Robin Beck: Visualizing Bodhisattva Manjusri on Nichiren's Gohonzon

December 23, 2008

Visualizing Bodhisattva Manjusri on Nichiren's Gohonzon

There are a number of ways to behold Manjusri, who is Buddhism's Great Patron Bodhisattva of Discerning Wisdom, while chanting his mantra: Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhih. One of these is to visualize his presence at the Cremony in Open Space, as depicted in calligraphy on Nichiren Shonin's Gohonzon. Monju {文殊} and Samantabhadra 普賢 {Puxian / Fugen} are among four Trace Gate 迹門 {shakumon} Bodhisattvas from the Lotus Sutra; who were chosen by Nichiren Shonin to be represnted on his Great Mandala Gohonzon. The other two are Bhaishajyaraja 薬王 {yakuo}; who represents healing, and Maitreya 弥勒 {miroku}; the Coming Samyaksambuddha who represents kindness {Metta / Maitri}. Monju symbolizes Discerning Wisdom, a discipline of of the Conceptual Mind or the Samjna Skandha; while Fugen symbolizes Benevolent Action, a which can be taken as a discipline of Body and Form or the Rupa Skandha.

Together with Samantabhadra {Fugen}, Monju is said to have attended the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni. They are often paired opposite each other on mandalas or in statuary configurations, flanking Shakyamuni. On most of Nichiren's very formal Ten Worlds Great Mandala Gohonzons; Monju and Fugen are on opposite sides of the central Daimoku, they occupy the inner most positions in the second row from the top. Namu Monju Shiri Bosatsu [南無文殊師利菩薩] is positioned directly below Namu Taho Nyorai [南無多宝如来] on the left of the mandala, which is your right.

That will work for copies the Shutei Honzon, the Denpo Honzon, and the Kito Honzon; as well as the Nittatsu & Nikken Transciptions issued by Taisekiji. Note that the Trace Gate Bodhisattvas are omitted in the SGI Nichikan Gohonzon; you will not find them there. The Mannen Kugo Daihonzon of 1274 is configured quite a bit differently, but you will find Monju in about the same position, except that Fugen is on the same {left, right facing} side, to Monju's left {your right}. On the Ichinen Sanzen Honzon; iirc, Nan {南} Mu {無} Monju {文殊} Fugen {普賢} Bosastsu {菩薩} is the third entry on your left, facing, reading right to left.

The Manjushri mantra is said to enhance explaining, debating, writing, critical thinking, memory, and so on. According to Wildmind: "Manjushri is associated with ordinary intelligence and mental accuity as well as transcendent Wisdom, and his mantra Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih is said to confer intelligence. Shantideva, the author of the great Bodhicaryavatara ("Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life") is said to have gained his wisdom by communing with Manjushri by night, while appearing by day as a slovenly and lazy scholar-monk."

I also see Manjushiri as the Trace Gate parallel of the Source Gate Mahasattva Bodhisattva Anantacaritra 無辺行 {muhengyo}; who represents the innate virtue {guna} of Immediacy / Constancy or nicca / Nitya 常住 {joju}. So Monju would be like a sketch, conception, perception, and gradual achievement of Emptiness / Timelessness; while Muhengyo is its omnipresent reality. Note that the one of the primary Buddhist words for Eternity or Infinity; Nicca / Nitya 常住 {joju} means both constancy and immediacy. When we think of eternity; we tend to imagine some time in the remote past or distant future. Infinite space conjures up images of far away galaxies. However, Nitya is right here, right now, always.

I added some pictures below:

Dial Up Internet

Posted by rbeck at December 23, 2008 07:34 AM

Comments

Clock,

I get into Aizen & Fudo a kittle bit here:

Power of Threes; Benefits of Nichiren Buddhism
Ninth Consciousness Explorations of Nichiren Buddhism; Buddhist Meditation, Iconography, Epistemology, Healing, and wherever else my mind may roam.

http://mettasense.blogspot.com/2008/12/power-of-threes-benefits-of-nichiren.html

http://preview.tinyurl.com/a2lu7q

http://tinyurl.com/a2lu7q

Posted by: robin at December 31, 2008 02:59 PM

Cl.

I can not help un-blur that. The Vajra schemes I have looked at view Mahavairochana as the Dharmakaya buddha, with Aizen and Fudo as his messengers. That is also real fuzzy to me.
vidya Raja would indicate that Aizen and Fuso represent an objective but esoteric knowledge.

Manjushri, in his exoteric appearance on the Great Mandala, appears to represent the merit of discernment or prajna pointing to the virtue of nitya or constancy.

In the LS, he was a teacher of historical Buddhas; and had actually been an hostorical at one time. Whereas Maitreya was confused by the events in the Lotus Sutra, Manjushri knew what wass coming next.

Mairti = loving kindness of the heart.
Prajna = discerning mind.

Just some thoughts.

Posted by: robin at December 30, 2008 02:27 PM

Robin,

Thanks for pointing that out. My interest right now is, for iconographic analysis, the correlation between Samantabhadra/Vajrasattva/Aizen-myo-o and the relationship between Fudo-myo-o on the Gohonzon. As of now, I've only got some vague indication of a sort of 'function' of the Gohonzon, so to speak. To elevate that further, upon re-reading the bardo thodol, to see Samantabhadra, the embodiment of dharmakaya in this case, as an initial point of refuge....then it starts to get blurry....Shakyamuni trinity?

namaste

Posted by: cl at December 29, 2008 08:28 AM

Right now, I am only looking at Samantabhadra as depicted as himself, on the Nichiren style Gohonzon. See the images I added. In thst sense, he is paired opposite Manjushri, who is the focus of this entry. More later.

Posted by: robin at December 28, 2008 09:56 AM

I think the Tibetans make Samantabhadra a universal Buddha and so there is a comparison with Vairocana.

Posted by: clown hidden at December 26, 2008 01:00 PM

Robin,

It is my understanding, through personal research, that "fugen bosatsu" is present in the Nichikan "ceremony" as Aizen Myo-o (representing Samantabhadra-womb world-five elements of objective truth-yearning for the enlightenment through earthly desires) The seed sound being "HO".

However, it is not entirely clear to me if or how samantabhadra is also an emination of Shakyamuni as Vairocana (?)

On the other side of the Daimoku, we have, of course, Fudo Myo-o in siddham. Fudo representing diamond realm "immovable truth- cutting through delusion"- seed sound of "HAM"

In any case, it is through the two Siddham characters, their interplay, that I think is a strong motivation to wield the diamond sword (pure or abstract thought made manifest as real)
and win this thing.

namaste

Posted by: cl at December 26, 2008 08:56 AM