Aizen Myō’ō (Rāgarāja)

Title: Aizen Myō’ōClose TooltipAizen Myō’ō[AY-zen myoh]Buddhist deity with Hindu origins. (RāgarājaClose TooltipRāgarāja[ruh-guh-RUH-juh]Sanskrit name of Aizen Myō’ō.)

Type: Sculpture

Associated Religious Tradition: BuddhismClose TooltipBuddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.

Origins

• Geography: Japan
• Date: 1293
• Period: KamakuraClose TooltipKamakura[kama-KOO-ra]a city in Eastern Japan. It is the namesake of the historical Kamakura period, 1185–1333. period (1185–1333)

Physical Properties

• Material: Wood with color and applied gold leaf
• Dimensions: H × W × D: 43.1 × 32.2 × 29.9 cm (16 15/16 × 12 11/16 × 11 3/4 in)

Crediting Information

• Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
• Credit Line: Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment
• Accession Number: F1974.21.1a-b

Aizen Myō’ōClose TooltipAizen Myō’ō[AY-zen myoh]Buddhist deity with Hindu origins., also called RāgarājaClose TooltipRāgarāja[ruh-guh-RUH-juh]Sanskrit name of Aizen Myō’ō., is the avatarClose Tooltipavatar[aa-VUH-taar]a divine manifestation on earth. of sacred lust in esoteric BuddhismClose Tooltipesoteric Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]Buddhist teachings that are conveyed secretly or implicitly and are held to be beyond the understanding of ordinary persons. Vajrayana Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism are esoteric Buddhist traditions.. He is the manifestation of the Cosmic BuddhaClose TooltipBuddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. DainichiClose TooltipDainichi[DY-nee-chee]the Cosmic Buddha, one of countless Buddhas in the universe. (VairochanaClose TooltipVairochana[VY-RO-chu-nuh]Sanskrit name of Dainichi, the Cosmic Buddha.), and he is one of the Wisdom Kings in the Japanese Buddhist Pantheon.

In the Japanese esoteric Buddhist schools of ShingonClose TooltipShingon[SHING-gone]one of the schools of esoteric Buddhism in Japan, originally from China. and TendaiClose TooltipTendai[TEN-dye]one of the schools of esoteric Buddhism in Japan, originally from China., Wisdom Kings (or Kings of Brightness, or Myō’ō) are an important category of deities. The notion of Wisdom Kings was imported to Japan from China in the ninth century CE.
The vibrant red paint of this deity symbolizes his power to purify sexual desire. In the hands of each of his six arms, he holds symbolic objects: a thunderbolt that cuts through illusion, a vajraClose Tooltipvajra[vaj-RUH]literally, “thunderbolt” or “adamantine”; both a common symbol and a ritual implement used in tantric Buddhism to express the power and indestructibility of its teachings and the speed at which Buddhahood can occur when these teachings are followed. bell that awakens one’s awareness, a lotus bud representing the power of subjugation, a bow, and an arrow. The latter two are attributes appropriated from KamaClose TooltipKama[KUH-muh]the Hindu deity symbolizing love., the Hindu god of love. The sixth hand holds something that ordinary people cannot see but is visible to advanced esoteric practitioners.

His red body, six arms, glaring eyes, snarling face, symbolic weaponry, and bared-tooth lion headdress create a threatening image. Myō’ō deities like Aizen, which express Buddha’s wrath against evil, are prominent in the teachings of esoteric BuddhismClose TooltipBuddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.. The esoteric schools recognize and emphasize the confusing and disruptive power of sexual passion. Aizen Myō’ō personifies this force and turns lustful energy into a weapon in the struggle for enlightenmentClose Tooltipenlightenmenta moment of great wisdom and understanding; the highest level of consciousness, believed to be achieved through meditation and adhering to the basic moral teachings of Buddhism.. Believers embroiled in matters of the heart would often invoke Aizen Myō’ō in hopes of attaining guidance and calmness.

This Buddhist deity is Aizen Myō’ōClose TooltipAizen Myō’ō[AY-zen myoh]Buddhist deity with Hindu origins., the avatarClose Tooltipavatar[aa-VUH-taar]a divine manifestation on earth. of sacred lust in esoteric BuddhismClose Tooltipesoteric Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]Buddhist teachings that are conveyed secretly or implicitly and are held to be beyond the understanding of ordinary persons. Vajrayana Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism are esoteric Buddhist traditions.. His name translates to “the king of bright wisdom dyed in love.” Worship of this fierce Buddhist deity reached its peak when followers in Japan invoked him to protect against two attempted invasions by the Mongols in 1274 and 1281.

The six-armed Aizen is seated with crossed legs on a large lotus blossom. On each petal, with gold veins meeting at its tip, is a trio of flaming jewels. The sculpture’s vibrant red paint symbolizes Aizen’s power to purify sexual desire, suggesting that it may have been a secret image for personal use in the home and kept mostly out of public view.

All but one of the six hands once held an attribute (symbolic object). Only three attributes remain: a vajraClose Tooltipvajra[vaj-RUH]literally, “thunderbolt” or “adamantine”; both a common symbol and a ritual implement used in tantric Buddhism to express the power and indestructibility of its teachings and the speed at which Buddhahood can occur when these teachings are followed. or thunderbolt that cuts through illusion, a vajra bell that calls one’s attention, and a lotus bud representing the power of subjugation. For the two missing attributes, similar sculptures show Aizen holding a bow and an arrow.

This sculpture was made at the height of devotion to Aizen and is a rare example with its dated inscription on the pedestal’s interior. Among three separate inscriptions written on the underside of the lotus base, we find the same date written twice: the thirteenth day of the eighth month of the sixth year of the Shoo era, which corresponds to September 14, 1293, in the Gregorian calendar.

This statue of Aizen Myō’ōClose TooltipAizen Myō’ō[AY-zen myoh]Buddhist deity with Hindu origins. was intended to be placed in a Buddhist temple for ceremonies and worship. This sculpture and similar ones are thought to have magical powers for healing, protecting from evil, answering prayers, and bringing worldly rewards. Temples with these miraculous images are popular destinations for pilgrims.

Statues of Aizen were originally used by only a few select monks rather than by broader lay audiences. Over time, images of Aizen became more popularly available, and he became venerated as the patron of sex workers during the EdoClose TooltipEdo[EH-doh]a city in Japan, modern-day Tokyo. It was the seat of the shogun and namesake of the Edo period. period (17th–mid-19th centuries). Ordinary lay people also began to pray in front of him for help in personal matters such as marriage and relationships. People would visit monasteries housing an Aizen image and ask him for aid by writing their wishes on paper and placing them in the mouth of his lion headdress. Today, he is still worshiped as a patron of landlords, sex workers, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Worshipers often pray to him for a peaceful house and thriving business.

1. Describe what you see in the statue. What is the figure holding in his hands?
2. What do you notice about the arrangement of the figure? What does he seem to be doing?
3. What is the significance of Aizen Myō’ō’s facial expression? Why was the color red chosen to paint the statue?

1. What do you notice about the sculpture’s base? What do you notice about the way Aizen is dressed? What questions do you have about the image?
2. What kind of community is created by making these secret images?
3. How do Aizen’s attributes (symbolic objects) relate to his role in BuddhismClose TooltipBuddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.?
4. How are symbols used to convey messages in sculptures?

Faure, Bernard. The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2015.

Goepper, Roger. Aizen-Myō’ō, the Esoteric King of Lust: An Iconological Study. Zurich: Artibus Asiae, 1993.

Mason, Penelope. History of Japanese Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.