Important Cultural PropertySeated Aizen Myoo (Skt. Rāgarāja)

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  • 木造愛染明王坐像
  • (Some of the works of the Seated Aizen Myoo (Skt. Rāgarāja) )
  • The master Buddhist sculptor Kaijo, his assistants Kaison and Kaiben, the temple petitioner Jakucho
  • 1 piece
  • Wood with pigment Joined block construction Cut gold leaf (kirikane) Crystal eyes
  • H 26.2, H(halo) 30.3, H(pedestal) 29.3
  • Kamakura period/Kencho 8(1256)
  • Nara National Museum
  • 958(彫56-2)

 This seated statue of Aizen Myoo (Skt. Rāgarāja) has six arms, three eyes and a fierce look on its face. Aizen Myoo is a deity of esoteric Buddhism that preaches the principle that earthly desires are in themselves enlightenment (bonno soku bodai) and transforms human passions into a bodhicitta (jo bodai shin).
 According to the profile of the Buddhist sutra held in the statue and the chrysography on the bottom of the pedestal, Jakucho (寂澄), the leading disciple of the second founder of Saidaiji Temple, Eison (叡尊), completed the transcription of a esoteric Buddhist sutra known as “Yuga yugi kyo (『瑜伽瑜祇経』)” to be stored in the statue at Kedai-in Temple in Higashi-Odawara, Sora County, Yamashiro Province on the last day of the first month in Kencho 8 (1256). The statue was carved between March 12 and April 1 of the same year. The master Buddhist sculptor was Kaijo (快成) and Kaison (快尊) and Kaiben (快弁) were also involved as assistant sculptors.
 Inscribed on the pedestal is the fact that the statue was created using “the replaced pillar from the front of the Todaiji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall.” In December of Jisho 4 (1180), the Todaiji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall, which was built at the behest of the Emperor Shomu, burnt down by soldiers commanded by Taira no Shigehira and the building was rebuilt in Kenkyu 6 (1195). It appears that the replaced pillar at the time of the rebuilding was used for the statue. A close look confirms that there are some cracks on the stile of the pedestal (kamachi) and the cracks are covered with cloth for reinforcement. In short, considering the fact that imperfect materials were used, there is a high possibility that a pillar from the fire was used. As a matter of course, it is assumed that the sacredness and spiritual nature of the wooden material would be increased.
 In fact, the standing Jizo (Skt. Kṣitigarbha) in Shunkakuji Temple in Muro Village, Uda City, Nara Prefecture was created around the same time using old materials from the Todaiji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall.

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