Sonja Binner 1

Sonja Binner
Art 117B
T/Th 12:00-1:15
Pof. John Listopad
(Third draft)

Fudo: The Buddhist deity Achala Vidyaraja (Fudo Mayoo), Heian Period (794-1185)

Introduction
In February, I went to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco to choose an Artwork for
my final project. Before I had visited the Asian Museum in San Francisco. I made a trip to the
Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento, because I liked to have a better idea what kind of sculpture
that would interest me. It was a big challenge for me because I had a hard time to make a
decision. I took a lot of pictures on that day and decided later with my Professor the kind of
Artwork I will work on for my final paper. I am very happy with my decision now. I will try to
get the religious, literary reference and the iconography in a context to the deities. The Esoteric
visual culture are modern designations, whereas terms for icon, image, Mandela, ritual
implement, painting, symbols, and so on have a long history of Buddhist tradition.1
Description
Fudo Mayoo is the God of Fire, and is known as a guardian deity in Japan. The Godai
Myoo and the Godairiki Bosatsu (Five Power Bodhisattvas) are fully enlightened, but differ in
being wrathful forms of compassion, using their great powers and energy to vanquish evil.2 The
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Five Power Bodhisattvas can also be called the four Guardian Kings because of the direction
they are positioned and the arrangement seeing at a low altar as a kind of sculptural mandala.3 It
is interesting that Fudo may have been sculptured following a drawing Kukai brought back from
China. The Majoo, being new to the Japanese Buddhist pantheon, came from a separate tradition
of image and it may be first imported into Japanese iconographic drawings.4 Fudo Majoo has a
strong physique body language seating on a pedestal with crossed legs. Over Fudos left shoulder,
he is wearing a large rectangular shawl like garment and covered his left shoulder down to his
legs. His arms are bent. In his left hand he has a rope and in his right he has a sword. Fudo has a
very frightening look on his face, and one would wonder what will be his next move. It feel like
he will start to fight or is in bad mood or very angry. When we look down to his legs, he has it
crossed in a yoga position, called the lotus posture like we see on a Buddha statue. In the back of
the figure we see a big fire or swirling flame coming up from the bottom in red and yellow color
like real fire. We also could say he is sitting on the fire and the flames are behind him. He is
wearing a robe that covers his left shoulder but not his right. We can see the bare half of his chest
and the right shoulder but the rest of his body is covered with the robe. On his upper arm, he has
some jewelry hanging down to his elbow. Fudos long hair is worn in a bundle together and
hanging down to his shoulder with no crown. He represents a very powerful sculpture made out
of wood. Fudo is very important because he is one of the 13 deities and also known as the five

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Bright Kings in Japanese Buddhism and folk religion. 5 He converts anger into compassion and
cuts the ties of negative feelings, demons, and liberates us from suffering through self-control.
The interest in Fudou spread gradually because of the rise of interest in paradises; he
appears in stories and desire to be reborn in paradise or coming to rescue them in hell. Fudo
Mayoo was one of the favorite deities but even now in our time he still is very popular.6
The term Esoteric Buddhism in East Asia is very important to understand because of the
visual culture such as icons, image, mandala, painting, symbol, and so on in the long history of
Buddhist traditions.7 The word esoteric Buddhism means secrete teaching and came from Kukai
and the Japanese Mikkyo. In the Japanese Buddhism or Esoteric/Esotericism refers to the beliefs
and practices of the Shingon School.8 The Esoteric practice such as spells and rituals connected
to the tantra or other magic rites maybe considered the schools to be esoteric traditions.9 The
Shingon School, can also be called as Shingon sect.10 In Japan the beliefs of practices of esoteric
Buddhism is still popular today. The Shingon School was teaching the three secrets of the
Dharmakaya Buddha in Shingon Buddhism and they are mantras, together with mudras and
kanso (contemplations).11 Kukais writings and activities showed a new way of practicing and

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understanding the sutras so he could train priest in the mantra teaching. The name Shingonshun
was created from the court to train priest and give privileges to the Tendai sect and broader
political interest in the new form of teachings.
But how does Fudo function in Shingon Buddhism? Fudo Mayoo (Acalanatha, the King
of Light) is a major deity in Shigon teaching as shown in paintings and sculpture. Fudo represent
a bringer of light and wisdom and he was a popular household icon, particular for his power and
could be invoked by prayer. 12
Religion
The first step is to determine which religious mythos Fudo belongs to. Fudo belongs to
the Esoteric art (Mikkyo bijutsu) and the more recent esoteric visual culture are modern
designations seeing in icons, Mandela, etc. and have a long history within Buddhist tradition.13
The Esoteric is more a secret belief and used in spiritual practice with hidden meanings and
symbolism in religious movement verses philosophical and historical context. When we use the
term in Japan we refer to the beliefs and practices of the Shingon School.14The Shingon School
definitions of Esoteric were beliefs in visual culture, such as icons and put it in a historical
context. The Lecture Hall with their icons was considered as the new visual and ritual
conventions. Toji was the first monastery designed by the court for the training and Shingon

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priest, but on the other hand the ritual spaces and the visual representation of the divinities of the
new teaching were still in process to be formed.
A different religion praxis in then Edo period was the Shugendo/Shugenja and the major
deity was Fudo Majoo for the worship in the Shugendo temples. The events were hold in the
spring to offer flowers to the divinities in mountains or village.15 Since Fudo was the chief
deities16 of Shugendo praxis, people prayed for his protection against evil, misfortune, and to
gain protection for the village. 17 By praying directly to Fudo and invoking his power they
believed they could banish the evil spirit. 18
Iconography
When we look closely at the Fudo sculpture we have to explain the Iconography in depth
what it means and how to interpret it. The Five Great Myoo seeing in the Lecture Hall, Toji in
Kyoto.19 Toji (Eastern Temple) is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect in the city center of
Kyoto, Japan. It is known as the five story pagoda with highest wooden tower in Japan.20
Fudo is holding in his left hand a lasso and in his right hand a sword with a vajra21
handle. His hair is pulled into a braid on one side of his head. The eyes are wide open, but it

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seems like he is looking downward not to the viewer. His face expression is alert. His head is
slightly turned and looks like he is looking to the right. 22 Fudo is in the middle seated as a central
figure and around him four Bodhisattvas. They are called the Five Power Bodhisattvas. The five
deities are shown in different positions with flaming halos and some have multiple arms and
legs. Fudo and the four other Myoo are described in the Benevolent Kings Sutra and called them
the Five Power Bodhisattvas as protector of the state. 23 They were arranged in the four direction
in the center is Fudo and the four Bodhisattvas each in a different direction such as East, South,
West, and North. The Bodhisattvas are shown in different position. All are standing and having
different arm positions with different attributes in their hands. All have a little flame halo in the
back of their heads. These figures are labeled by position rather than by directional location.24
The statues are evidence that icons likely based on ritual text for the sutra were made for the
monastery.25 Fudo is the most important sculpture 26of all and located on the West altar. Hamada
Takashi discussed the altar of the Five Great Myoo group and argues the iconography of the
statues differs in place from the iconography. The technique used for the Myoo and the
bodhisattvas is very similar and carved out of one single block of wood. 27 Interestingly, more
pieces of wood were used for the other sculpture because of the size and the details of the figure.

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The material used to create the Fudo sculpture was wood with lacquer, some pigments and textile
patterns.
Story
In China and Japan the Fudo Myoo is golden or yellow also called Acalantha. Most of the
scholars dont talk about the red Fudo at all. His attribute is different than the yellow one. Fudo
Mayoo is a very important cult figure in Japanese Buddhism. The Akafudon (Red Fudou) of
Myououin on Mt. Kouya holds a sword with the drag on Kurikara wound around it. He sits on a
rock a companied by Seitakadouji and Kongara. Seitakadouji is one of two chief attendants and
Kongara is the other one and also counted among Fudou Myouous eight attendants.28In the
Tendaishu Enryakuji zasu Enchin (Biography of Enchin of the Enryakuji of the Tendai School)
related to the story of a golden Fudo who appeared while he practiced meditative rites in a
cave.29 Behind the mythos in the year 833 in the afternoon, he was setting in meditation in a
cave. Suddenly a golden person spoke to him, and told him he should create a picture of what he
sees or remember and continues with the meditation. The golden figure said, I am the golden
Fudo Myoo, I will always protect you and you have to follow the three mysteries in order to
save sentient beings.30 The vision that showed up was very powerful and mysterious with bright
light around him. He had a sword in his hand while his feet didnt touch the ground; it felt like he
is in the air. Kasho promised himself and with very deep feelings in his heart to serve and to
follow the vision. The image he made was very close to his vision. After Enchins vision he

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remembered the painting of the Yellow Fudo Myoo of Onjoji31 he has seen in China and he very
much admired. The Onjoji painting is so secret that it was said it had been lost in a fire in the
early 12th century but copies have survived.32
Prove
Hama Takashi discussed the altar of the Five Great Myoo group and argues the
iconography of the statues differs in place from the iconography drawings seen in the Benevolent
Kings Sutra ritual mandala; for example Fudo is sitting and the Bodhisattvas around him are
standing.33 The lecture Hall altar must be based on different lost mandalas imported by Kukai
and sculpture were created from copies. Kukai had his own concept and meant to combine the
old and new into a synthetic whole.34 Kukai planned several other Mikkyo halls and altars prior
to Toji and named Takaosanji known as Hall for the Five Great Myoo, but didnt survive.35 If that
is true the Five Great Myoo could be the first sculptured examples of the Toji icons. After all, we
dont know too much about the sculpture workshop in the Lecture Hall, but it was assumed that
the Emperors court sponsored the work. The evidence we have is recorded in 806 that twelve
craftsmen from the Office for Construction at Toji did the work.36 In the Toji Hall the product of
the sculpture was a historical important product and after Kukais death the work continue to be
done in the same way he did. One study of the Toji Lecture Hall altar, to my knowledge,
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speculates about actual performance of rites at the Lecture Hall during the 9th century, because a
different scholar argues the work and intended it was promote to national peace and protection.37
No prove of a red Fudou is made by the other scholars only Jaanus talked about it. Jaanus says
Fudo is an Indian origin but there is no evidence of extend early Indian images. They are few in
the 8th century images from China including stone relief sculpture now in a Museum in Chicago
and they are later images from Tibet and India.38
Summary
Manson has the same suggestion as Bogel and that the Fudo sculpture was made from
drawings Kukai brought back from China. The iconography by Manson is more detailed in
description, but not very different how Fudo looks like. In Bogels description about esoteric
Buddhism goes in depth and explained very deeply to understand how it works and how it can be
related to the Fudo sculpture. In Mansons book the Fudo sculpture in the lecture hall, Toji is
different to the in Asian Museum on display. For instance the flames in the back are more
defined and colorful in the Asian Art Museum and his legs are covered with cloths. The picture
in Mansons book looks different, the face is more round and the body is heavier and it shows his
right leg or foot is above his left leg. The flames are around his back and no color is seeing. It
may be a copy of the Fudo in Asian Art Museum. In Jaanus research he is talking about a red
Fudu, but it isnt an evidence for that. He says in India have some images as well but no evidence
exist for that. Every scholar I research had something in common but also very different opinion
to the Fudo Majoo sculpture and his five Bodhisattvas.
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Resource Type: Artwork, Colors on Wood

Region: Japan 1000-1100
The Avery Brundage Collection, B60S146
Topic: Looking at Art, Beliefs
Seen in Asian Art museum, San Francisco

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Bibliography
Cynthea J. Bogel.With a single Glance: Buddhist icon and early Mikkyo Virsion.2009
Penelope Mason, History of Japanese Art, 2nd edition 2005. Person Education publishing
Joan Stanley Baker. Japanese Art. New York. Thames and Hudson.1984
Kazuo Kasahara.A History of Japanese Religion.Japan.Kosei Publishing Co.2001
www.aisf.or.jp/jaanus

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