Virtual Yashima Domain 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Iwashimizu Shrine

 

     Zen'emon enshrined Amitabha, with Avalokitesvara on its left and Mahasthamaprapta on its right, when the Yashima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized.

     The style of the 3 Buddhist images is called the Three Saints of the West in China and the Amitabha Triad in Japan, referring to the three main Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Western Paradise.  The leader is Amitabha, with his attendants Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva on the left and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on the right.  The three are all on the lotus seat.  The lotus symbolizes being free from mud and untainted.  The statues or portraits of the three are objects of respect for those who practice Pure Land Buddhism.  The style is based on the Amitayus Contemplation Sutra, in which the bodies of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas visualized as the bodies of these three deities.  Avalokitesvara is considered to be the incarnation of Amitabha's compassion, while Mahasthamaprapta is considered to be the incarnation of wisdom.  In conclusion, the Amitabha Triad is one of the Buddhist statue placement styles and should have cost more than having a Buddhist image.

     The old examples in Japan include the Bronze Statues of Amitabha Buddha and Two Attendants, which is supposed to have been made in Asuka Period, and which is housed in the Tokyo National Museum, and the Bronze Statues of Amitabha Buddha and Two Attendants, which is said to have been the guardian Buddha of Tachibana Michiyo (665-733), which is supposed to have been made in Asuka Period, and which is housed in Daihozoin (Treasure Gallery in Horyu-ji Temple).

     The Avalokitesvara image of Zen'emon's Amitabha Triad must have been the #14 deity of the Yashima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and was moved to Iwashimizu Shrine.

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