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Sarah J. Horton
Arts
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Book
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Chapter
Introduction: Living Buddhist Statues
The importance of Buddhist statues in Japan can hardly be overstated. In fact, until the Edo period (1603–1867), almost all statues in Japan were Buddhist. This does not mean that they were all images of a bei...
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Chapter
Connected to Amida Buddha
Two bodhisattvas, statues come to life, dance across a bridge. The first, Kannon Bodhisattva, extends a large lotus pedestal, carved of wood and painted gold. Twenty-three bodhisattvas have already crossed the...
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Chapter
Jizō to the Rescue
Jizō is everywhere in Japan: the edge of town, the street corner, the playground, next to the rice field. He is the most commonly depicted deity, his images outnumbering even those of Kannon. The observant vis...
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Chapter
Śākyamuni: Still Alive in This World
Most schools of Buddhism in Japan today observe what are known as the “three Buddha ceremonies” (san butsu-e), elaborate rituals commemorating Śākyamuni Buddha’s birth (gōtan), awakening (jōdō), and entry into fi...
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Chapter
Kannon: Whatever It Takes
In the dark, candle-lit worship hall of a temple, I heard a woman tell her husband, “What a beautiful Kannon.” He agreed. I looked closely at the statue. It was Amida Buddha. A wooden tablet in front of the al...
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Chapter
Secret Buddhas, the Veiled Presence
It would be impossible to count all the secret buddhas in Japan, but more than fifty of them have been designated Important Cultural Properties (Jūyō bunkazai) or National Treasures (Kokuhō) by the national Minis...
