Rāgarāja 愛染明王坐像あいぜんみょうおうざぞう

Description

Inscriptions on a Buddhist sutra deposited within the statue and another underneath the pedestal reveal the date of this statue’s production and its maker, in addition to the origin of the materials used to create it in the Kamakura-period reconstruction of Tōdaiji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall. The great skill of the master Buddhist sculptor Kaijō (dates unknown) are revealed in the distinct carving of the folds in the robes and the sense of cohesiveness to its many intricate components. The statue comes from Kōfukuji Temple in Nara.

The pedestal and the mandorla, as well as the gilt bronze adornments and color pigments have been preserved almost in the original condition. According to the inscription and the sutra deposited inside statue, the Buddhist sculptor Kaijō constructed this statue in 1256 and he applied a block of wood from the column which was left from the fire in the Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji Temple.

{br=>[[]], content=>[Aizen-Myō'ō (Rāgarāja) is an embodiment of one of the doctrines of esoteric Buddhism which says that the power of passionate love and lust is equal to the divine power to stop earthly desires. Based upon the description of this deity written down in the Yugi-kyō (Vajraśekhara-vimāna-sarva-yogayogi sūtra), this statue has three eyes and six arms, and the whole body is painted red., This statue shows an angry face with its hair erect like a flame. The lion-crown on its head is decorated with five-thorned pestles. The statue is seated on the red lotus flower in the vase, and a bright red halo is behind it. The body, tools, ornaments, halo, and seat have been preserved in almost original condition. The elaborate modeling, the fine carving, the coloring with a sophisticated technique of kirikane (cut gold foils), and its ornaments, which look like independent applied art works, reflect the sculpturing techniques of the Kamakura period. According to the inscription in the Buddhist scripture kept within the statue, Priest Jakuchō, who was one of the head disciples of Priest Eison, ordered this statue. It was made by sculptor Kaisei in 1256, from the used wood blocks from the Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha's hall) in Tōdai-ji temple.]}

{i=>[bodhicitta, Sutra on All Yogas and Yogins of the Diamond Peak Pavilion , Jin’gang feng louge yiqie yujia yuqi jing], br=>[[], [], []], content=>[The Wisdom King Aizen (Skt. Rāgarāja) is depicted here in a wrathful form with six arms, three eyes, and fangs . Aizen is an esoteric Buddhist deity who teaches that earthly desires are in themselves a path to enlightenment and who can transform lust and greed into a desire for enlightenment (Skt. , )., The colophon of a sutra deposited in the statue and an inscription in gold on the bottom of the pedestal tell of the sculpture’s origins. They say the priest Jakuchō (dates unknown), a leading disciple of Eison (1201–1290), the father of Saidaiji Temple’s restoration, finished copying an esoteric Buddhist text known as the , (Ch. , ) to be deposited in the statue at Kedai-in Temple in Higashi-Odawara, Sōra District, Yamashiro Province (now part of Kyoto Prefecture) on the last day of the first month of Kenchō 8 (February 27, 1256 [Julian calendar]). The statue was carved between the 12th day of the 3rd month and the 1st day of the 4th month of the same year. The master Buddhist sculptor was Kaijō (dates unknown), and the assistant sculptors were Kaison (dates unknown) and Kaiben (dates unknown)., The inscription on the pedestal reveals the statue was sculpted from “a pillar that had been replaced at the front of Tōdaiji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall.” In the 12th month of Jishō 4 (January 1181), the Great Buddha Hall, which had been built at the behest of Emperor Shōmu (701–756; r. 724–749), was burned down by soldiers under the command of Taira no Shigehira (1157–1185). It was rebuilt in Kenkyū 6 (1195), and it seems a pillar that had been replaced was used to make the statue. A close examination shows there are cracks in the base platform that have been covered in cloth for reinforcement. This suggests a pillar that had been damaged in the fire was likely repurposed despite its flaws. Perhaps this was thought to increase the sacred nature of the material. , Also of note, a statue of the bodhisattva Jizō (Skt. Kṣitigarbha) at Shunkakuji Temple in Murō Village, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, was created around the same time using old materials from Tōdaiji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall.]}