National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

These paintings depict benevolent deities that were believed to vanquish “pestilence demons” (Ch. yigui) in ancient China. They include the God of Heavenly Punishment (J. Tenkeisei), Sendan Kendatsuba (Skt. Candana Gandharva), the Divine Insect (J. Shinchū), the deity Zhong Kui , and the deva Bishamonten (Skt. Vaiśravaṇa). The paintings were originally part of a handscroll passed down by the Masuda family together with another containing Tales of the Buddhist Hells, but the scroll was cut into segments and mounted on hanging scrolls in the postwar period.

The God of Heavenly Punishment—literally “the star [that metes out] heavenly punishment”—was a demon-like deity in a belief system called Onmyōdō that drew on elements of astrology as well as the classical Chinese doctrines of yin and yang and the five elements. In Japan, the God of Heavenly Punishment was incorporated into esoteric Buddhist spells and rituals invoking supernatural powers (kajikitō). In this painting, he is shown consuming the Ox-headed deity Gozu Tennō, who was historically a pestilence deity enshrined at Gion Shrine (now Yasaka Shrine) in Kyoto.

Sen dan Kendatsuba is a celestial musician (Skt. gandharva) found in Indian religions. Gandharva are one of the eight classes of Buddhist deities (Skt. aṣṭasenā) and are also described as one of the 33 forms the bodhisattva Kannon (Skt. Avalokiteśvara) can take in the Lotus Sutra’s ch apter “The Universal Gateway of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.” This particular gandharva is named Sendan (Skt. Candana) and is believed to protect children from the evils of the 15 malevolent deities. Sendan’s depiction here is similar to the one used in the esoteric Ma ndala of the Dharani for Prolonging Life, Expiating Sins, and Protecting Children (J. Bussetsu chōju metsuzai gosho dōji darani kyō; Ch. Foshuo changshou miezui huzhu tongzi tuoluoni jing).

Silkworms are euphemistically referred to as “divine insects.” Miracles were attributed to them early on, as they came to be perceived as a kind of benevolent deity. In this painting, the “Divine Insect” appears to be depicted as a silk moth.

Zhong Kui was a demon-quelling deity from China, who is said to have protected the Tang emperor Xuanzong (685–762; r. 712–756) from evil demons. He is portrayed here with large eyes and a heavy beard growing along his cheeks and chin. He is wearing a black robe, hat, and boots. In the image, Zhong Kui has captured a small demon.

The deva Bishamonten is shown here as a benevolent deity who protects adherents to the Lotus Sutra. Other examples of Bishamonten holding a bow are found in Chinese works from the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties.

This handscroll containing these unusual iconographies is strongly linked to Nara. It is thought to be related to painted folding screens depicting scenes of Buddhist hells that were displayed at year-end repentance ceremonies (Butsumyō-e) held at the imperial court during the Heian period (794–1185), which involved a ritual reading of the Sutra of the Buddhas’ Names. Together with other segments of Tales of the Buddhist Hells and similar texts, the paintings are believed to have been part of a series of illustrated handscrolls of the six realms of rebirth commissioned by Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127–1192; r. 1155–1158) in the late Heian period and kept in the treasure house of Rengeō-in Temple. One view holds that the calligraphy for the Extermination of Evil is brushed in the same hand as that of the Hell Scroll in the Tokyo National Museum and the Disowned Goblin in the Fukuoka Art Museum.

The accompanying texts in these paintings briefly describe each deity’s acts in exterminating evil.