Encyclopedia of Tenbu Buddhist Statues (Tokyo Bijutsu Sensho (35))
Encyclopedia of Tenbu Buddhist Statues (Tokyo Bijutsu Sensho (35))
This is a book that explains a type of Buddhist statue known as Tenbu (Heavenly Beings).
It contains many deities with names ending in "-ten," such as Bishamonten and Benzaiten. It also includes deities whose names do not end in "-ten," such as Ashura and Karura.
In short, it is an encyclopedia of deities that appear in Buddhism. These are the deities who are (considered to be) followers of Buddhism.
Many of these deities were originally gods of Brahmanism. Brahmanism was a religion that flourished in and around India before Buddhism.
From the perspective of nascent Buddhism, Brahmanism was a rival religion. They essentially took powerful deities from the enemy and made them their own allies.
Although this book was published quite a while ago, its content has not aged.
It can be said to be the most detailed encyclopedia of Tenbu available in Japanese.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Buddhism and Buddhist statues.
It is especially recommended for those who think, "Esoteric Buddhism, with its many Buddhas and deities, is cool!" (^^)
This is because Tenbu appear frequently in Esoteric Buddhism.
I have written the table of contents for this book below.
Some parts contain machine-dependent characters. Depending on your PC environment, they may appear as garbled text. Please forgive this.
What is Ten?
Composition of Ten
Iconography of Ten
Deities of Worldly Benefits
Individual Tenbu Deities
1 Brahma and Indra
Brahma (Mahabrahma)
Indra (Taishakuten)
2 The Eight Legions (Tianlong Babu)
Deva
Naga
Yaksha
Gandharva (Sendan Gandharva)
Ashura
Garuda (Karura)
Kimnara (Appendix) Kumbhanda
Mahoraga
3 Divine General Forms
Vajrapani (Nio, Shukongoshin, Misshaku Kongo)
Four Heavenly Kings
Bishamonten (Tamonten)
Tobatsu Bishamonten
Sanshi Taisho
Idaten
Twelve Divine Generals
Sixteen Good Deities
Twenty-eight Legions
4 Female Deities
Kisshoten
Kissho Keka-e (Appendix) Hozotennyo
Benzaiten
Gigeiten
Hariti (Kishimojin)
(Appendix) Priyankara
Janguli Kumari
Marishiten
5 The Twelve Devas
Agni (Katen)
Yama (Enmaten)
(Appendix) Retinue of Yama: Yama's Consort
Taizan Fukun, Shimei, Shiroku
Godai Daijin, Chamunda
Joju Jimyosen, Seven Mothers (Shichimoten)
Dakiniten
Rakshasa (Rasetsuten)
Varuna (Suiten)
Vayu (Futen)
Ishana (Ishanaten)
Prthivi (Jiten) (Kenro Jishin)
Surya (Nitten)
Chandra (Gatten)
6 Others
Daikokuten (Appendix) Seven Lucky Gods
Kangiten (Shoten)
Mahesvara (Daijizaiten)
Jinja Taisho
Kumara (Kumaraten)
Narayana (Naraenten)
Kalavinka
7 Astronomical Deities
Hokuto Mandala (Star Mandala)
North Star
Myoken Bosatsu
Seven Luminaries, Nine Luminaries
Twelve Zodiac Signs
Twenty-eight Mansions
8 Deities of the Outer Court of the Two Realms Mandala
Deities of the Outermost Court of the Womb Realm
Deities of the Outer Vajra Court of the Diamond Realm
Afterword
Bibliography
Index