The Sixteen Bodhisattvas in the Dharmadhatu ... - 国立民族学博物館
The Sixteen Bodhisattvas in the Dharmadhatu ... - 国立民族学博物館
The Sixteen Bodhisattvas in the Dharmadhatu ... - 国立民族学博物館
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1 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Sixteen</strong> <strong>Bodhisattvas</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong>re are three k<strong>in</strong>ds of <strong>Sixteen</strong> <strong>Bodhisattvas</strong>: <strong>The</strong> first k<strong>in</strong>d, headed by<br />
Samantabhadra, is found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dharmadhatu</strong> Mandala; <strong>the</strong> second k<strong>in</strong>d,<br />
headed by Maitreya, is found <strong>in</strong> mandalas such as <strong>the</strong> Vajradhatu and <strong>the</strong><br />
Durgatiparigodhana.1> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Sixteen</strong> <strong>Bodhisattvas</strong> belong<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> second group<br />
are called <strong>the</strong> <strong>Sixteen</strong> <strong>Bodhisattvas</strong> of <strong>the</strong> Bhara Age <strong>in</strong> Japanese Tantric<br />
Buddhism. <strong>The</strong> Bhadra Age means <strong>the</strong> present aeon (kalpa) of <strong>the</strong> universe,<br />
<strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> wise (bhadra) , such as Buddhas and <strong>Bodhisattvas</strong>, are born. <strong>The</strong><br />
third k<strong>in</strong>d, headed by Vajrasattva, is found around <strong>the</strong> Four Buddhas<br />
(Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi) appear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Vajradhatu Mandala.<br />
<strong>The</strong> members of <strong>the</strong> first k<strong>in</strong>d of <strong>Sixteen</strong> <strong>Bodhisattvas</strong> stand <strong>in</strong> one of <strong>the</strong><br />
square corridors found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> palace of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dharmadhatu</strong> Mandala:<br />
East<br />
(1) Samantabhadra<br />
(2) Aksayamati<br />
(3) Ksitigarbha<br />
(4) Akagagarbha<br />
South<br />
(5) Gaganaganja<br />
(6) Ratnapani<br />
(7) Sagaramati<br />
(8) Vajragarbha<br />
West<br />
(9) Avalokitegvara<br />
(10) Mahasthamaprapta<br />
(11) Candraprabha<br />
(12) Jal<strong>in</strong>iprabha<br />
North<br />
(13) Amitaprabha<br />
(14) Pratibhanakuta<br />
(15) Sarvagokatamonirgatamati<br />
(16) Sarvanivaranaviskambh<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> second k<strong>in</strong>d of <strong>the</strong> sixteen <strong>Bodhisattvas</strong> found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dur-<br />
gatiparigodhana and Vajradhatu Mandalas are as follows:<br />
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