DAIKOKU, EBISU, AND HOTEI
"Adoration to the great merciful Kwannon, who looketh
down above the sound of prayer."
_An Inscription_.
Kwannon
Kwannon, the Goddess of Mercy, resembles in many ways the no less
merciful and gentle Jizō, for both renounced the joy of Nirvana
that they might bring peace and happiness to others. Kwannon,
however, is a much more complex divinity than Jizō, and though
she is most frequently portrayed as a very beautiful and saintly
Japanese woman, she nevertheless assumes a multitude of forms. We
are familiar with certain Indian gods and goddesses with innumerable
hands, and Kwannon is sometimes depicted as Senjiu-Kwannon, or
Kwannon-of-the-Thousand-Hands.[1] Each hand holds an object of some
kind, as if to suggest that here indeed was a goddess ready in her love
to give and to answer prayer to the uttermost.
Then there is Jiu-ichi-men-Kwannon, the Kwannon-of-the-Eleven-Faces.
The face of Kwannon is here represented as "smiling with eternal youth
and infinite tenderness," and in her glowing presence the ideal of the
divine feminine is presented with infinite beauty of conception. In
the tiara of Jiu-ichi-men-Kwannon are exquisite faces, a radiation, as
it were, of miniature Kwannons. Sometimes the tiara of Kwannon takes
another form, as in Batō-Kwannon, or Kwannon-with-the-Horse's-Head.
The title is a little misleading, for such a graceful creature is very
far from possessing a horse's head in any of her manifestations.
Images of this particular Kwannon depict a horse cut out in the tiara.
Batō-Kwannon is the Goddess to whom peasants pray for the safety and
preservation of their horses and cattle, and Batō-Kwannon is not
only said to protect dumb animals, particularly those who labour for
mankind, but she extends her power to protecting their spirits and
bringing them ease and a happier life than they experienced while on
earth. In sharp contrast with the Kwannons we have already described
is Hito-koto-Kwannon, the Kwannon who will only answer one prayer. The
Gods of Love and Wisdom are frequently represented in conjunction with
this Goddess, and the "Twenty-eight Followers" are personifications
of certain constellations. But in all the variations of Kwannon she
preserves the same virgin beauty, and this Goddess of Mercy has not
inappropriately been called the Japanese Madonna.
Kwannon in Chinese Myth
In China Kwannon is known as Kwanjin, and is the spiritual son of
Amitâbha, but this divinity always appears as a goddess, as her images
in both China and Japan testify. The Chinese claim that Kwanjin is of
native origin, and was originally the daughter of the King of the Chow
dynasty. She was sentenced to death by her father because she refused
to marry, but the executioner's sword broke without inflicting a wound.
We are told that later on her spirit went to Hell. There was something
so radiantly beautiful about the spirit of Kwanjin that her very
presence turned Hell into Paradise. The King of the Infernal Regions,
in order to maintain the gloomy aspect of his realm, sent Kwanjin back
to earth again, and he caused her to be miraculously transported on a
lotus flower to the Island of Pootoo.
An Incarnation of Kwannon
Chūjo Hime, a Buddhist nun, is generally regarded as the greatest early
Japanese artist of embroidery, and, according to legend, she was an
incarnation of Kwannon. Chūjō Hime met with much cruel treatment from
her stepmother, until she finally retired to the temple of Toema-dera,
and there worked upon the wonderful lotus thread embroidery depicting
the Buddhist Paradise. The design is so exquisite that we can easily
understand the Japanese belief that the Gods helped this great artist
in her work.
Kwannon the Mother
There is another remarkable embroidery, by Kano Hogai, depicting
Kwannon as the Divine Mother, pouring forth from a crystal phial the
water of creation. As this holy water falls in a series of bubbles,
each bubble may be seen to contain a little babe with reverently folded
hands. It is altogether a wonderful piece of work, and, turning from
its pictorial beauty to study a description of its technicalities, we
find that it took three years to execute, and that 12,100 different
shades of silk, and twelve of gold thread, were used.
The "Thirty-three Places" Sacred to Kwannon
There are thirty-three shrines sacred to Kwannon. All are carefully
numbered, and are to be found in the provinces near Kyōto. The
following legend may possibly account for the reverence bestowed upon
the _Saikoku Sanjū-san Sho_ (the "Thirty-three Places").
When the great Buddhist abbot of the eighth century, Tokudō Shōnin,
died, he was conducted into the presence of Emma-Ō, the Lord of the
Dead. The castle in which Emma-Ō lived was resplendent with silver
and gold, rosy pearls, and all manner of sparkling jewels. A light
emanated from Emma-Ō too, and that dread God had a smile upon his face.
He received the distinguished abbot with extreme courtesy, and thus
addressed him:
"Tokudō Shōnin, there are thirty-three places where Kwannon reveals
her special favour, for behold she has, in her boundless love, divided
herself into many bodies, so that he who cries for aid shall not cry
in vain. Alas! men continue to go their evil ways, for they know
not of these sacred shrines. They live their sordid lives and pass
into Hell, a vast and countless number. Oh, how blind they are, how
wayward, and how full of folly! If they were to make but a single
pilgrimage to these thirty-three shrines sacred to our Lady of Mercy,
a pure and wonderful light would shine from their feet, feet made
spiritually strong to crush down all evil, to scatter the hundred and
thirty-six hells into fragments. If, in spite of this pilgrimage, one
should chance to fall into Hell, I will take his place and receive
into myself all his suffering, for if this happened my tale of peace
would be false, and I should indeed deserve to suffer. Here is a list
of the thirty-and-three sacred shrines of Kwannon. Take it into the
troubled world of men and women, and make known the everlasting mercy
of Kwannon."
Tokudō, having carefully listened to all Emma-Ō had told him, replied:
"You have honoured me with such a mission, but mortals are full of
doubts and fears, and they would ask for some sign that what I tell
them is indeed true."
Emma-Ō at once presented the abbot with his jewelled seal, and, bidding
him farewell, sent him on his way accompanied by two attendants.
While these strange happenings were taking place in the Underworld the
disciples of Tokudō perceived that though their master's body had lain
for three days and nights the flesh had not grown cold. The devoted
followers did not bury the body, believing that their master was not
dead. And such was indeed the case, for eventually Tokudō awakened from
his trance, and in his right hand he held the jewelled seal of Emma-Ō.
Tokudō lost no time in narrating his strange adventures, and when he
had concluded his story he and his disciples set off on a pilgrimage
to the thirty-three holy places[2] over which the Goddess of Mercy
presides.
List of the "Thirty-three Places"
The following is a complete list of the "Thirty-three Places" sacred to
Kwannon:
1. Fudaraku-ji, at Nachi, in Kishū.
2. Kimii-dera, near Wakayama, in Kishū.
3. Kokawa-dera, in Kishū.
4. Sefuku-ji, in Izumi.
5. Fujii-dera, in Kawachi.
6. Tsubosaka-dera, in Yamato.
7. Oka-dera, in Yamato.
8. Hase-dera, in Yamato.
9. Nan-enō, at Nara, in Yamato.
10. Mimuroto-dera, at Uji, in Yamashiro.
11. Kami Daigo-dera, at Uji, in Yamashiro.
12. Iwama-dera, in Ōmi.
13. Ishiyama-dera, near Ōtsu, in Ōmi.
14. Miidera, near Ōtsu, in Ōmi.
15. Ima-Gumano, at Kyōto, in Yamashiro.
16. Kiyomizu-dera, at Kyōto.
17. Rokuhara-dera, at Kyōto.
18. Rokkaku-dō, at Kyōto.
19. Kōdō, at Kyōto.
20. Yoshimine-dera, at Kyōto.
21. Anōji, in Tamba.
22. Sōjiji, in Settsu.
23. Katsuo-dera, in Settsu.
24. Nakayama-dera, near Kōbe, in Settsu.
25. Shin Kiyomizu-dera, in Harima.
26. Hokkeji, in Harima.
27. Shosha-san, in Harima.
28. Nareai-ji, in Tango.
29. Matsunoo-dera, in Wakasa.
30. Chikubu-shima, island in Lake Biwa, in Ōmi.
31. Chōmeiji, in Ōmi.
32. Kwannonji, in Ōmi.
33. Tanigumi-dera, near Tarui, in Mino.[3]
The "Hall of the Second Moon"
The Buddhist temple of Ni-gwarsu-dō ("Hall of the Second Moon")
contains a small copper image of Kwannon. It has the miraculous power
of being warm like living flesh, and since the image was enshrined
special services in honour of Kwannon take place in February, and on
the 18th of each month the sacred image is exposed for worship.
Kwannon and the Deer
An old hermit named Saion Zenji took up his abode on Mount
Nariai in order that he might be able to gaze upon the beauty of
Ama-no-Hashidate, a narrow fir-clad promontory dividing Lake Iwataki
and Miyazu Bay. Ama-no-Hashidate is still regarded as one of the
_Sankei_, or "Three Great Sights," of Japan, and still Mount Nariai is
considered the best spot from which to view this charming scene.
On Mount Nariai this gentle and holy recluse erected a little shrine to
Kwannon not far from a solitary pine-tree. He spent his happy days in
looking upon Ama-no-Hashidate and in chanting the Buddhist Scriptures,
and his charming disposition and holy ways were much appreciated by the
people who came to pray at the little shrine he had so lovingly erected
for his own joy and for the joy of others.
The hermit's abode, delightful enough in mild and sunny weather, was
dreary in the winter-time, for when it snowed the good old man was cut
off from human intercourse. On one occasion the snow fell so heavily
that it was piled up in some places to a height of twenty feet. Day
after day the severe weather continued, and at last the poor old
hermit found that he had no food of any kind. Chancing to look out one
morning, he saw that a deer was lying dead in the snow. As he gazed
upon the poor creature, which had been frozen to death, he remembered
that it was unlawful in the sight of Kwannon to eat the flesh of
animals; but on thinking over the matter more carefully it seemed to
him that he could do more good to his fellow creatures by partaking of
this deer than by observing the strict letter of the law and allowing
himself to starve in sight of plenty.
When Saion Zenji had come to this wise decision he went out and cut
off a piece of venison, cooked it, and ate half, with many prayers of
thanksgiving for his deliverance. The rest of the venison he left in
his cooking-pot.
Eventually the snow melted, and several folk hastily wended their way
from the neighbouring village, and ascended Mount Nariai, expecting to
see that their good and much-loved hermit had forever passed away from
this world. As they approached the shrine, however, they were rejoiced
to hear the old man chanting, in a clear and ringing voice, the sacred
Buddhist Scriptures.
The folk from the village gathered about the hermit while he narrated
the story of his deliverance. When, out of curiosity, they chanced to
peep into his cooking-pot, they saw, to their utter amazement, that it
contained no venison, but a piece of wood covered with gold foil. Still
wondering what it all meant, they looked upon the image of Kwannon in
the little shrine, and found that a piece had been cut from her loins,
and when they inserted the piece of wood the wound was healed. Then it
was that the old hermit and the folk gathered about him realised that
the deer had been none other than Kwannon, who, in her boundless love
and tender mercy, had made a sacrifice of her own divine flesh.
Benten
"The wild flowers fade, the maple-leaves,
Touched by frost-fingers, float to earth;
But on the bosom of the sea
The flowers to which her waves give birth
Fade not, like blossoms on the land,
Nor feel the chill of Autumn's hand."
_Yasuhide_. (Trans. by Clara A. Walsh.)
Benten, the Goddess of the Sea, is also one of the Seven Divinities
of Luck; and she is romantically referred to as the Goddess of Love,
Beauty, and Eloquence. She is represented in Japanese art as riding on
a dragon or serpent, which may account for the fact that in certain
localities snakes are regarded as being sacred. Images of Benten depict
her as having eight arms. Six hands are extended above her head and
hold a bow, arrow, wheel, sword, key, and sacred jewel, while her two
remaining hands are reverently crossed in prayer. She resembles Kwannon
in many ways, and images of the two goddesses are frequently seen
together, but the shrines of Benten are usually to be found on islands.
Benten and the Dragon
We have already referred to Benten riding on a dragon, and the
following legend may possibly be connected with this particular
representation.
In a certain cave there lived a formidable dragon, which devoured
the children of the village of Koshigoe. In the sixth century Benten
was determined to put a stop to this monster's unseemly behaviour,
and having caused a great earthquake she hovered in the clouds over
the cave where the dread dragon had taken up his abode. Benten then
descended from the clouds, entered the cavern, married the dragon,
and was thus able, through her good influence, to put an end to the
slaughter of little children. With the coming of Benten there arose
from the sea the famous Island of Enoshima,[4] which has remained to
this day sacred to the Goddess of the Sea.
Benten-of-the-Birth-Water
Hanagaki Baishū, a young poet and scholar, attended a great festival
to celebrate the rebuilding of the Amadera temple. He wandered about
the beautiful grounds, and eventually reached the place of a spring
from which he had often quenched his thirst. He found that what had
originally been a spring was now a pond, and, moreover, that at one
corner of the pond there was a tablet bearing the words _Tanjō-Sui_
("Birth-Water"), and also a small but attractive temple dedicated to
Benten. While Baishū was noting the changes in the temple grounds the
wind blew to his feet a charmingly written love-poem. He picked it up,
and discovered that it had been inscribed by a female hand, that the
characters were exquisitely formed, and that the ink was fresh.
Baishū went home and read and re-read the poem. It was not long before
he fell in love with the writer, and finally he resolved to make her
his wife. At length he went to the temple of Benten-of-the-Birth-Water,
and cried: "Oh, Goddess, come to my aid, and help me to find the woman
who wrote these wind-blown verses!" Having thus prayed, he promised
to perform a seven days' religious service, and to devote the seventh
night in ceaseless worship before the sacred shrine of Benten, in the
grounds of the Amadera.
On the seventh night of the vigil Baishū heard a voice calling for
admittance at the main gateway of the temple grounds. The gate was
opened, and an old man, clad in ceremonial robes and with a black
cap upon his head, advanced and silently knelt before the temple of
Benten. Then the outer door of the temple mysteriously opened, and a
bamboo curtain was partially raised, revealing a handsome boy, who thus
addressed the old man: "We have taken pity on a young man who desires a
certain love-union, and have called you to inquire into the matter, and
to see if you can bring the young people together."
The old man bowed, and then drew from his sleeve a cord which he wound
round Baishū's body, igniting one end in a temple-lantern, and waving
his hand the while, as if beckoning some spirit to appear out of the
dark night. In a moment a young girl entered the temple grounds, and,
with her fan half concealing her pretty face, she knelt beside Baishū.
Then the beautiful boy thus addressed Baishū: "We have heard your
prayer, and we have known that recently you have suffered much. The
woman you love is now beside you." And having uttered these words the
divine youth departed, and the old man left the temple grounds.
When Baishū had given thanks to Benten-of-the-Birth-Water he proceeded
homeward. On reaching the street outside the temple grounds he saw a
young girl, and at once recognised her as the woman he loved. Baishū
spoke to her, and when she replied the gentleness and sweetness of
her voice filled the youth with joy. Together they walked through the
silent streets until at last they came to the house where Baishū lived.
There was a moment's pause, and then the maiden said: "Benten has made
me your wife," and the lovers entered the house together.
The marriage was an extremely fortunate one, and the happy Baishū
discovered that his wife, apart from her excellent domestic qualities,
was accomplished in the art of arranging flowers and in the art of
embroidery, and that her delicate writing was not less pleasing than
her charming pictures. Baishū knew nothing about her family, but as she
had been presented to him by the Goddess Benten he considered that it
was unnecessary to question her in the matter. There was only one thing
that puzzled the loving Baishū, and that was that the neighbours seemed
to be totally unaware of his wife's presence.
One day, while Baishū was walking in a remote quarter of Kyōto, he saw
a servant beckoning to him from the gateway of a private house. The man
came forward, bowed respectfully, and said: "Will you deign to enter
this house? My master is anxious to have the honour of speaking to
you." Baishū, who knew nothing of the servant or his master, was not a
little surprised by this strange greeting, but he allowed himself to
be conducted to the guest-room, and thus his host addressed him:
"I most humbly apologise for the very informal manner of my invitation,
but I believe that I have acted in compliance with a message I received
from the Goddess Benten. I have a daughter, and, as I am anxious to
find a good husband for her, I sent her written poems to all the
temples of Benten in Kyōto. In a dream the Goddess came to me, and
told me that she had secured an excellent husband for my daughter, and
that he would visit me during the coming winter. I was not inclined to
attach very much importance to this dream; but last night Benten again
revealed herself to me in a vision, and said that to-morrow the husband
she had chosen for my daughter would call upon me, and that I could
then arrange the marriage. The Goddess described the appearance of the
young man so minutely that I am assured that you are my daughter's
future husband."
These strange words filled Baishū with sorrow, and when his courteous
host proposed to present him to the lady he was unable to summon up
sufficient courage to tell his would-be father-in-law that he already
had a wife. Baishū followed his host into another apartment, and to his
amazement and joy he discovered that the daughter of the house was none
other than his own wife! And yet there was a subtle difference, for the
woman who now smiled upon him was the body of his wife, and she who had
appeared before the temple of Benten-of-the-Birth-Water was her soul.
We are told that Benten performed this miracle for the sake of her
worshippers, and thus it came to pass that Baishū had a strange dual
marriage with the woman he loved.
Daikoku
Daikoku, the God of Wealth, Ebisu, his son, the God of Labour, and
Hotei, the God of Laughter and Contentment, belong to that cycle of
deities known as the Gods of Luck. Daikoku is represented with a Magic
Mallet, which bears the sign of the Jewel, embodying the male and
female spirit, and signifies a creative deity. A stroke of his Mallet
confers wealth, and his second attribute is the Rat. Daikoku is, as
we should suppose, an extremely popular deity, and he is frequently
portrayed as a prosperous Chinese gentleman, richly apparelled, and is
usually shown standing on bales of rice, with a bag of precious things
on his shoulder. This genial and beneficent God is also depicted as
seated on bales of rice, or showing his treasures to some eager and
expectant child, or holding the Red Sun against his breast with one
hand and grasping the Magic Mallet with the other.
Daikoku's Rat
Daikoku's attribute, a Rat, has an emblematic and moral meaning
in connection with the wealth hidden in the God's bag. The Rat is
frequently portrayed either in the bale of rice with its head peeping
out, or in it, or playing with the Mallet, and sometimes a large number
of rats are shown.
According to a certain old legend, the Buddhist Gods grew jealous of
Daikoku. They consulted together, and finally decided that they would
get rid of the too popular Daikoku, to whom the Japanese offered
prayers and incense. Emma-Ō, the Lord of the Dead, promised to send
his most cunning and clever _oni_, Shiro, who, he said, would have no
difficulty in conquering the God of Wealth. Shiro, guided by a sparrow,
went to Daikoku's castle, but though he hunted high and low he could
not find its owner. Finally Shiro discovered a large storehouse, in
which he saw the God of Wealth seated. Daikoku called his Rat and bade
him find out who it was who dared to disturb him. When the Rat saw
Shiro he ran into the garden and brought back a branch of holly, with
which he drove the _oni_ away, and Daikoku remains to this day one of
the most popular of the Japanese Gods. This incident is said to be the
origin of the New Year's Eve charm, consisting of a holly leaf and a
skewer, or a sprig of holly fixed in the lintel of the door of a house
to prevent the return of the _oni_.
The Six Daikoku
1. Makura Daikoku, ordinary form with Mallet on lotus leaf.
2. Ojikara Daikoku, with sword and _vajra_.
3. Bika Daikoku, a priest, with Mallet in right hand, _vajra_-hilted
sword in left.
4. Yasha Daikoku, with Wheel of the Law in his right hand.
5. Shinda Daikoku, a boy seated with a crystal in his left hand.
6. Mahakara Daikoku, seated female, with small bale of rice on her head.
Ebisu
Ebisu and his father Daikoku are usually pictured together: the God
of Wealth seated upon bales of rice, pressing the Red Sun against his
breast with one hand, and with the other holding the wealth-giving
Mallet, while Ebisu is depicted with a fishing-rod and a great _tai_
fish under his arm.
Hotei
Hotei, the God of Laughter and Contentment, is one of the most
whimsical of the Japanese Gods. He is represented as extremely fat,
carrying on his back a linen bag (_ho-tei_), from which he derives
his name. In this bag he stows the Precious Things, but when in a
particularly playful mood he uses it as a receptacle for merry and
inquisitive children. Sometimes Hotei is represented in a broken-down
and extremely shabby carriage drawn by boys, and is then known as the
Waggon Priest. Again he is portrayed as carrying in one hand a Chinese
fan and in the other his bag, or balancing at either end of a pole the
bag of Precious Things and a boy.
[Footnote 1: The title is not accurate, for in reality this form of
Kwannon possesses only forty hands. No doubt the name is intended to
suggest munificence on the part of this Goddess.]
[Footnote 2: "In imitation of the original Thirty-three Holy Places,
thirty-three other places have been established in Eastern Japan, and
also in the district of Chichibu."--_Murray's Handbook for Japan_, by
Basil Hall Chamberlain and W. B. Mason.]
[Footnote 3: Compiled from _Murray's Handbook for Japan._]
[Footnote 4: See _Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan_, by Lafcadio Hearn,
vol. i. pp. 62-104.]