MAIN FORMS OF BISHAMON IN JAPAN

1. Tamonten
FOUR HEAVENLY
KINGS (SHITENNŌ)

2. Bishamonten
TOBATSU
BISHAMONTEN

3. Bishamonten
12 DEVA
PROTECTORS

4. Bishamonten
28 KANNON
GUARDIANS

5. Bishamonten
SEVEN
LUCKY GODS

1. Tamonten, commander of the Four Heavenly Kings; lord of the north; stupa normally (but not always) held in right hand. Jump below to Tamonten photos, or visit our Tamonten page.
2. Tobatsu Bishamonten, protector of capital cities, repeller of foreign invaders, lord of the north; stupa in left hand. Commonly shown standing on upturned palms of earth goddess Jiten 地天 (Skt. = Pṛthivī) and flanked by two demons known as Niranba (Skt. = Nīla-vajra) and Biranba (Skt. = Vilambā). Can appear with one head and two arms, but also as a 4-headed 12-armed deity riding a lion, or a 3-headed 10 armed deity atop a lion. Jump below to Tobatsu section.
3. One of 12 Deva (Jūniten 十二天), the guardians of the twelve directions in Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō 密教); lord of the north, holds stupa in left hand; these 12 appear frequently in mandala paintings (e.g. Taizōkai Mandala, Anchin Mandala, Jūniten Mandala) and other artwork. Jump below to 12 Deva section, or visit our 12 Deva (Jūniten) page.
4. One of 28 Guardians (Nijūhachi Bushū 二十八部衆) of the 1,000-Armed Kannon; protector of Buddhist law; stupa in left hand. Jump below to Kannon section, or visit our 28 Guardians page
5. One of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods, lord of the north, bringer of wealth and fortune, stupa in left hand or held in both hands. Today he often appears friendly & jolly (as do all members of the seven). Jump below to Seven Lucky Gods section, or visit or Seven Lucky Deities page.
   
   There are other forms as well, many sycretic, which are discussed below. They include:
• Sanmen Daikokuten 三面大黒天 (Three-Headed Daikokuten, Benzaiten & Bishamonten)
• Tenkawa Benzaiten
• Shōgun Jizō and Shōteki Bishamon 勝敵毘沙門 (Mt. Atago)
• Sōshin Bishamonten 雙身毘沙門天 or 双身毘沙門天

Above line drawings from Butsuzō-zu-i 仏像図彙, "Collected Illustrations of Buddhist Images." First published in 1690 (Genroku 元禄 3). Major Japanese dictionary of Buddhist iconography. Hundreds of drawings. Above images from the expanded Meiji-era reprint of the 1783 edition. The expanded version includes Japanese-language commentary by Itō Takemi 伊藤武美 (b. 1927). Last published in 2005. Purchase 2005 reprint here.

TAMONTEN STATUES (STUPA IN RIGHT HAND)

click any image to enlarge

1. Tamonten, Fengxian Temple 奉先寺, China, Stone, circa 672-675 AD. Standing atop Jaki demon. Left hand on hip. In China, Bishamon is commonly depicted with left hand on hip, but this iconography was not often used in Japan.
2. Tamonten, 13th century, Japan, H = 155.5 cm, Wood, Yosek Zukuri, standing atop Jaki. Stupa in right hand. Photo Nara Nat'l Museum. For various views of this deity, see museum's web site.
3. Tamonten, 9th century, Kōfukuji Temple 興福寺 (Nara), Wood, H = 153 cm. Stupa in right hand.
4. Tamonten, 9th century, Kōdō 講堂 hall of Tōji Temple 東寺 (Kyoto), Wood, H = 197.9 cm. Held aloft by earth-goddess Jiten, with two demon attendants. Stupa in right hand. Photo from J-magazine 日本の仏像, Issue 3, 2008.
5. Tamonten, 12th century, Jōruriji Temple 浄瑠璃寺 (Kyoto), Wood, H = 167 cm. Stupa in left hand.
   
   Photos 3 & 5 from Comprehensive Dictionary of Japan's National Treasures. Kodansha 1985. ISBN 4-06-187822-0. 

BISHAMONTEN STATUES (STUPA IN LEFT HAND)

When portrayed as the independently worshipped Bishamon or Tobatsu Bishamon, he commonly holds the stupa in his left hand. There are exceptions to this iconography (see Fig. 1), but in most cases it helps you correctly identify the deity. The right / left iconograpy was perhaps introduced in the 9th century, but there is no scriptural source for this change. Its introduction may have originated with Japan's esoteric sects. When portrayed as Tobatsu Bishamon, he often wears tight-fitting armor (squeezing in at his waist and dropping down below his knees) and stands atop the hands of earth goddess Jiten, who is flanked by two demons (Fig. 4). Bishamon may also appear without a stupa and instead use his left hand as a visor, as if keeping watch for enemies (Fig. 5).   

click any image to enlarge

1. Bishamonten, 11th century (1078), Hōryūji Temple 法隆寺 (Nara), Wood with pigments, H = 123.2 cm. Bishamon uncharacteristically holds the stupa in his right hand. The statue is paired with an effigy of Kichijōten (his wife or kisaki 妃). Photo Comprehensive Dictionary of Japan's National Treasures. Kodansha 1985. ISBN 4-06-187822-0
2. Bishamonten atop two demons, by Unkei 運慶. Wood. H = 147 cm, Dated +1186. Ganjōju-in Temple 願成就院 in Shizuoka. Found photo at this J-site. Also see Mori, Hisahi, Sculpture of the Kamakura Period, Published 1974.
3. Bishamonten, By Unkei 運慶. Dated +1189. Painted Wood, H = 139.5 cm. Jōrakuji Temple 常楽寺, Kanagawa Pref. 神奈川. Gaudy colors added in later times. Photo Heibonsha Survey of Japanese Art, Vol. 11.
4. Tobatsu Bishamonten. Heian Era. ICP. Camphor Wood (Kusu 樟), H 160 cm, Ichiboku Zukuri, Kanzeonji Temple 観世音寺, Dazaifu City, Fukuoka. Held aloft by Jiten, with two demon attendants. Photo from 仏師と訪ねる九州の仏像２.
5. Bishamonten, Heian Era, Kurama Temple 鞍馬寺 (Kyoto), Nat'l Treasure, Wood, H = 176 cm. Bishamon using his left hand as a visor over his eyes. Kurama Dera 鞍馬寺, just north of Kyoto, is dedicated to Bishamon. Photo from Comprehensive Dictionary of Japan's National Treasures. Kodansha 1985. ISBN 4-06-187822-0.

Tobatsu Bishamonten 兜跋毘沙門天
Protects Capital Cities & Repulses Foreign Invaders
aka Tōhachi Bishamonten 刀八毘沙門天
aka Kōmyō Dai-ō 光明大王 (Great Radient King)
aka Jinja Taishō 深沙大将 (Great General of the Desert)

Tobatsu Bishamonten
Wood, H = 164 cm, 11th Century, ICP.
Heian-era copy of Tōji sculpture.
Stands on upturned palms of earth
goddess Jiten 地天. Flanked by two
Jyaki 邪鬼 demons. Among the oldest
extant images of Tobatsu Bishamon
in Japan. Photo Nara Nat'l Museum.

Tobatsu Bishamonten
Wood, H = 184.4 cm, ICP
Seiryōji Temple 清凉寺
Late Heian-era copy of the
Tōji sculpture (see image
above). Less dynamic and
fewer decorative details.
Photo 日本の仏像 #33, 2008.

Tobatsu Bishamon at Narushima
Bishamondō 成島毘沙門堂,
Hanamaki City, Iwate Pref., ICP.
Heian Era, Wood, H = 3.59 meters.
Made from one piece of wood.
Wood = Keyaki 欅. Modeled
on a sculpture at Mt. Hiei 比叡
P = JR東日本の雑誌・トランヴェール

Tobatsu Bishamon, ICP, Heian Era
Wood (Kusu 樟), H 160 cm, Ichiboku Zukuri
Kanzeonji Temple 観世音寺
Dazaifu City 太宰府市, Fukuoka Pref.
Photo: Dazaifu Museum

CLOSEUP
Tobatsu Bishamon, ICP, Heian Era
Wood (Kusu 樟), H 160 cm, Ichiboku Zukuri
Kanzeonji Temple 観世音寺
Photo: Dazaifu Museum

Above Photos = Various Views of Tobatsu Bishamon at Kanzeonji Temple (Daizifu City)
Photos from Dazaifu Bunkafureaikan Museum 大宰府市文化ふれあい館, Art and Archaeology,
and 仏師と訪ねる九州の仏像２, by Takai Sōgen 高井 王宗玄, ISBN978-4-87415 -815-9　C0071

Tobatsu Bishamonten, Late 10th to early 11th century
Polychromed Zelkova wood, H. 125.1 cm
Photo & Text: Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)

Says the museum: "Bishamonten is considered the most powerful of the Guardian Kings, as his direction, the north, is associated with danger. Tobatsu Bishamonten is one of several manifestations of the deity. In this form he is worshipped alone, rather than with the other Guardian Kings. He stands supported by the earth goddess Jiten (Sanskrit: Prithivi) and two dwarf-demons, Niranba and Biranba. Befitting his protective function, he has an angry countenance and wears warrior's garb fashioned along the lines of Tang dynasty Chinese military uniforms. Five seated buddhas, now barely visible, are painted upon his tall crown. In his left hand he supports a stupa, his main identifying feature. His right hand may have held a vajra (a weapon symbolic of a thunderbolt) to ward off evil forces. With the exception of the arms, which are attached at the shoulders, the entire statue is carved of a single block of wood."

Jinja Taishō 深沙大将, Great General of the Desert.
1203 by Kaikei (d. 1226). Assembled woodblock construction,
H = 84.5 cm, Kongōin Temple 金剛院, Maizuru 舞鶴, Kyoto Pref.
Below text from John M. Rosenfield's book Portraits of Chogen:
 The Transformation of Buddhist Art in Early Medieval Japan.
Published by Brill 2010. Photo scanned from book.

Says scholar Rosenfield (pp. 181-183): "This is a notably unfamiliar subject that emerged from Chinese folktales about the [Chinese] pilgrim Xuanzang 玄奘 (602–664), whose journey to India and return is one of the central episodes in the transmission of Buddhism in East Asia. Apocrypahl stories describe Xuanzang striding across the deserts west of Dunhuang, losing his water flask, and becoming desperately thirsty and discouraged. He dreamed of a giant figure with halberd who urged him to continue; soon he came to an oasis and was saved. In Chinese commentaries, the giant was an avatar of the Divine King Vaiśravaṇa (Jp. = Bishamon). A folk cult and its imagery thus developed in China and were transmitted to Japan in the 9th century. There the Desert General became well-enough recognized to be illustrated in the Esoteric Buddhist ritual handbook complied by the Japanese monk Kakuzen 覺禪 (active 12th century). The general also appears as Bishamon in a 14th-century Japanese handscroll illustrating Xuanzang's journey to India..........emerging from the [statue's] skirt are the heads of two flayed elephants. Adapted from an Indian custom of clothing gods in animal skins, the elephants imply that the deity is endowed with power superior to that of the animal." <end quote>

Says the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism: "Guardian god for all who face difficulties in the desert and for practitioners of the Lotus Sūtra. It is said that when Xuánzàng 玄奘 (602–664) journeyed to India he had a vision of this god in the desert. This was the model for Sha Wujing, one of Xuánzàng's disciples in the Ming novel Xīyóujì 西遊記 (Journey to the West). Regarded as a transformation of Vaiśravaṇa. Also referred to as 央掘摩羅 (Chn. = Yāngjuémóluó, Jp. = Ōkutsumara) or as Guanyin (Jp. = Kannon) in ritual commentaries 儀軌 (Chn. = Yíguǐ, Jp. = Giki)." <end quote>

 
Tobatsu Bishamonten 刀八毘沙門天.
12 arms, four heads, and mounted on a lion.
From Philipp Franz von Siebold in his Nippon Archiv zur
 Beschreibung von Japan. Leiden (1831 CE). Siebold got
the image from Butsuzō-zu-i. View book by Siebold
 Photo Page   |   Index Page   |   Top Page

Tobatsu Bishamonten 刀八毘沙門天.
12 arms, four heads, and mounted on a lion.
Hanging scroll, circa 1832, attributed to artist
Hanabusa Ikkei 英一珪 (1749-1844).
At the British Museum.
Photo from Prints of Japan.

Chinese Artwork of Bishamon & Tobatsu Bishamon

Vaiśravaṇa & Attendants
moving across the waters
Tang Dynasty, 9th century

King of Khotan (9th century).
Descendent of Vaiśravaṇa,
shown atop hands of earth deva

Vaiśravaṇa,
King of the North.
8th century, painted clay

1. Vaiśravaṇa moving across the waters, Tang Dynasty, 9th century, ink and colors on silk, H = 37.6 cm, W = 26.6 cm, Britsh Museum Stein Painting 45. In this picture, Vaiśravaṇa is crossing the sea accompanied by warriors possessing divine power. Vaiśravaṇa holds a golden halberd in his right hand and a stupa in his left palm. Before him a heavenly attendant carries a tray with golden flower design; an elderly savant stands on the side. At the top of the painting there is a warrior who shoots down a feathered flying thunder monster. Discovered in the Library Cave, Dunhuang.
    
2. Donor Portrait of the King of Khotan, Cave 98, Mogao Grottoes, Five Dynasties, 907-979 AD, H = 302 cm, W = 145 cm. This is a replica of a mural painting found in cave 98. Says the Dunhuang catalog: "This is a portrait of Li Shengtian, King of Khotan. Under his feet is a female deity half emerging from the earth and supporting his two feet. Legend has it that the king of Khotan is the descendant of the deva-king of the north (i.e., Vaisravana), born from the forehead of the deva-king. All the kings of Khotan worshipped the deva-king of the north." <end quote> More precisely, the 7th century Mahāmāyūrī Sūtra 孔雀明王經 (translated by Hsüan Tsang 玄奘 (Jp. = Genjō, 600–664) says Vaisravana is the protector of the people of Tokhara, the region around the Oxus river basin. Writes scholar Chaudhuri, pages 23: "The account of Khotan [in this sutra] says the king (at that time) claimed to be a descendent of Vaisravana. One of his childless ancestors had prayed to Vaisravana for a son, and Vaisravana subsequently produced a child from his head for the childless king."
    
3. Vaisravana, Cave 194, Mogao Grottoes, High Tang Dynasty, 705-780 AD, H = 132 cm. This is a modern replica of a painted clay sculpture found in cave 194.

PHOTO SOURCE: Above three images and text from: DUNHUANG: A Centennial Commemoration of the Discovery of the Cave Library. ISBN 7-5054-0716-3/J-0396. First published in 2000 by Morning Glory Publishers, Beijing, China

COMPARING ICONOGRAPHY OF BISHAMON / TAMON IN JAPAN

• Dressed in armor (yoroi 鎧) & looking ferocious (funnusō 忿怒相). All manifestations of the deity.
• Standing on a rock. The rock symbolizes Mt. Sumeru (Jp. = Shumisen 須弥山), the giant mountain at the center of the Buddhist universe, the mythical home of the Historical Buddha. Mt. Shumisen is surrounded by four continents, with Bishamon/Tamon guarding the northern continent, as well as the northern slope of Mt. Shumisen. The rock can be used for any form of the deity.
• Standing atop (trampling) one or two Jyaki 邪鬼 (demons). The demons are typically considered to be Yasha 夜叉 and/or Rasetsu 羅刹 (evil earth spirits & demons who eventually converted to Buddhism). This iconographical type is prevalent for statues of both Bishamonten and Tamonten.
• Standing atop the upturned palms of earth goddess Jiten 地天 while flanked by two subjugated demons known as Niranba 尼藍婆 (Skt. = Nīla-vajra, Blue Thuderbolt, female) and Biranba 毘藍婆 (Skt. = Vilambā, male). Biranba is one of ten Dharma-protecting Rasetsu (Skt. = rākṣasīs) mentioned in the Lotus Sutra. This is the most prevalent iconographical type for Tobatsu Bishamonten. Although Tamonten is sometimes depicted in the same fashion (as at Tōji Temple in Kyoto), this iconography is generally reserved for Tobatsu Bishamon.
• Holding a stupa (hōtō 宝塔 or 寶塔). Bishamon commonly holds it in his left hand, while Tamonten typically holds it in his right. But there are exceptions. At Hōryūji Temple 法隆寺 (Nara), Bishamon is shown with pagoda in right hand, while at Jōruriji Temple 浄瑠璃寺 (Kyoto), Tamonten is holding the stupa in his left hand. Elsewhere, Bishamon is depicted without a stupa at Kyoto's Kurama Dera Temple 鞍馬寺, and instead shown using his left hand as a visor (as if keeping watch for enemies). These latter depictions are relatively rare.
• Flanked by his wife Kichijōten 吉祥天 and his son Zennishi Dōji 善膩師童子. Some Japanese claim the youth is instead Zenzai Dōshi 善財童子 (Skt. = Sudhana-śreṣṭhi-dārak). Other sources say Kichijōten and Zennishi Dōji are merely attendants, not wife and son. This iconography related specifically to Bishamonten.
• Holding a weapon. Nearly always shown holding a weapon, which can vary, but in many cases it is a trident (sansageki 三叉戟), baton (hōbō 宝棒), halberd (hōko 鋒), or lance (shura 輸羅). Depending on his manifestation, either the right or left hand will hold the weapon.
• Circular Halo. All manifestations of the deity are often shown with a wheel (circular) halo with flames and/or eight spokes. The circular halo symbolizes divinity, and is found on numerous Buddhist deities. The wheel (or eight-spoked circle) represents the Wheel of Law (Rinpō 輪宝), which refers to the teaching / preaching of the law among the masses (i.e., turning the wheel of the law). The flame symbolizes purification and the burning away of attachment (desire).

BISHAMONTEN AS ONE OF TWELVE DEVA
Member of the Happōten 八方天, Jitten 十天, and Jūniten 十二天

1. Closeup of Bishamon, from a set of six-panelled folding screens known as Jūniten Byōbu 十二天屏風. Painted by Takuma Shōga 宅間勝賀 and dated to 1191, these are the oldest extant Japanese examples of such screens. They are preserved at Tōji Temple 東寺 in Kyoto. Each panel is 130 cm in height and 42.1 cm in width.
2. Full view of the Bishamon panel.
3. Image of the earth deva Jiten 地天 (Skt. Prthivi); represents "Down." In statuary, Bishamon is often shown standing atop the upturned palms of this earth goddess.

Above images scanned from Tōji Temple Catalog entitled 東寺国宝展 (National Treasures of Tōji), published in 1995 to commemorate the temple's 1,200 year anniversary. Published by Asahi Shimbun.

BISHAMONTEN AND KANNON
Protector of Devotees of the Lotus Sutra
One of 28 Guardians of Senju Kannon, One of 33 Forms of Kannon

EXPELLER OF ILLNESS AND DEMONS OF PLAGUE

BISHAMONTEN DRAWINGS FROM MEDIEVAL PERIOD

1. Bishamonten and 30 Attendants. The iconography of the system suggests the influence of Mt. Hiei's Tendai sect. Image from the Besson Zakki 別尊雑記 (Miscellaneous Notes on Individual Deities), compiled in the late 12th to early 13th centuries, which provides illustrations of many Buddhist deities and their attributes.
2. Bishamonten atop Jiten, flanked by two demons. Another drawing from the Besson Zakki.
3. Tobatsu Bishamonten and Four Attendants (unidentified). Ink on Paper, 12th-13th Century, H 51.3 cm, W 28.4 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
4. Polychrome drawing of Bishamon with numerous stamped images of Bishamon, sumi print on paper, H 56.4 cm, W = 32.3, Kamakura Era (1223), Treasure of Kōfukuji Temple 興福寺 in Nara. This drawing, along with others, were discovered inside a standing statue of an 11-Headed Kannon (also at Kōfukuji). Photo from 興福寺国宝展・鎌倉復興期のみほとけ (National Treasures of Kōfukuji from the Temple Revival of the Kamakura Period), published 18 Sept. 2004, Asahi Shimbun.
5. Closeup of Fig. 4 above.
6. Bishamonten in the Ninnōgyō Gohō Shozon-zu  仁王経五万諸尊図. Northern Section 北方, H = 150.6 cm, W = 96 cm, 14th-15th Century, Tōji Temple (Kyoto)
   
   also see 10th-century drawing of Tobatsu Bishamon at Tokyo University's site.

BISHAMONTEN WITH WIFE AND CHILD
Kichijōten 吉祥天 and Zennishi Dōji 善日童子

Kichijōten 吉祥天 (aka Kisshōten 吉祥天) is the goddess of beauty and fortune. She is the wife of Vishnu in Hindu myths, but in Buddhist texts and iconographies she appears as the wife of Bishamonten (e.g., Sange Shidai 山下次第, a Japanese text of the ?? century, says she is the wife of Bishamonten, but the 8th-century text Dainichi-Kyō-Sho 大日經疏 (T 1796) says she is a subordinant of Bishamon). She was worshipped widely in the Nara and Heian periods. By the late 17th century she was worshipped as one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods, but today she is largely forgotten (she is no longer a member of the seven), and her cult has been largely supplanted by goddess Benzaiten. Elsewhere, the Taimitsu 台密 branch of the Tendai school worships a deity called Sōshin Bishamonten 雙身毘沙門天, which combines an effigy of Bishamon with one of Kichijōten, placing them back to back. See Syncretic Associations below (Fig. 6) for details.

1. Bishamonten Sanzonzō 毘沙門天三尊像 (Bishamonten Triad). Bishamonten flanked by his wife Kichijōten 吉祥天 and his son Zennishi Dōji 善膩師童子. Wood, 13th Century, H = 168 cm, ICP, Sekkeiji Temple 雪蹊寺, Kōchi City 高知市, Kōchi Pref. Carved by TANKEI 湛慶 (+1173-1256), Unkei's eldest son and main apprentice. TANKEI was an acclaimed sculptor of the dominant Keiha school during the Kamakura period. During repairs in the Taishō era 大正時代 (1912-1926), an inscription was found inside the statue, naming its maker as TANKEI . Photo: 日本の仏像 #33.
   Made from Cypress (Hinoki ヒノキ), Yosegi-zukuri Technique 寄木造. Also see Kochi City J-site about this triad.
2. Bishamonten 毘沙門天三尊像, his his son Zennishi Dōji 善膩師童子, and his wife Kichijōten. Wood. 11th-12th Century. Bishamon H = 176 cm, Zennishi Dōji H = 95 cm, and Kichijōten H = 100 cm. Kurama Temple 鞍馬寺 (Kyoto), National Treasures.
3. Bishamonten and Kichijōten, 11th century (1078), Hōryūji Temple 法隆寺 (Nara), Wood with pigments, Bishamonten H = 123.2 cm, Kichijōten H = 116.7 cm. Bishamon uncharacteristically holds the stupa in his right hand. Photo from Comprehensive Dictionary of Japan's National Treasures. Kodansha 1985. ISBN 4-06-187822-0. Nat'l Treasures.
4. Bishamon standing atop demon, attended by wife (Kichijōten 吉祥天) and attendant (Zenzai Dōshi 善財童子). Late Heian Period, H = 111.5 cm, Wood, Keyaki ケヤキ, Ichiboku Zukuri 一木造 (all three). ICP of Miyagi Prefecture. Kichijōten and Zenzai Dōshi, and stupa made in later centuries. The demon was made in recent years, and has lost all trace of its former appearance. The central image was reportedly venerated by farmers asking for agricultural blessings. Attributed to Saichō 最澄 (767 - 822), founder of Japan's Tendai school, but this is highly unlikely. Treasure of Kōfukuji Temple 興福寺 in Kurihara City 栗原市 (Miyagi). Photo from Miyagi Prefecture web site.

KURAMA DERA, BISHAMON & KANNON

1. Fusō Ryakuki 扶桑略記, a text dated to 1150 AD, tells the story of Fujiwara no Isendo 藤原伊勢人 (759-827), who wants to build a temple dedicated to Kannon. The deity appears to him in a dream and shows him the place. Upon awakening, he mounts a horse and rides northward until he finds the spot, where he discovers an idol of Bishamon. He returns home, not knowing what to do. A youth appears to him in a dream and says Kannon and Bishamon are the same deity. So Fujiwara builds a sanctuary at that location for Bishamon.
    
2. Kuramafutadera Engi 鞍馬蓋寺縁起, written around 1340, says monk Gantei (Kantei) 鑑禎, in the year 770, dreamt that a white horse with jewel-studded saddle guided him to this holy site. When he awoke, he mounted a horse, which led him to this sacred spot, where he found an idol of Bishamon, and thereafter he built a small thatched sanctuary for it. Later, in 796, Fujiwara no Isendo, still hoping to build a temple dedicated to Kannon, dreamt as well of a white horse with jewel-studded saddle that guided him to the same location. When he visited the site, he found an idol of Bishamon. Not knowing what to do, he returned home, but that evening, in a dream, he is told that Kannon and Bishamon are the same deity. He thereafter built a hall for the Bishamon idol and also installed an idol of Kannon therein.
    
3. Wakan Sansai Zue 和漢三才図会, circa 1712, says Fujiwara no Isendo dreamt of a suitable place to construct a temple for Kannon. So he saddled his white horse and instructed a servant boy to ride it, telling him to let the horse go wherever it pleased. The animal eventually led the boy to the sacred spot, where it suddenly stopped. When informed of the situation, Fujiwara visited the location and found an idol of Bishamon. He thereafter built a temple for the deity, but remained unhappy because his real intention had been to build a hall dedicated to Kannon. He then had another dream, telling him that Bishamon and Kannon were the same deity with different names. He then built another hall and installed a Kannon image therein.
    
4. SPECULATIVE. One of Kannon's many esoteric forms is Batō Kannon 馬頭観音 (lit. = Horse-Headed Kannon). Artwork of the deity is distinguished by the white horse's head worn atop its crown. The horse is one of the symbols of dominion of the "Ideal King" (Kyōryōrinjin 教令輪身 or Kyōryōjō-ō 教令聖王), known as Chakravartin in Sanskrit. Perhaps Bishamon is linked to Kannon via this channel (i.e., white horse, or white horse's head) as well.
   
   Kurama Dera literally means "Horse Saddle Temple," a befitting moniker as both Gantei and Fujiwara were both guided there on saddle-back.

KURAMA DERA'S BISHAMON STATUE

Bishamonten, Wood, H = 176 cm
Kurama Temple 鞍馬寺, Kyoto
Heian Era, Nat'l Treasure

Bishamon chart
 courtesy of Kokufuku J-Site
see chart below for terms and definitions

1. Kaenkō 火炎光

flame nimbus; flame design in wheel halo

2. Rinpōkō 輪宝光

also spelled 輪寶光; wheel-shaped halo

3. Kyōkō 胸甲

breastplate, armor

4. Shikama 獅噛み

lion head emblem; image of the shishi 獅子

5. Fukukō or Fukkō 腹甲

plastron, protective armor

6. Hō or Hōko 鋒

halberd (or weapon like a trident, spear, lance)

7. Kenkō 肩甲

shoulder armor

8. Mo 裳

robe, skirt

9. Keikō 脛甲

leg (shin) armor

10. Kutsu 沓裳

protective footwear

SYNCRETIC FORMS, SYNCRETIC ASSOCIATIONS

Bishamonten comes in various sycretic forms, including

• Sanmen Daikokuten 三面大黒天. Three-Headed Daikokuten, Benzaiten & Bishamonten.
• Tenkawa Benzaiten (Uga Benzaiten), with Bishamon and Daikoku as attendants.
• Shōgun Jizō 勝軍地蔵 (Victorious Jizō, Army-Conquering Jizō) and Shōteki Bishamon 勝敵毘沙門 (Enemy-Conquering Bishamon). Both appear in the artwork of Mt. Atago.
• Sōshin Bishamonten 雙身毘沙門天 or 双身毘沙門天, a dual-body form incompassing Bishamon-ten and Kichijō-ten (his wife) standing back to back.

click any image to enlarge

1. Sanmen Daikokuten 三面大黒天 (Three-Headed Daikokuten). Wood, Late 17th Century, Eishinji Temple 英信寺, Tokyo.  A special three-headed form of Daikokuten 大黑天, appearing around the latter half of the 14th century in the Tendai school and gaining great popularity in the Edo period. The center face is Daikokuten, the left Bishamonten, and the right Benzaiten 弁才天). All three were introduced independently to Japan in the 6th-8th centuries and originally served as state-protecting warrior deities. In this particular three-headed form (there are others), he is a war deity who conquers evil, but in the centuries that followed his introduction, he became a benevolent deity who awards followers with wealth and good fortune. The three heads are also said to protect the Three Buddhist Treasures (the Buddha, the law, and the community of followers). Today each of these three Hindu-derived deities is worshipped in his/her own right, and all three are popular members of Japan's 7 Lucky Gods. View Daikokuten page for details. Photos courtesy this J-site.
2. Uga Benzaiten Mandala (Tenkawa Benzaiten) 天川弁才天曼荼羅. The snake-headed Benzaiten (Uga Benzaiten) surrounded by the black-colored Daikokuten holding his magic mallet and bag, by Bishamonten holding his pagoda of treasure, and by Benzaiten's 15 disciples. Above the 8-armed central deity are two astral bodies floating on clouds (probably the sun and moon), and two flying white foxes. These foxes probably represent Inari, the kami of rice and wealth, and Dakini, the Hindu-Buddhist goddess of wealth. Both are associated with white foxes. Ugajin (human-headed snake) and a shrine gate appear atop Benzaiten's head. Photo from this J-site. Dated to the 16th or 17th century (guesstimate). These are complex waters, which will be discussed in detail sometime in the near future on our Benzaiten page.
3. Uga Benzaiten, Her 15 Disciples, along with Bishamonten and Daikokuten. As appearing in Philipp Franz von Siebold. Nippon Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan. Leiden (1831 CE). Siebold got this image from the Butsuzō-zu-i 仏像図彙, "Collected Illustrations of Buddhist Images." Published 1690 (Genroku 元禄 3), a major Japanese dictionary of Buddhist iconography. Photo Page   |   Index Page   |   Top Page   |   Text Search
4. Buddhist-Shinto Deities of Atago Mountain. Print mounted on panel, Edo Period. Shōgun Jizō is a form of Jizō widely venerated by warriors and accompanied in legend and artwork by Bishamon and other deities like En no Gyōja 役行者, Fudō Myō-ō 不動明王, and the birdman Tengu 天狗. The cult originated sometime in the Muromachi period. Photo from Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.View our Shōgun Jizō Page for more details.
5. Messenger of Bishamon. Woodblock print, Edo period, 1857, ink and color on paper. Dated to 1857. Artist Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重 (1797-1858). H = 36.1 cm, W = 24 cm. The inscription reads "Third day of the first month, the Messenger of Bishamon 正月三日毘沙門使." Keywords: Ceremony at Atago (Atago no Shinji 愛宕の神事); Messenger from Atago, Atago no Tsukai 愛宕の使; o-koto no tsukai お事の使; first visit to Atago (Hatsu Atago 初愛宕). Says independent scholar Gabi Greve: "There is a ceremony on January 3 at the temple Enpuku-ji in Atago/Kyoto. Priests from various temples around gather here to celebrate the eating of the first white rice in large portions. Suddenly the Messenger from Bishamonten appears (with two others) in special colorful robes. He wears a samurai's helmet and a large staff in the form of a rice spatula (shamoji 杓子), with which he stabs the earth three times." Photo courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Also see this J-site.
6. Sōshin Bishamonten 雙身毘沙門天 or 双身毘沙門天. Photo from this J-store. Says the Flammarion Iconographic Guide by Louis Frederick>: "An esoteric deity particular to  the Taimitsu 台密 branch of the Tendai sect combines the image of Bishamon with that of Kichijō-ten [editor's note: Bishamon's wife] and places them back to back. This double deity is then called Sōshin Bishamon-ten. It is very seldom represented and virtually never shown to lay people. <source: Flammarion, p. 244, which quotes from the Hōbōgirin by Sylvain Lévi (1863-1935) and Takakusu Junjirō 高楠 順次郎 (1866-1945) , I, p. 83, fig. 40.> This image calls to mind the dual-body iconography of the Hindu deity Kankiten 歓喜天(aka Shōten 聖天). In addition, Kichijō-ten is equated with Myōken 妙見 (the deification of the Northern Polar Star) in the Jimon 寺門 branch of the Tendai sect. In the latter case, it is interesting to note that Bishamon and Myōken (aka Kichijōten) are guardians of the north.

Why do Bishamonten, Daikokuten, and Benzaiten appear often together in artwork? Unknown, but all three are worshipped independently in Japan, all are members of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan, and all share various associations that involve the iconography of warfare and prosperity. For example, all three were introduced independently to Japan in the 6th-8th centuries as state-protecting warrior deities. This helps to explain why the three are portrayed together as the three-headed Sanmen Daikokuten, a deity introduced around the late 14th century and worshipped initially by samurai. Further, all three came to great prominence during the Muromachi period 室町時代 (approx. 1336 to 1573), a time of incessant civil disturbance and war. The great military commanders of those days adopted these deities as personal saviors. The 8-armed form of Benzaiten, for instance, was popular among samurai warriors like Minamoto Yoritomo 源頼朝 (1147-1199; the first shogun), Oda Nobunaga 織田信長 (1534-1582; the great unifier), Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣秀吉 (1536-1598; Nobunaga's chief general), and Kobayakawa Takakage 小早川隆景 (1533-1597; a powerful daimyo and ally of Hideyoshi). The founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 (1543-1616), was a fervent believer in Daikokuten. Both Minamoto Yoritomo and Taira no Kiyomori 平清盛 (1118-1181) worshipped Bishamonten to keep personal enemies at bay. Finally, from the 13th through 15th centuries, the orthodox Buddhist sects (Shingon and Tendai plus the Six Schools of Nara) competed fiercely for followers, not only among themselves, but against the newly formed and thriving schools of the Kamakura reformation (Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren), which stressed pure and simple faith over complicated rites and doctrines and deplored the perfumed embroidery of the court and the intellectual elitism of the entrenched monasteries (see our From Court Buddhism to Commoner Buddhism Page for details). Amidst this volatile scene, Japan's orthodox sects probably employed popular gods in new formats to attract and maintain their followers. The Seven Lucky Gods of Japan appeared sometime between the 15th and 17th centuries. If the above overview is accurate, it helps to explain why Bishamonten, Daikokuten, and Benzaiten appear often together in Japanese artwork, and why these three deities were included among Japan's Seven Lucky Gods.

BISHAMONTEN & SEVEN LUCKY GODS OF JAPAN

The Shichifukujin 七福神 are an eclectic group of deities from Japan, India, and China. Only one is native to Japan (Ebisu) and Japan's indigenous Shintō tradition. Three are from the Hindu-Buddhist pantheon of India (Daikokuten, Bishamonten, & Benzaiten) and three from Chinese Taoist-Buddhist traditions (Hotei, Jurōjin, & Fukurokuju).Each deity existed independently before Japan's "artificial" creation of the group. The origin of the group in unclear -- some say the Muromachi Era (1392-1568), others the 17th century. By the 19th century, most major cities had developed special pilgrimage circuits for the seven. These pilgrimages remain well trodden in modern times, but many people now use cars, buses, and trains to move between the sites. Today, painted, sculpted, and printed images of the seven appear with great frequency in Japan. They are popular with people from all walks of life as an auspicious omen and motif of good fortune and longevity. Although Bishamonten, Daikokuten, and Benzaiten originated as martial deities, they often appear friendly and jolly in contemporary times. Visit our Seven Lucky Gods page for more details.

 
click any image to enlarge

1. Modern poster image found at Myōryūji Temple 妙隆寺 in Kamakura. The temple also sells shikishi 色紙 with this image. Myōryūji Temple is the 7th site on the Kamakura Pilgrimage to the 7 Lucky Gods.
2. Ivory Bishamonten in the collection of Andres Bernhard (Rapick) in Italy.
3. Modern Bishamon amulet available for purchase at our siste site. 
4. Stone statue in private garden in Kamakura City, Early 20th Century.

Click here for hundreds of Japanese cartoons of the Seven Lucky Gods

KUBERA / KUVERA NOTEBOOK

NOTES OF CONFUSION
GREAT BLACK ONES, BLACK WARRIORS
KUBERA, BISHAMONTEN, & DAIKOKUTEN (MAHAKALA). Daikoku originates from the Hindu deity Mahakala, the "Great Black One." Mahakala in turn may have originated from another Hindu deity named Kubera (Kuvera), the latter closely associated with the color black and wealth. The situation gets even more complicated, for Tamonten (also known as Bishamonten), the chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and the guardian of the north and winter, is considered the primary Buddhist emanation of Kubera / Kuvera.

• Says Meher McArthur, the curator of East Asian Art at the Pacific Asia Museum (Pasadena): "According to the writings of a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, images of a seated god holding a bag of gold were placed at the doorways of monasteries and were anointed with oil by worshippers. The oil turned the statues black, and so the figures were known as Mahakala, or "Great Black One." The bag of gold is an attribute of the Hindu deity Kubera, the God of Wealth, so the deity may have originated as Kubera. In Nepal, images of Mahakala closely resemble Kubera and may be one and the same deity. In Japan, Mahakala is worshipped as Daikoku or Makiakara-ten, the "Great Black One" in Esoteric Buddhism. But since the 17th century, the deity became better known as Daikoku or Daikokuten, the God of Wealth, and one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin)."  <quoted from McArthur's book "Reading Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhist Signs & Symbols." ISBN 0-500-28428-8, Published 2002 by Thames & Hudson. Click here to view or buy book at Amazon. > 
   
• There are many similarities between Daikoku (Skt. = Mahakala, Great Black One), and Kubera (Hindu god of wealth). In Japan, Daikoku is derived from Mahakala. He is not, to my knowledge, considered a manifestation of Kubera, as some site readers have suggested. In Japan, Kubera is better known as Tamonten or Bishamonten. Kubera is the Hindu god of darkness, treasures, and wealth, and guards the north. His color is BLACK, and he is sometimes called the "Black Warrior." In India, his symbols are the flag, the jewel, and the mongoose. The Kinnara (Kimnara) are celestial musicians with human bodies and horses' heads, officiating at the court of Kubera / Kuvera. In China, Buddhist monks claim that the Taoist deity of the Kitchens, Zao Jun, is in fact a Kinnara. In India, and Hindu legends, the Kinnara are birds of paradise, and typically represented as birds with human heads playing musical instruments.
  
  Daikoku and Kubera thus share the following associations -- the color black, the kitchen (see kitchen gods), and wealth. Yet, to my knowledge, in Japan, Daikoku is not known as Kubera. Instead, Kubera is identified with Bishamonten/Tamonten. Nevertheless, it is not impossible that some localities in Japan consider Daikoku to be a manifestation of Kubera or vice versa. However, with no concrete evidence to underpin this association, I will continue to consider Daikoku and Kubera as independent and separate deities despite their overlapping iconography. For more on Japan's various kitchen gods, click here.
   
• Eight Yasha Generals of Bishamonten (aka Bishamonten Yasha Hachidaishō 毘沙門天夜叉八大将). Says JAANUS: "Yasha 夜叉. Also Yakusha 薬叉 (Skt. = Yaksa). A class of semi-divine beings usually considered to be of a benevolent and inoffensive disposition but sometimes also classed with malignant spirits such as the Rasetsu 羅刹. The female counterparts are called Yashanyo 夜叉女 (Skt. = Yaksi, Yaksini) and were regarded in particular as tree nymphs or symbols of fertility. Yasha were adopted into Buddhism at an early stage, and many finely executed stone reliefs and statues are to be found at Sanchi, Mathura, and elsewhere in India. Eventually they came to be included among the eight classes of being that protect Buddhism (Hachibushū 八部衆). They also act as attendants of Bishamonten 毘沙門天, who is said to have under his command Eight Yasha Generals. The Twelve Divine Generals (Jūni Shinshou 十二神将 who protect devotees of Yakushi Buddha 薬師 and the Sixteen Good Gods (Jūroku Zenjin 十六善神) who protect the Daihannyakyō 大般若経 (Great Wisdom Sutra) also belong to the category of Yasha."
  
  One of Bishamon's generals is Daigensui 大元帥 (aka Daigensui Myō-ō 大元帥明王). Says Clemente Beghi in the CSJR Newsletter (#16-17, Jan. 2008): "He is traditionally considered a general of demons (Jp. = kijin daishō 鬼神大将), but it is only in Śubhakarasiṃha's Ritual Manual of the Dhāraṇī Sūtra of Mareshal Āṭavika Great Commander (Jp.  Atabaku-gensui-taishō-jōbutsudaranikyō-shugyō-giki 阿吒薄俱元帥大將上佛陀羅尼經修行儀軌), that the term 'marshal' (yuanshuai 元帥), the highest Chinese military title, is attributed to him." <end quote>
   
• Says JAANUS: "Daigensui Myō-ō大元帥明王. One of Bishamonten's eight Yasha attendants, shares many of the functions attributed to Tobatsu Bishamonten -- namely, both are protectors of the nation and invoked in ceremonies to quell foreign enemies. Daigensui is the central deity in the rite known as Daigensuihō 大元帥法, an esoteric ritual performed specifically to quell foreign invaders or internal rebellions. It was first perfomed in 840 for Emperor Ninmyō 仁明, and even today it is still performed in the year following the accession of an emperor.
   
• Says the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism: "Yasha 夜叉 (Chn. = Yèchā). The eight attendants of Kuvera 八大將, or Vaiśravaṇa, the god of wealth; those on earth bestow wealth, those in the empyrean houses and carriages, those in the lower heavens guard the moat and gates of the heavenly city. There is another set of sixteen. The names of all are given in the Dhāraṇī-sammucaya-sūtra 陀羅尼集經. See also rakṣa 羅刹 and kṛtya 吉遮. Yakṣa-kṛtya are credited with the powers of both yakṣa and kṛtya. Also transliterated as 乞叉; 藥叉; 閱叉." <end quote>
   
• Writes DE VISSER [where; must give proper citation]: "In the Bishamontennō-kyō, it states that when a practitioner recites the sutra and makes offerings to Bishamon, the deity will manifest in the form of a dōji or a layperson, according to the wish of the practitioner. See T. 21, 1244: 215-216, 216a. Furthermore, the sutra says "those who recite the sutra will obtain the ability to fly about freely." Art historians Miya Tsugio and Sawa Takaaki have suggested that the sword-gohō is the fifth servant spirit of Bishamonten, which is evident from the similarity of images of the dōji with that of this fifth servant spirit (an adult wearing a similar sword suit). Miya Tsugio, "Shigisan engi kyojitsu zakkō," in Bukkyō setsuwa-e no kenkyū, ed. Kameda Tsutomu (Tokyo: Tokyo bijitsu, 1979), pp. 129-146. For the image, see Taishō zuzōbu 7, 551; Sawa Takaaki, "Shigisan engi to Toba s?j? Kakuyu-kō," in Nihon emaki taisei 4: Shigisan engi (Tokyo: Ch??koronsha, 1977).........From this story we discover that the gohō dōji had red hair and had great strength. This gohō dōji belonged to Bishamonten's family and was a converted yaksa, thus he was a yaksa dōji. Bishamonten was served by a number of these yaksa dōji. Owing to the fact that they were converted demonic spirits, they could forget the rules and fail to exercise moderation at times, ending up inflicting cruelty and violence when they used their strength during the performance of their assigned duties. Even though they were commanded by kami, buddhas, and monks, and served them, they could kill other beings over a mistake, or in anger. Gohō were powerful, dangerous, and turbulent spirits, whose negligence or zeal was sometimes out of control in the fulfillment of an order."