Standing Fast: Fudo Myoo in by Richard K. Payne

udO MyOii (Sanskrit: Acalanatha Vidyara· popularity began only after Kiikai-founder F ja) is a Tantric Buddhist deity who is very of the Shingon sect in -brought artistic popular throughout Japan. His wrathful representations back from China to Japan. As apearance, black body, crossed eyes and flam­ FudO became increasingly popular, his ing aura make him readily recognized and presence began to be found in Japanese easily remembered. One description of Fud6 literature. The characteristics attributed to is found in the Japanese Tantric Buddhist Fud6 in literature reflect the popular concep­ (Shingon) fire sacrifice (goma), where the tion of him, and examination of this material practitioner performs the following visualiza­ can reveal aspects of Japanese popular tion: religion.

Visualize a lotus blossom seat above One of the earliest literary references to the heart's moon cakra; above the seat is FudO is found in the Genji Monogalari, which the syllable haf!l; it changes becoming a was written by Murasaki Shikibu at the begin­ sharp sword. The sharp sword changes, ning of the eleventh century.' It is considered becoming the Great Sage Fudo My66, to be one of the greatest works of literature in having a body blue-black in color and the world, and as a novel, it predates Cer­ very wrathful appearance. He resides in vantes' Don QUixole by six hundred years. Set the fire producing samadhi. On his head in the Heian court, the work is a lengthy are seven tufted hair knots, and on the romance and tells the story of Prince Genji, left hangs one braid. His forehead is who is one of the emperor's sons. After wrinkled like waves. His right hand several liaisons, Genji meets Lady Murasaki, holds a sharp sword and his left hand who quickly becomes his favorite. holds a snare (pasa). His entire body emits flames, burning every kind of Later in the tale, however, Lady obscuration and affliction of oneself Murasaki falls ill. Suddenly, she seems to be and others throughout the whole of the dying. This is a shock, since she had appeared Dharmadhiilu .• to be improving for a few days prior to this. Genji is called, and when he arrives, the This visualization is based on the descrip­ household is in a uproar: tions of Fudi5 found in such works as the Mahiivairocana Sulra (T. 848), The The confusion was enormous. The Trisamayariija Sulra (T. 1200), and the women were wailing and asking her Prajiliipiiramitii Sulra Explaining How (Lady Murasaki) to take them with her Benevolent Kings May Protect Their Coun­ (into death). The altars had been Iries (T. 245 and T. 246). dismantled and the priests were leaving, only the ones nearest the family remain­ Although texts mentioning FudO were ing behind. For Genji, it was like the end present in Japan from the period, his of the world.'

53 In the extremity of his desperation, Genji swept down from the mountain tops. The calls exorcists (ascetics known to have worked waterfall's white threads were frozen into wonders) to the home and reminds them of crystalline cluster ... ". Mongaku immerses Fudo's vow. The vow attributed to Fudo is himself up to his neck in the pool beneath the that he would give six more months of life to waterfall, vowing "to stand under the water­ any devotee of his who had reached the end of fall for twenty-one days and repeat the magic his lifespan. Fudo must have more than lived incantation to Fudo-my66 three hundred up to his vow, for the vindictive spirit of Lady thousand times." On the brink of death after Rokujo reveals herself. She has been plaguing eight days of this austerity, two divine youths Lady Murasaki-Genji's favorite-in order to rescue Mongaku. Mongaku asks who they avenge herself on Genji. Although never in arc. truly good health from that time on, Lady Murasaki survives about a year longer, taking "We are Kangara and Seitaka, the another five chapters. messengers of Fudo-my60, replied the two youths. "We have come here by the Edward G. Seidensticker, translator of command of Fud6-myo6, 'Mongaku The Tale oj Genji, notes in connection with has made a fervent vow. He has deter­ this section: "Early commentaries say that mined to undertake the most severe Acala (i.e., Fudo) vowed to give six more austerities. Go and help him.' " months of life to those of the faithful who wished it, but the source in the writ is not Then Mongaku asked in a loud known.''' In other words, the origin of the voice: "Tell me where I can find Fud6- tradition of Fudo's vow is uncertain. myoo."

The Genji Monogata,i reveals one aspect "His abode is in the Tusita of Fudo's popularity: he was thought to be Heaven. JI Having spoken these words, able to grant an additional six months of life the two youths ascended into the sky and to his devotees. In the Heike Monogata,i, a disappeared among the clouds. more personal, devotional connection to Fudo Mongaku, joining his palms, gazed is revealed. The novel tells the story of the toward heaven and exclaimed: "Now decline of the Heike clan and their almost my austerities are known even to Fud6- total destruction at the hands of the myc5o! " Minamoto. The authorship and date of the work are obscure, but it seems to have been His heart made light with hope, he initially composed about fifty years after the again plunged into the pool of the water­ battle of Dan no ura in 1185, the climactic fall and resumed his vigil. And now that battle which finally broke the strength of the the god watched over him, the freezing Heike. The story then circulated orally until a winds no longer pierced his body and the definitive text was composed by Kakuichi water that rell upon him felt warm and before his death in 1371. soothing. This time Mongaku completed the twenty-one days as he had vowed.' According to the seventh chapter of the Heike Monogatari, entitled the "Austerities In counterpoint to Fud6' s assistance to of Mongaku," when Mongaku was nineteen this warrior-turned-ascetic is the assistance he years old, he decided to leave behind the life provides to women suffering from difficult of a warrior and become a priest. Mongaku childbirth. Another part of the Heike sets off to practice austerities in midwinter: Monogata,i tells such a story. "Deep snow lay upon the ground, and icicles hung thickly from the trees. Freezing blasts The Emperor's consort is pregnant, but

54 the text tells us that she "suffered as the dying of Fud6. In this version, "the painting of flowers of the passing seasons. And she was Fud6, the God of Fire, shed bloody tears and possessed by evil spirits. The secret invocation took to itself the sickness of his young wor­ of Fud6-my66 was performed by the priests, shiper Shokii, in the thirteenth century; the and children were used as mediums, the evil painting was later placed in Mii-dera, Otsu, spirits being invited to take possession of their Shiga-ken."" Both versions point to a folk­ bodies so that they could be identified.'" tale motif of divine beings substituting for Although the pregnancy and labor were dif­ humans in distress. ficult, the consort does give birth to the Emperor's first male heir. Fud6 has also found his way into Japanese drama. The No play Funa-Benkei by Other references to Fud6 in the Heike Kwanze Kojir6 Nobumitsu (1435 to 1516) Monogatari are for divination' and for bring­ draws on another portion of the Heike Mono­ ing peace to the country-the populace carv­ gatari, supplemented by the Gempei Seisuiki. ing images of Fud6 as offerings for the The play refers to the flight of Yoshitsune to pacification of revels.' escape the suspicions of his brother Yoritomo, who has become Shogun only through the Fud6' s assistance to women in labor i~ assistance of his brother Yoshitsune, who led also found in The Confessions of Lady Nij6, the forces which finally crushed the Heike. which was written about 1307 by one of the Yoshitsune is accompanied in his flight by the Emperor's concubines. In passing, Lady Nij6 famous, giant warrior monk, BenkeLI4 recalls the following story concerning a par­ ticular temple image of Fuda: In the second part of the play, Yoshitsune and Benkei are aboard a boat crossing Dai­ There is a tale told about the god motsu Bay." The ghost of Tomomori-one of Fud6 of the J6j6 Hall in Mii Temple. the drowned Heike chiefs-attacks the boat, When the priest Chiko was at death's seeking revenge on Yoshitsune for his role in door, his disciple Shokii prayed: "My the defeat of the Heike. Yoshitsune, drawing debt to my master is heavy. Please take his sword, engages the ghost as if he were a my humble life instead of his." When man. Shokii offered his life for his teacher's, Fud6 intervened: "Since you would give ... but Benkei thrusts between, saying: your life for your teacher's, I will give "Swords are of no avail," mine for yours." Chiko recovered from And rubs the beads between his hands. his illness, and Shokii also lived a long From the east he evokes Gozanze My66, life. 10 From the south Gundari Yasha My66, From the west Dai Itoku My66, Lady Nijc5 surmises that this same picture From the north Kongo Yasha My66, of Fud6 was brought by an exorcist when, in And in the center Fudo My66 the eighth month of 1271, the Empress Higa­ And he calls upon that Great King shi-Nij6 was about to give birth. According to To bind the evil spirits with his sacred Lady Nij6, the exorcist recited a phrase from rope. the Fudo Sutra: "He who serves Fud6 will As one by one they all fall back, have the virtues of a Buddha; he who utters a Benkei aids the rowers single secret incantation will have Fud6's pro­ To speed his master's boat tection forever." II And bring it safe to shore. The still-pursuing spirits are put to flight According to Richard Dorson, " there is a By Benkei's prayers; folktale version of this story about the image Then on the tide they drift away

55 Leaving no trace upon the foaming or another, particularly since the main inter­ waves. 16 national airport has been established at Narita where a major temple is devoted to Fudo. The The breadth of FudO's popularity has temple there dates from the revolt of given him a permanent place in as Masakado in 940.... The Heian court sent well. In 1832 Ichikawa DanjiirO VII compiled troops and a Shingon priest against the a collection of the eighteen most popular rebellious Masakado, the priest carrying with Kabuki plays of his lineage. With only one ex­ him a famous sword called Amakuni no Tsu­ ception, all of these plays have humans as rugi and an image of Fudo. Two stories are their heroes. The sole exception is a play call­ related about the image. One says that Kiikai, ed simply "Fudo."" In the play, Prince the founder of Japanese Shingon, carved the Hayakumo attempts to usurp the throne. image from an oar during his return voyage Fudo appears and, restraining the prince, from China. The other story is that the image restores peace. had been transported to China from India. When Kiikai was studying in China, the image Since the time of their founder (DanjiirO informed him by means of a dream that it I, who established the line during the Genroku desired to travel farther east. In either case the Period, 1688-1704), the Danjiiro line have image was brought to Japan and enshrined in been particularly devoted to Fudo, going so a temple near Heian Kyo. far as to use the name of the Narita FudO tem­ ple as their stage name-Naritaya. Even the The image's desire to travel east, exaggerated style (ara-goto) of performance, however, seems not to have been quite fulfill­ make-up and costume of this line may have its ed. Having assisted in the suppression of the origin in the iconography of FudO, for Dan­ rebels, it was to be returned to Heian Kyo. But jiira I is said to have spent a week at the it had become so heavy that it could not be Narita Temple in order to acquire the same moved. By means of another dream, it an­ facial expression as that of Fudo." In­ nounced its desire to remain in the eastern terestingly, one element of this exaggerated provinces, helping to civilize them. At the style is a cross-eyed glare (nirami) very emperor's direction, the image was then en­ reminiscent of Fudo. shrined at Narita.ll

The term for the exaggerated style-C

S6 Other figures in the Buddhist pantheon 10. The Confessions of Lady Nij6, have the same powers attributed to them. For pp.246-7. example, Yakushi Nyorai is specifically II. Ibid., p. 13, and p. 17. At the same known as the Healing Buddha, Kanzeon time rituals directed toward the Seven Healing Bosatsu is known as the Bodhisattva of Com­ Buddhas, the Five Great Guardian Kings, passion, appealed to by expectant mothers, Fugen Bodhisattva, Kong6 D6ji, and Aizen-6 and Jiz6 Bosatsu is thought to protect small were also being performed. children and travellers. So why should Fud6 12. Dorson cites Mock Joya, "Weeping have become so popular? Three factors ap­ Buddha," Japan Times, March 9, 1957. pear to have been particularly important in 13. Richard Dorson, Folk Legends of Fud6's rise in popularity. First, his associa­ Japan, p. 38. tions with fire and water-his flaming aura 14. Kuwai Genyoku, et aI., The and the cold water austerities of his devo­ Drama, pp. 163-5. tees-made Fud6 a favorite with Shugend6 15. Ibid., p. 164, n. 3. Daimotsu Bay is to practitioners. Shugend6, with its close tie to the southwest of Amagasaki, Settsu Province. the ancient Japanese reverence for mountains, 16. Ibid., p. 182. spread widely throughout Japan. As it did so, 17. Kawatake Toshi, Kabuki, p. 4. the cult of Fud6 would have apread with it. 18. Ibid., p. 52. Second, since Fud6 is not one of the high Bud­ 19. Ibid., p. 4. dhas or Bodhisattvas, he may be felt to be 20. George Sansom, A History of Japan, much more approachable. Ordinary people to 1334, p. 145. need not feel as much awe and fear in coming 21. Ivan Morris, The World of the Shin­ to him with their requests. And third, he has ing Prince, p. 101. the appearance of someone you can really count on to succeed when events have reached a crisis. Vigorous, strong, young, wreathed in flames, carrying a dragon sword-these all BffiLiOGRAPHY: give clear, tangible evidence of his power. The Confessions of Lady Nij6. Tr. Karen Brazell. 1975. Reprint. London: A Zenith Book, Arrow Books Ltd., FOOTNOTES: 1983. Conze, Edward. The Prajiliipiiramitii I. Iwahara Taishin, Private Directions Literature. 2nd cd. Tokyo: The for the Siintika Homa, Offered to Acala, Reiyukai, 1978. p. 25. For a full discussion of the goma ritual, _ __-". The Short Prajiliipiiramitii' Texts. see Richard K. Payne, "Feeding the Gods, London: Luzac and Co., and The Shingon Fire Ritual," passim. Totowa, New Jersey: Rowman and 2. Murasaki Shikibu, . , Littlefield, 1974. I : vii. de Visser, M.W. Ancient Buddhism in Japan. 3. Ibid., 2:617. Parenthetical notes ad- 2 vols. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1935. ded. Dorson, Richard M. Folk Legends of Japan. 4. Ibid., note. Rutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle, 5. The Tale of the Heike, 1:xv-xvii. 1962. 6. Ibid., 1:312-4. Iwahara Taishin. Private Directions for the 7. Ibid., 1:158. Siintika Homa. Offered to Acala 8. Ibid., 1:388. (Soku Sai Goma Shiki Shidai). Tr. 9. Ibid., 1:365. Richard K. Payne. Forthcoming.

57 Koyasan: Koyasan Kongubuji Tem­ in Chinese Translation)." ple. Mikkyogaku (The Journal 0/Esoteric Kawatake Toshio. Kabuki. San Francisco: Buddhism), no. 5, pp. 15 to 40. Chronicle Books, 1984. Murasaki Shikibu. The Tale of Genji. Tr. Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Bruce T. Tsuchida, Edward G. Seidensticker. 2 vols. trs. The Tale 0/ the Keike. 2 vols. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1978. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, Payne, Richard K. "Feeding the Gods, The 1975. Shingon Fire Ritual." Ph.D. disserta­ Kiyota Minoru. Shingon Buddhism. Theory tion. Graduate Theological Union, and Practice. Los Angeles and 1985. Tokyo: Buddhist Books Interna­ Rambach, Pierre. The Secret Message of tional, 1978. Tantric Buddhism. Tr. Barbara Bray. Kuwai Genyoku, et al. (Special Noh Commit­ New York: Rizzoli International tee). The Noh Drama. UNESCO Col­ Publications, 1979. lection of Representative Works: Sansom, G.B. Japan, A Short Cultural Japanese Series. Rutland, Vermont History. Revised, 2nd ed. Stanford: and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Stanford University Press, 1978. 1955. __----::. A History of Japan, to 1334. Stan­ Lancaster, Lewis R. The Korean Buddhist ford: Stanford University Press, Cannon, A Descriptive Catalogue. 1958. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University Sawa Takaaki. Art in Japanese Esoteric Bud­ of California Press. 1979. dhism. Tr. Richard L. Gage. New Matsunaga, Alicia. The Buddhist Philosophy York: Weatherhill; and Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1972. Assimilation. Tokyo: Sophia 0/ Tajima Ryujun. Les Deux Grands Mandalas University and Charles E. Tuttle, et 10 Doctrine de I'Esoterisme 1969. Shingon. Tokyo: Maison Franco­ Morris, Ivan. The World 0/ the Shining Japonaise; and Paris: Presses Univer­ Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan. sitaires de France, 1959. 1964. Reprint. Tokyo: Charles E. The Tale of the Heike. Tr. Hiroshi Kitagawa Tuttle Co., 1978. and Bruce T. Tsuchida. 2 vols. Muitsu, N. "Mitsu ten kanyaku nandai Hy6 Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, (Chronology of Buddhist Secret Texts 1975.

58