of a Ganesa
cult other than that of Kangi-ten, said to have been
brought to Japan, as we have mentioned above, by
Kobo Daishi.
The cult of Kangi-ten, which was secret and eso-
teric, was based on the doctrine of Yoga; and the
'Divine Couple ' was looked upon by the Shingon sect
as representing the Union of the Soul of the Universe
(Vairocana) with the Primordial Essence (the Eleven-
headed Avalokitesvara in feminine form).
In order to understand the strange cult that developed around the double form
of Ganesa, we must return to China and trace the religious movement before Kobo
Daishi's sojourn in that country.
The tenets of the Hidden Doctrine (mikkyd) were brought to China from India
in 720 by the Indian sramana Vajrabodhi2 and his Sinhalese disciple, Amoghavajra.3
They introduced not only the use of mantras, dharanis, mandalas, and other Tantric
practices, but the cult of the Adi-Buddha, Maha-Vairocana, which was founded on the
doctrine of Yoga conceived as the Union of the Individual with the Universal Spirit.
After the death of Vajrabodhi, Amoghavajra returned to Ceylon and India in
search of a copy of the Mahd-Vairocana-sutra, their manuscript of which had been
lost at sea in a violent storm on their voyage to China. We have seen above that
he met the saint Nagabodhi in south India and studied with him the mystic diagram
1 v. Pl. 37.
2 Japanese Kongo-chi
3 Japanese Fuku-sanzo.