Seated Image of Nyoirin Kannon (Kanshinji, Osaka)

This sculpture of Nyoirin Kannon (Cintramanicakra), a manifestation of Kannon Bosatsu (the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara), enchants with the grace and refinement of its poise and gestures.

A national treasure, the image is housed in the ancient Shingon temple of Kanshinji in the city of Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture. According to tradition, the temple was established in 701 by En no Gyōja, the legendary founder of the shugendō tradition of mountain asceticism. Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), the founder of the Shingon school of esoteric Buddhism, is said to have carved the image as a talisman against misfortune. Work on the temple precincts is believed to have begun in 827 under the guidance of the Buddhist monk Jichie, Kūkai’s great disciple, and Shinjō, one of Jichie’s followers.

According to the Kanshinji kanroku engi shizaichō (Official Register and Inventory of Kanshinji Temple), compiled in 883 and a national treasure in its own right, the seated image was originally enshrined in the Kōdō, or lecture hall. A longstanding tradition holds that the hall was built at the instigation of Tachibana no Kachiko (786–842), a devout Buddhist who was the empress of the Emperor Saga, and it is likely that the image was also created in fulfillment of a religious vow by the empress.

Kanshinji is also known as the bodaiji temple of the Kusunoki clan, where rites and services are performed for Kusunoki Masashige (1294–1336), the military commander celebrated as an exemplar of samurai loyalty and virtue, whose head was sent here for burial after he was killed in battle in 1336. In recognition of his loyalty, Emperor Go-Daigo appointed him to several important administrative roles and is said to have entrusted him with overseeing construction of the Kondō (Golden Hall), which was built to replace the original lecture hall.

Today, the seated image of Nyoirin Kannon and the Kondō where it is enshrined are both national treasures.

The Kondō at Kanshinji, a national treasure. The miniature shrine (zushi) enshrining the image of Nyoirin Kannon is opened for viewing on April 17 and 18 every year. (© Muda Tomohiro)

Nyoirin Kannon is one of the manifestations of Avalokiteshvara, who takes on different forms to bring salvation to all living beings. The name combines two of the bodhisattva’s most important attributes: the nyoi hōju, or Chintamani stone, a wish-fulfilling jewel resembling a pearl described in Hindu and Mahayana Buddhist traditions, and the hōrin, or dharma wheel, which has the power to dispel earthly desires and confusion. The six arms express the superhuman salvific power of the bodhisattva. The hands are carved with exquisite realism. One is held pensively to the bodhisattva’s cheek, while another dangles prayer beads. The palm of one hand supports the Chintamani stone, while another holds a lotus flower. One hand rests against the lotus pedestal where the bodhisattva sits in meditation, while another holds aloft the dharma wheel symbolizing the eternal truth of Buddhism.

Art historians have noted the resemblance between this image and details found in mandalas brought by Kūkai from Tang China. Presumably the sculpture reflected the latest cutting-edge ideas about Kannon and the appearance of the bodhisattva at the time. The image exudes an aura of mysterious profundity that is typical of esoteric Buddhism, and marks it out as distinctive from images of the same figure from previous periods.

(© Muda Tomohiro)

The image is made from a single piece of kaya wood (Japanese nutmeg; Torreya nucifera), though the arms and some other parts of the sculpture incorporate different materials. Dry lacquer is used to produce a smooth texture on the surface. For a long time, the sculpture was a hidden or “secret” Buddhist image (hibutsu) that was open to the public for viewing only once every 33 years. Perhaps because of this, rich and bright colors can still be seen clearly on some parts of the statue, and the piece as a whole still conveys a remarkable sense of voluptuous grace and enigmatic, ethereal beauty.

(© Muda Tomohiro)

Even today, the statue is open to the public only on April 17 and 18 each year, attracting large crowds with its timeless allure. The slightly tilted head, the plump features and vermilion-tinted lips, the half-closed, wistful eyes, the raised right knee—this figure in half-lotus pose radiates an aura of elegance, refinement, and quiet grace.

If it is true that the image was created to fulfill a vow by Tachibana no Kachiko, it seems likely that the sculpture reflects the empress’s fondness for grace and beauty. And who knows—the empress may even have been the model for the figure herself.

(© Muda Tomohiro)

Seated Figure of the Bodhisattva Nyoirin Kannon (Cintamanichakra)

• Height: 109.4 centimeters
• Date: Heian Period (794–1185)
• Kanshinji, Osaka Prefecture
• National Treasure, open to the public only on April 17 and 18 each year. (Visitors wishing to view it should confirm whether it is on display in advance.)

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Seated figure of the bodhisattva Nyoirin Kannon at the temple Kanshinji. © Muda Tomohiro.)