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Coming Into Existence of It the Secret Before the Decease Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studias Vol. 39, No.2, March 1991 Coming into Existence of itthe Secret before the Decease" and some Problems -the Buddhakaya and the front view of the image Shunsho MANABE One of the most difficult questions in the Buddhist art is probably the expression of the Buddhakaya (body of the Buddha). The dharma (doctrine) preached by Sakyamuni was regarded to be the imperishable body (dharma- kaya) after the death of akyamuni. It is rather impossible to transform this into "a certain form." The various development of the form expressed of the Buddha's body took a new trend when the doctrine and the icono- graphy of the esoteric Buddhism were systematized. The term tathagata means in sanskrit one who has come following the truth. "one who has happened out of the truth (tathata)". That is the embodi- ment of the existence of the Buddha. The image of the Tathagata has ge- nerally a figure of bhiksu (a priest). He wears a kasaya but does not put on a crown or a necklace. He has nothing that marks him as an Enligh- tened one. He is in the state of nothing, a nacked figure just as the Bud- dha soon aftar the birth. Such in the starting point of the figure of Tatha- gata. The dharmakaya withont colour and form whose body is the Tathata is called the dharmakaya of the dharmatva, He is not produced out of the cause and effect. He is an existence in the condition that is not born nor perished. This stand-point did not develop much among the Buddhist sects in Nara which are idealistic. But the Kegon sect with the Todaiji asits cen- ter approached this question and developed this theory brilliantly. The Hos- so sect with the Kofukuji as its center and the Tendai sect succeeded to it. For example Vairocana-Buddha represents the light of the Buddha's wi- sdom that contains the sense of the sun. the Kegon sect regards him as -994- Coming into Existence of "the Secret before the Decease" (S. MANABE) (62) the lord of the world of Padmagarbhaloka (the world of the lotus-womb). The Hosso Sect regards him Rocana-Buddha and akya-Buddha as sam bhogakaya and nirman.akaya, Vairocana Buddha as svabhavakaya. The Ten- dai sect allots Vairocana, Rocana. akya to the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. The esotelic Buddhism regards Vairocana as the great sun Tathagata. Generally the term Tathagata points to Sakyamuni Buddha. It is another name of the Buddha. But the term Buddha is not employed for the great sun Tathaata. His faculty and prestige are regarded to be far advanced than the Buddha in the Kegon Sect. His supericr capacity was stressed. When the noble prayer of the adlherent to the Tathagata is looked for, it is Tatha- gatagarbha that uuderlies the figure of Tathagata, Tathagatagarbha means originally the pure dharmakaya of the Tathagata concealed in the affliction of all the sentient beings. The plasticism (painting and sculpture) of the Ta- thagatagarbha is the figure of the Tathagata. If we scrutinize the image of Mahavairocana Tathagata, we notice a character and an aspect of Bodhi sattva who is in the course of the religious practice that seems to symbo- lize the Tathagatagarbha. Chapter 4 of the commentary of the Mahavairo- canasutra says "The person of Mahavairocana-Tathagata is like the golden image Jambunadi. He is like a figure of Bodhisattva. He has a hair-knot like a crown on the head. He emits various light from all the body. He wears a robe of crepe. Such is his symbol when he realized the supreme enlightenment in the uddhavasa." The actual sense similar to the experie- nce of the religious practice just bef ere the enlightenment of akyamuni was symbolized by the iconography resembling the image of the Bodhisat- tva. The identity of Sakyamuni and Mahavairocana-tathagata is discussed now and then. That is because the iconography is similar and there are common elements that are inside and can not be altered. What is the actual sense mentioned above? Mahavairoana-tathagata is adorned with gorgeous and brilliant tools and very grave colours such as white, yellow, red. black and blue proceed toward us onlookers, Such decorative power permeates the mind of men. The evidence of the practice -993- (63) Coming into Existence of "the Secret before the Decease". (S. MANABE) of Bodhisattva expressed on the person of Mahavairocana Tathagata signi- fies the fight with onself. The relation with oneself and the direction on the cardinal points are important. Mahavairocana Tathagata in the Vajrad- hatu wears the crown of the 5 wisdoms, He unites the wisdom. and virtue of the four other Buddhas and exerts supra-human power. All these start from the realization of the Buddhahood in -the five sorts of aspects. Almost all the sculptures in the esoteric Buddhism have comprehend ed the method of becoming the Buddha with the present body on the doctrinal stand-point so far, but the relation of the practitiouer (yogin) and the plas- tic beauty has not been discussed. The contemplation (samadhi) lies in the depth of the esoteric sculpture. But it has a close relation with the place where the image is installed or the architecture of the esoteric temple. All of them are reduced to the theory of the mandala of the elements. Let us ta- ke up the Tahoto stupa. The stupa at Ishiyama-dera has the solitary statue of Mahavairocana-Tathagata, while in the stupa of Kongosammaiin the 5 Buddhas are installed. One set of the Buddhas represent the Vajradhatu. They are called the Tathagata of the five wisdoms. The general virtue of Mahavairocana Tathagata is divided into the four Buddhas in the four directions. Mahavairocana presides over not only the mandala, but also Bodhisattvas, angry sacred ones (Vidyarajas) and many divinities. The 5 Buddhas in the Vajradhata are Mahavairocana, Aksobhya, Ratna- sambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasidahi, and the 5 Buddhas in the Garbha-man- dala are Mahavairocana, Ratnaketu, Sankusumitaraja, Amitayus, Dundub- hinirghosa. Buddha-usnisa is called Buddhosnisa cakravartin, the personification of the wisdon of the Buddha inhernt in the Tathagata. He is represented with a cakra in his hand or with a cakra in the background. It means thathe has the highest and the most honorable virtue among many sacred ones. The 5 Buddha-usnisas mentioned in the commentary of theMahavairocana sutra symbolizes the five wisdoms of akyamuni-Tathagata. The usnisa on the head of the Buddha is surmounted with another usnisa. It is suggested that the figure should be drawn like a Bodhisattva with -992- Coming into Existence of "the Secret before the Decease" (S. MANABE) (64) the crown of the 5 wisdom. Therefore it follows that the most ideal image that is equivalent to this iconology is the Mahavairocana Tathagata. The sacred maha Buddha-usnisa is the general appellation of the Buddha usnisa. He is developed as an apparition of Mahavairocana-Buddha of Vajradhatu- mandala and Garbha-mandala. When this is represented in a mandala, the 8 great Buddha-usnisa are usually drawn. The vajracakra with one letter and the Buddha-caksu are some specimens that follow the current. They are drawn in the figure of Mahavairocana-tathagata of the two mandalas. Some source says that the Buddhacaksu is an incarnation of akyamuni-Va- jrasattva. In this way the Tathagata and the Buddhosnisa that is the basis of the esoteric Buddhism has a concrete character by the analysis of the idea of Buddhakaya. It is in an in separable relation with 8akyamuni. Now Mahavairocana Tathagata in the Garbha Mandala makes dharmad- hatu-dhyana-mudra seated in paryanka-asana. His figure is depicted as the central sacred one Mahavairocana-Buddha not only in the "Taizozuzo" in the lineage of 8ubhakarasithha, the Taizo-Kyuzuyo, a mandala in the lineage of Amoghavajra, but also in the Genzu-mandala and many figures that are concerned with Garbha-Mandala. He is consummated in the Genzu-Mandala in a figure of Budhisattva with a crown on the high hair and with personal ornaments. It is necessary to compare and study how the doctrine related in the scri- pture are embodied as to the development of the figure in connection with Mahavairocana-Tathagata. Mr. Ryuken Sawa who paid attention on such question since long ago related "Buddhacaksu is said to be the incarnation of akyamuni and Vajrasattva. The mandala mentioned in the Yogi-sutra relates on Vajrasattva but does not mention of the figure of the central sacred one. But the Buddha-caksu mandala popularly known is composed by the mention and Mahavairocana of the Garbha-mandala is depitched in the center. It was probably conceived by its idea of the unification of the Vajradhatu and Garbhadhatu." The commentary of the Yogi-sutra was made by Dohan and others in the Kamakura period. Later the iconography of Mahavairocana-tathagata was -991- (65) Coming into Existence of "the Secret before the Decease"(S. MANABE) develoved in the iconography handed down from teachers to disciples with the backbone of the Yogi-sutra together with the certificate of the heritage of the Buddhist faith. so much. I would like to point out Such problems give suggestion to a new relation of the certificate of the faith and the iconography that has been hitherto considered. Now I will take up the figures of "the 15 sacred ones" in order to reconsider the Buddha- kaya as a specimen of the iconography concerned as the figure viewed from the front. We have two sheets of "the 15 sacred ones" (owned by Shomyoji, kept by Kanazawa library). That is a sort of monochrome iconography on paper.
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