Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1. The Fluid Pantheon

Description

Acknowledgments Prologue The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism Another Middle Ages Rescuing the Gods from Oblivion Sources Project History The Essentialist Fallacy Methodological Caveats Synopsis 1. Twists and Turns A Calderian Pantheon Explicit and Implicit Pantheons Naming the Gods The Medieval Logic of Equivalence The Structuralist Model Bipartition and the “Already Structural” Structuralisms Strictures and Structures Sitting under the Banyan Tree Back to Phenomenology? Codetta 2. Under the Gaze of the Stars Fear among the Stars Symbols of the Center Ichiji Kinrin Silent Night, Salient Star Aspects of Myoken Royal Symbolism Daoist Origins Myoken in Esoteric Buddhism Myoken and the Seven Stars Development of the Myoken Cult Early Stages The Emergence of Local Traditions The Edo Period Iconography Later Representations The God in the Details The Pace of Yu The Deer Head The Brush and the Register Snakes and Dragons Myoken's Mount The Two Acolytes A Singular Constellation Myoken^ Honji Other Links Kichijoten Kannon Baleful Stars Water Deities Mercury Suiten and the Nagas Rulers of Destiny Enmaten Taishakuten Tendai Protectors Shinra Myojin Sanno Gongen Other Links Kojin Marishiten Embryological Symbolism Codetta 3. The Elusive Center The Wisdom Kings Indian Prototypes Vajrapani Upward Bound Ritual and Iconography Fudo^ Transformations Functions The Apotropaic Function Possession Individual Protection Prolongation of Life Fudo’s Cult in Japan Soo and Fudo Pacification Rituals The Diffusion of the Cult Doctrinal Interpretations Symbolism of the Center Symbol of the Mind Latent Symbolism Fudo as Chthonian Power Fudo^ Acolytes Dualism Sexuality Embryology Codetta 4. Lust but Not Least The Political Context The Official Aizen Subjugation and Seduction Love Rituals Iconography Aizen Mandalas The God in the Detail Aizen’s Network King Yama Myoken Butsugen and Kinrin Amaterasu and Juichimen Kannon Nyoirin Kannon Aizen and the Three Devas The Embryological God Codetta 5. Fearful Symmetry The Two-headed Aizen Aizen and Fudo The Coupling Embryological Readings Aizen and Gozanze Aizen, Fudo, and the Jewel The Joint Ritual of the Three Worthies Iconography of the Great Matter Fudo and Aizen at Ise The Ophidian Aizen Codetta 6. The Hidden Jewel The Cult of the Wish-fulfilling Jewel The Buddha’s Relics and the Jewel Ichiji Kinrin and Butsugen Relics as Seed-Syllables Relic Worship The Symbolism of the Jewel Twin Jewels Artificial Jewels Imperial Claims The Jewel Cult of Mount Muro Kenne’s Role The Jewel Mount Muro The Dragon Beyond Mount Muro The Threefold Jewel The Adamantine Kukai Another Genealogy? Codetta 7. Living Jewels Jewel Deities Monju and Kokuzo Uho Doji and Amaterasu Hachiman Ugajin Nyoirin Kannon A Powerful Incantation The Six Kannon Functions Iconography Development The Seven-star Nyoirin Nyoirin and Divination Nyoirin’s Network Benzaiten Nyoirin, Inari, and Ise Nyoirin and Dragon Deities Nyoirin and the Nun Nyoi A Portable Deity Nyoirin5s Samaya form The Triadic Structure Redux Codetta Coda Duo a trois Triads and Ternary Structures A Pantheon in Flux More Caveats Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index