仏像の作例
経典や儀軌には二臂、四臂、六臂、十八臂、五十四臂、八十四臂を説くが、日本では『七倶胝仏母所説准提陀羅尼経』（唐・不空 訳）が広まり、そこで詳述された像容・一面三目十八臂とするものが最も多い。『仏説持明蔵瑜伽大教尊那菩薩大明成就儀軌経』（宋・法賢 訳）には、四臂は赤色（蓮華部）、六臂は黄色（宝生部）、十八臂は白色（仏部）と述べられている。また、その手の本数が多いことから、その尊像は時に千手観音と混同される場合もあるが、正面の左右の二手が「説法印」 を結んでいるのが准胝観音で、「合掌」をしているのが千手観音である。なお、醍醐寺准胝観音坐像のように、蓮華座の下に難陀・跋難陀の眷属二大龍王がいる造例が多い。
禅と准胝観音
-
- 『無門関』第三則 【倶胝竪指】（ぐていじゅし）より
- 倶胝和尚（ぐていおしょう）は禅における馬祖の法嗣の大梅禅法常三世の法孫にあたる。この人の正確な名前は伝わっていないが、准胝観音を一心に信仰し修行前も、修行をなし終えてからも准胝観音の真言を口ずさむのが常であったため、准胝観音の別名である「七倶胝仏母」から名前を取り、倶胝和尚と呼ばれた。この人が寺を構えてそこの住職をしていたところ、尼僧が旅姿のまま土足で上がり込んで来て問答を挑み、「あなたが悟りにかなった言葉を言えば笠を取りましょう」と迫ったが、倶胝和尚が何も答えられずにいると、尼僧は吐き捨てるようにして袖を払って出て行ってしまった。倶胝和尚は一山の住職がこれではと情けなくなり悔しさのあまり涙して寝たところ、「准胝法」の特徴の一つでもある夢告によって夢に神人が現れて、もうすぐこの寺に生きた菩薩が現れると告げられた。その十日後に天龍老師という人が現れて、その人にわけを話して教えを請うたところ、天龍老師はただ黙って指を一本立てられた。その指を見たとたんに、倶胝和尚は落雷に打たれたようになってしまい、瞬時に執着に固まっていた心の底が抜け、無上の覚りを得ることが出来た。
- それ以来、倶胝和尚は生涯にわたって准胝観音の真言を唱えるかたわら、ただ指を立てるだけで弟子や信徒らを教化したとされている。この第三則の物語を編集者の無門慧開は、「覚りは指先のことではない、しかし、そこが分かれば皆が釈迦牟尼仏となることができる」と批評している。いわゆる中国では、説法印を正面で結んで指を立てる姿の准胝観音の仏像が好まれる理由の一つでもある。
また、明代には浙江省嘉善镸の出身である袁黄（1533-1606）という人物が、当時、占いの名人とされた孔先生に「三式」という運命学を学び、師の孔先生より科挙を受けることを勧められて合格すると共に、その番号までを言い当てられた。その後の占いも一字一句が孔先生の言う通りであり、すっかり宿命論者となっていた。自身の一生を占ってもらったところ相応の出世はするが前世の業（カルマ）により壽命は53歳で、結婚はするが子供は無く、薄徳少福の身で失意のうちにその一生を終えると予言されていた。やがて、仏縁により禅密双修の禅僧の雲谷禅師に出会い自身の運命を語ったところ、『七佛倶胝佛母心准提陀羅尼法』の呪法を授かり、正しく戒律を守り善行を積むための『功過格』による指導を受けたことによって運命の呪縛を脱した。壽命が尽きるとされた53歳の時に袁了凡（えんりょうぼん）と改名し、更に出世して高官となって交易と漁民に被害をなす倭寇を平定し、豊臣秀吉による朝鮮出兵の軍を退けた。准胝観音への信仰により願わずして子供にも恵まれ、その寿命も准提観音の延命の功徳と、『功過格』の積善の効果により74歳まで長生きすることができた。
准胝観音
仏の母といわれ母性を象徴する安産・子授けの観音菩薩
准胝観音(じゅんていかんのん)とは？
准胝仏母（じゅんていぶつも）・七倶胝仏母（しちくていぶつも）ともいいます。もとはヒンドゥー教の女神であるドゥルガーで、シヴァ神の妃とされています。とても美しい姿ですが、神々の武器を持って魔族を倒した戦いの女神です。そのため本来は女尊であり、観音ではないという指摘もあります。しかし、ここでは観音として紹介しますね。
仏教に取り入れられてからは慈悲深い清浄をもたらす神とされ、七倶胝仏母（しちぐていぶつぼ）ともいわれています。これは遙か過去より多くの仏を誕生させた仏の母という意味です。そのため、真言宗系では人道を救済する六観音（聖観音・千手観音・十一面観音・如意輪観音・馬頭観音・准胝観音）に数えられますが、天台宗系では准胝仏母といわれ如来に分類されています。不空羂索観音と合わせて七観音と呼ばれることもあります。
ご利益
修道者守護、無病息災、延命のご利益があり、安産や子供が授かるなどの功徳があります。
空海の孫弟子にあたる理源大師（りげんだいし）聖宝は修験の僧として知られ、自ら霊木を刻んで祀ったのが准胝観音と如意輪観音でした。経典には、修験者が准胝陀羅尼を唱えれば身が清浄となり成仏できると説かれています。また聖宝は醍醐天皇の皇子誕生を准胝観音に祈願し、のちの朱雀、村上両天皇が誕生したといいます。そのため一般的には子授け、安産としての功徳が知られています。
准胝観音(じゅんていかんのん)の像容
手は１８本で３つ目の姿であることが多いです。中央の手は説法印と施無畏印をとります。また持ち物は武器や数珠、蓮華などを持っています。
Buddha statue example
Sutras and ceremonies prescribe two, four, six, eighteen, fifty-four, and eighty-four arms. In “Bussetsu Jimyozo Yuga Daikyona Bodhisattva Daimyo Jutsu Gikyo” (translated by Song and Faxen), it is stated that the four arms are red (lotus part), the six arms are yellow (hosho part), and the eighteen arms are white (buddha part). Also, due to the large number of hands, the statue is sometimes confused with Senju Kannon, but the one with two hands on the left and right in front of it is the Juntei Kannon, and the one with the palms joined together is the Senju Kannon. In addition, like the seated statue of Juntei Kannon of Daigo-ji Temple, there are many examples where the two major dragon kings, Nando and Hakunda, are under the lotus seat.
Zen and Juntei Kannon
“Mumonkan” 3rd Law [Guteijushi]
Gutei Osho is the descendant of Daibai Zen Hojo III, the successor to Matsu in Zen. The exact name of this person is not known, but because he devoted himself to Juntei Kannon and always sang the mantra of Juntei Kannon before and after the training, he was called Kutetsu Osho, taking his name from the other name of Juntei Kannon, ‘Shichikutsubutsumo’. When this person set up a temple and was the chief priest there, a nun came in wearing her travel clothes and challenged him to a question and answer, saying, “If you speak words that are enlightened, I will take off your hat.” The chief priest of Ichizan was so pitiful that this was not the case, and when he fell asleep with tears of frustration, he was told that a divine person had appeared in his dream, and that a living Bodhisattva would soon appear in this temple. Ten days later, a man named Tenryu Roshi appeared, and when I explained the reason to him and asked him to teach me, Tenryu Roshi remained silent and raised his finger. As soon as he saw his finger, Kutshou felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
Since then, Kutshou is said to have chanted Juntei Kannon’s mantra for the rest of his life while he edified his disciples and followers simply by raising his finger. Ekai Mumon, the editor, criticized this story of the third law, saying, “Awakening is not about fingertips, but if you understand that, everyone can become Shakyamuni Buddha.” This is one of the reasons why the so-called Juntei Kannon Buddha statue, which has a preaching seal tied in front and a finger pointing up, is so popular in China.
In the Ming dynasty, Yuan Huang (1533-1606), who was born in Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province, learned the study of destiny called “three formulas” from Mr. Kong, who was considered a master of fortune-telling at the time. After that, every word and phrase of the fortune-telling was exactly as Mr. Kong said, and he became a fatalist. When he had his life foretold, it was predicted that he would succeed in life, but due to the karma of his previous life, his life expectancy would be 53 years old, he would marry but have no children, and that he would end his life in disappointment as a poor man. Before long, he met Unkoku Zenji, a Zen monk who practiced Zenmitsu and practiced zenmitsu, and told him about his own fate. At the age of fifty-three, when his life was about to expire, he changed his name to Enryobon, and furthermore, he became a high-ranking official, suppressed the Japanese invasion that caused damage to trade and fishermen, and repelled the troops dispatched to Korea by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI. Due to his faith in Juntei Kannon, he was blessed with a child without wishing for it, and his life expectancy was extended to 74 years old due to the merit of prolonging the life of Juntei Kannon and the effect of ‘Kokakaku’.
Juntei Kannon
Known as the mother of Buddha, the Kannon Bodhisattva of easy delivery and child-giving symbolizes motherhood
What is Juntei Kannon?
It is also called Junteibutsumo or Shichikuteibutsumo. She is originally the Hindu goddess Durga, the consort of Lord Shiva. She has a very beautiful appearance, but she is a goddess of battle who has defeated demons with the weapons of the gods. Therefore, it is pointed out that she was originally a female deity and not Kannon. However, I will introduce it as Kannon here.
Since it was introduced into Buddhism, it has been regarded as a god of mercy and purity, and is also known as Shichiguteibutsubo. It means the mother of Buddha who gave birth to more Buddhas than in the distant past. Therefore, in the Shingon sect, it is counted as one of the six Kannons that save humanity (Sho Kannon, Senju Kannon, Eleven-Faced Kannon, Nyoirin Kannon, Bato Kannon, and Juntei Kannon), but in the Tendai sect, it is called Juntei Butsumo and is classified as a Nyorai. She is sometimes called the Seven Kannons together with Fukyu Kannon.
benefit
There are benefits such as protection for monks, good health, life extension, and merits such as easy delivery and children.
Rigen Daishi, a disciple of Kukai, was known as a monk of Shugen, and enshrined Juntei Kannon and Nyoirin Kannon by carving sacred trees himself. In the sutra, it is said that if a monk chants Juntei Dharani, his body will become pure and he will be able to attain Buddhahood. In addition, Shobo prayed to Juntei Kannon for the birth of Emperor Daigo’s son, and it is said that later Emperor Suzaku and Murakami were born. Therefore, it is generally known for its merits as child-bearing and safe delivery.
Appearance of Juntei Kannon
She has 18 hands and is often in the third form. The central hand takes the sermon seal and the shimui seal. Her belongings include weapons, prayer beads, and lotus flowers.
