Matarajin
Matarajin | |
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God of obstacles, pestilence, performing arts and destiny | |
Kanji | 摩多羅神 |
Major cult center | Mount Hiei |
Symbol | okina mask, drum |
Part of a series on |
Buddhism in Japan |
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Matarajin (摩多羅神
Little evidence exists for temples, shrines or mandalas dedicated to Matarajin. It is known that he came to be enshrined in a number of historical Tendai sanctuaries, including Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei. He was also the central figure in the Genshi Kimyōdan rites. They came under criticism in the Edo period due to efforts to reform Tendai, leading to decline in the worship of Matarajin. He nonetheless continues to be celebrated in the "ox festival" of Kōryū-ji. A hidden statue representing him is also located in Mōtsū-ji, though it can only be seen once every thirty three years.
Origin
The origin of Matarajin has been a subject of scholarly inquiry for a long time. Hayashi Razan (1583-1657) assumed that he developed as a result of conflation between Konpira and a deity associated with Mount Miwa.[3] In the Edo period the Tendai priest Kakujin in his Personal Reflections on Matarajin (摩多羅神私考; Matarajin Shikō), published in 1738, wondered if this deity originated in India, China or Japan.[4] Art historian Kageyama Haruki proposed in 1954 that he originally developed in China, and was introduced to Japan by
Narratives
A tale dealing with the origin of Matarajin's veneration in Japan is preserved in Keiran shūyōshū (溪嵐拾葉集; composed ca. 1311–1347).[10]
When the great teacher Jikaku (
According to Sujung Kim, most likely the narrative was modeled after an earlier similar tale about
Character
Matarajin has variously been described as a
Through history Matarajin morphed from a typical
Matarajin is primarily considered a "god of obstacles".[22] Initially he was portrayed as a demonic figure obstructing rebirth in Pure Land if not placated.[23] This aspect of his character played a role in a ritual known as "Placating the Tengu" (天狗怖し, tengu odoshi), where he was seemingly treated as a kind of tengu and had to be pacified by engaging in frantic behavior presumably patterned on his own, such as dancing, shouting and reading randomly selected scriptures.[14] At the same time, his presence was apparently believed to ward off other tengu and various other types of demons.[24] Despite his initial role, with time he came to be viewed as a protector of followers of Tendai.[23] Similar inversions of individual figures' roles are common in the history of Japanese esoteric Buddhism.[22]
In addition to symbolically representing spiritual obstacles to enlightenment, Matarajin can also be linked to material calamities, specifically epidemics.
It has been suggested that Matarajin's role in the tengu pacification ritual might have led to his association with
Matarajin was also considered a shukujin, a deity considered to have astral character and responsible for the determination of fate.
Matarajin was also considered the god of Buddhist dream techniques,[35] a form of meditation meant to cultivate dream visions, already documented in the writings of the Tiantai monk Zhiyi (538-597).[36] In this context, Matarajin was referred to as a dream king (夢王, muō).[37] Information pertaining to this aspect of his character is known from documents from the Togakushi Shrine, first published in 2001, but originating in the eighteenth century, when it was managed by Buddhist clergy.[35] However, there is no indication that this role was already assigned to Matarajin in earlier periods, and it most likely represents a late development.[37]
In
Identification with other figures
Through his history, Matarajin was identified with a large number of other figures.[41]
Identification between him and
A network of connections leading to exchange of attributes existed between Matarajin,
A further deity who could be identified with Matarajin was Susanoo,[26] possibly due to analogies between the latter and Shinra Myōjin.[18] This tradition is documented in a text from Gakuen-ji, which states that after being buried there Susanoo came to be worshiped under the name Matarajin, as well as in sources compiled by adherents of the Sanmon tradition on Mount Hiei and from Hinomisaki, a branch shrine of Izumo-taisha.[50] Additionally, Jimon denki horoku, dated to the Muromachi period,[48] states that "Susanoo has many traces, among them Matarajin and Gozu Tennō in India, the god of Mount Song in China, and the great Silla deity (Shinra Taijin) in Japan".[51] Sange yōryakki explains that "Susanoo, who is also called Matarajin" enabled Saichō to return safely from his journey to China because he prayed to this deity.[52] In Nihon Shoki kikigaki, a commentary on the Nihon Shoki,[53] Yoshida Kanemigi listed Matarajin, but also Shinra Myōjin, Banko, Yama, and Kōjin as figures identified with Susanoo.[54] Matarajin and Kōjin could be identified with each other as well,[55] for example as deities associated with causing obstacles.[56] In the Kōjin saimon, the eponymous deity is said to be "fundamentally existing, born-at-the-same-time Matarajin".[57] As an extension of his link with Susanoo, Matarajin also developed a similar connection with the epidemic deity Gozu Tennō.[58] In addition to the conflation of the two, in one of the reinterpretations of the cycle of myths focused on Susanoo, Matarajin and a horde of demons under his command assist him when he attacks Amaterasu.[59]
During the Muromachi period, Matarajin came to be merged with Okina (翁), a figure originating in sarugaku and noh performances.[37] The word okina means old man, but in the context of these performing arts it designates a specific mask, play and deity.[60] Okina might be identical with Shukujin understood as a singular deity rather than a category, as indicated by Konparu Zenchiku in his work Meishuku shū (明宿集), in which he envisioned a complex network of connections between various shukujin, regarding all of them as manifestations of a single figure.[61] He does not directly mention Matarajin among them,[62] though it is nonetheless sometimes assumed that he might be implicitly referenced in a cited tale about the origin of sarugaku.[63] It has also been pointed out that both Matarajin and another figure linked to shukujin, Hata no Kawakatsu, are associated with the Kōryū-ji temple in Kyoto.[64]
Matarajin could also be regarded as a manifestation of
According to
Iconography
Shukaku Hōshinō's Shūyōshū contains a description of a statue of Matarajin, characterized as a "strange deity" (奇神, kishin), and a "
A different image of Matarajin developed with time, that of an old man deity comparable to Japanese
A sixteenth century document from the Kanze Shinkurō house identifies the okina mask as a representation of Matarajin.[72] It is assumed that between the eleventh and fourteenth century, sarugaku performers customarily performed dances in front of statues of Matarajin during which they wore the okina mask to represent the venerated deity.[30] Danzan Jinja, a contemporary Shinto shrine which replaced Tōnomine, a Tendai temple associated with the Fujiwara clan, is in possession of an okina mask kept in a box labeled as "Matara".[60]
Worship
There is little evidence for shrines, temples or
Genshi Kimyōdan
Matarajin was an important figure, following Kageyama Haruki's interpretation possibly even the
Decline
The worship of Matarajin, especially Genshi Kimyōdan, came under criticism in Reikū Kōken's Repudiation of Heresies (Hekija hen),[79] published in 1698.[80] It was a part of a broader effort to reform Tendai, patterned on Siming Zhili's campaign of purifying Tiantai from perceived negative influence of Chan and Huayan traditions.[76] Genshi Kimyōdan rites were compared to Tachikawa-ryū, a current in the Shingon school similarly condemned as heretical.[79] Eventually, the veneration of Matarajin was prohibited on Mount Hiei, though he continued to be worshiped in peripheral Tendai centers, such as Hiraizumi.[79] By the 1720s, he became a deity obscure even for Tendai clergy, as evidenced by handwritten notes left on the margins of a number of known manuscripts, many of which highlight his absence from texts from outside Japan.[39] In the following decades, he came to be perceived negatively.[29] The Shingon monk Tainin Myōryū, relying on Reikū Kōken's work, in 1782 declared him to be a "false icon created by the stupidest of stupid folks".[80] The nativist scholar Amano Sadakage , relying on the same source, condemned the worship of Matarajin as a "deviant" form of Buddhism.[39]
Recent history
Due to his marginal importance in the nineteenth century, Matarajin was not targeted during the early Meiji shinbutsu bunri policies,[29] though for a few years the ox festival (ushi matsuri) dedicated to him in Kōryū-ji in Kyoto was not performed.[2] Examples of texts documenting this celebration are known from copies as early as 1402 and 1549.[81] After the break it started to be celebrated again in 1887.[82] It takes place at night on the 12th of October.[2] During the ceremony a priest rides on a black ox.[27] He recites a formula meant to eliminate all calamities and bring happiness, wears a mask representing Matarajin, and is accompanied by four monks dressed as red and green demons, symbolically representing the Four Devas.[2] It is said that the mask still used today was originally prepared by Tomioka Tessai for the 1887 restoration of the festival.[82] The festival has historically enjoyed a degree of popularity due to its carnival-like atmosphere.[83]
In Mōtsū-ji a hidden figure of Matarajin can be seen once every thirty three years.[24] It was last put on display between the 15th of September and 15 November in 2000.[84]
References
- ^ a b Faure 2015, p. 73.
- ^ a b c d Faure 2015, p. 324.
- ^ a b c Bodiford 2006, p. 238.
- ^ a b c Faure 2015, p. 300.
- ^ Bodiford 2006, pp. 238–239.
- ^ Bodiford 2006, p. 239.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 307.
- ^ a b c d e Faure 2015, p. 325.
- ^ a b c Faure 2015, p. 309.
- ^ a b Kim 2019, pp. 27–28.
- ^ a b c Faure 2015, p. 304.
- ^ a b c Kim 2019, p. 1.
- ^ a b Hardacre 2017, p. 182.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, p. 320.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, pp. 133–134.
- ^ a b Faure 2011, p. 57.
- ^ a b c d Kim 2019, p. 8.
- ^ a b c d e Faure 2015, p. 310.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, p. 2.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, p. 299.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 16.
- ^ a b c Faure 2015, p. 319.
- ^ a b c Faure 2022, p. 193.
- ^ a b c d Faure 2015, p. 321.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Faure 2015, p. 303.
- ^ a b c Faure 2022, p. 161.
- ^ a b Faure 2022, p. 137.
- ^ Faure 2015, pp. 320–321.
- ^ a b c Bodiford 2006, p. 235.
- ^ a b Kim 2019, p. 111.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 318.
- ^ Faure 2013, p. 171.
- ^ Faure 2013, p. 186.
- ^ a b c Kim 2019, p. 112.
- ^ a b Bodiford 2006, p. 242.
- ^ Bodiford 2006, p. 247.
- ^ a b c d Faure 2015, p. 302.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, pp. 300–301.
- ^ a b c Bodiford 2006, p. 234.
- ^ Sugahara 2014, p. 74.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 327.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, p. 305.
- ^ a b Bodiford 2006, p. 240.
- ^ Faure 2015, pp. 156–157.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 306.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 134.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 15.
- ^ a b c Faure 2015, p. 311.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 313.
- ^ a b Faure 2022, p. 171.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 170.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 172.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 404.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 407.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 228.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 256.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 255.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 326.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 156.
- ^ a b c Bodiford 2006, p. 236.
- ^ Faure 2013, pp. 171–172.
- ^ Faure 2013, p. 187.
- ^ Faure 2013, p. 182.
- ^ Faure 2011, p. 58.
- ^ a b Stone 2017, p. 132.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, p. 236.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 265.
- ^ Faure 2015, pp. 265–266.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 423.
- ^ a b c Faure 2015, p. 322.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 407.
- ^ Pinnington 1998, p. 500.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 297.
- ^ Bodiford 2006, p. 233.
- ^ Kim 2019, p. 7.
- ^ a b c Bowring 2016, p. 184.
- ^ Hardacre 2017, p. 181.
- ^ Faure 2022, p. 332.
- ^ a b c d Faure 2015, p. 301.
- ^ a b Bodiford 2006, pp. 234–235.
- ^ Faure 2015, p. 422.
- ^ a b Faure 2015, p. 428.
- ^ Faure 2015, pp. 324–325.
- ^ Rambelli 2002, p. 294.
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{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Hardacre, Helen (2017). "Medieval Shinto and the Arts". Shinto. A History. Oxford University Press. pp. 177–206. ISBN 9780190621742.
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- Pinnington, Noel J. (1998). "Invented Origins: Muromachi Interpretations of Okina Sarugaku". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 61 (3). Cambridge University Press, School of Oriental and African Studies: 492–518. S2CID 162309137. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- Rambelli, Fabio (2002). "Secret Buddhas: The Limits of Buddhist Representation". Monumenta Nipponica. 57 (3). Sophia University: 271–307. JSTOR 3096768. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
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