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。

准胝観音

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.

信仰の系譜

りませんよ。結婚する時だって、あなたから、自分は作家になるんだ、貧乏生活は覚悟 していてほしいといわれて、それでいいと思って結婚しました。おれは必ず芥川賞をと る、それがあなたのログセでした。あなたが事業をやっている間じゅう、失敗した時はも とより、成功している時だって、ハラハラし通しでした。自分にないものを一生懸命やっ ているあなたが気の毒に思えたり、腹が立ったりでしたが、あなたの性格で、やるだけや らなければ気がすまないのだから、いつか気がつくだろうと思って見ていました。お父さ んとお母さん、それに子どもたちの面倒はわたくしがみますから、悪いことでない限り、 あなたの思う通りに何んでもおやりなさい。ただし、わたくしの収入は当てにしないでく ださいね」

そこで、わたくしは、もっていた本や背広などを売り、四万八千円余つくった。そうし 横浜の生麦の裏長屋を一軒借りた。 六畳と三畳とお勝手という間取りであった。いま はもうこの家は残っていないと思うが、もしまだ存在しているのなら、阿含宗の発祥の地 として保存しておきたい気持である。

この長屋は、表通りから入るのに、肩幅ぐらいの狭い路地を通らねばならないから、雨 が降っても傘がさせなかったほどである。

とにかく、そこでわたくしは、それまで趣味としてやってきた運命学、 それに改めて本 格的に取り組み、人びとのために役立てようと決意した。

因縁解脱の基本は何かといえば、人のためになる、人に喜んでもらう、世の中のために

なる、いうならば、自分が徳を積むということであると思った。 いまの自分に人のために 何ができるかと考えると、何もない。 しかし、ただ一つあるとすれば、運命学の知識があ る。これだけは絶対に人に負けないだけの自信があった。一つ、この力を発揮して、人び とに因縁の何たるかを教えてあげて、悪い因縁を切るための信仰へ道を開いてあげよう。 人に尽す道はこれしかないと思った。

その当時のわたくしの信仰というと、準胝観音をご本尊とする観音信仰であった。 なぜ、この信仰をもつにいたったかといえば、仕事に大失敗した時、わたくしは、自殺 を決意したことがあった。

道楽したり、怠けたりしたわけではないのに、トラブルが重なり、大きな負債を背負っ てしまった。債権者に連日責められる羽目となった。

そこで、二、三日、自分の行く末をじっくり考えてみたいと思い、父が戦争中に控えて いた、田の中の工場跡へバッグ一つ提げて出かけていった。

二、三日考えているうちに、もう生きているのが面倒になり、いっそ死んでしまえ、と いう心境に陥ってしまった。いわば、死神がついたということであろう。

死神がつくということがどういうことなのか、この時わたくしははじめてわかったよう

信仰の系譜

りませんよ。結婚する時だって、あなたから、自分は作家になるんだ、貧乏生活は覚悟 していてほしいといわれて、それでいいと思って結婚しました。おれは必ず芥川賞をと る、それがあなたのログセでした。あなたが事業をやっている間じゅう、失敗した時はも とより、成功している時だって、ハラハラし通しでした。自分にないものを一生懸命やっ ているあなたが気の毒に思えたり、腹が立ったりでしたが、あなたの性格で、やるだけや らなければ気がすまないのだから、いつか気がつくだろうと思って見ていました。お父さ んとお母さん、それに子どもたちの面倒はわたくしがみますから、悪いことでない限り、 あなたの思う通りに何んでもおやりなさい。ただし、わたくしの収入は当てにしないでく ださいね」

そこで、わたくしは、もっていた本や背広などを売り、四万八千円余つくった。そうし 横浜の生麦の裏長屋を一軒借りた。 六畳と三畳とお勝手という間取りであった。いま はもうこの家は残っていないと思うが、もしまだ存在しているのなら、阿含宗の発祥の地 として保存しておきたい気持である。

この長屋は、表通りから入るのに、肩幅ぐらいの狭い路地を通らねばならないから、雨 が降っても傘がさせなかったほどである。

とにかく、そこでわたくしは、それまで趣味としてやってきた運命学、 それに改めて本 格的に取り組み、人びとのために役立てようと決意した。

因縁解脱の基本は何かといえば、人のためになる、人に喜んでもらう、世の中のためになる、いうならば、自分が徳を積むということであると思った。 いまの自分に人のために 何ができるかと考えると、何もない。 しかし、ただ一つあるとすれば、運命学の知識があ る。これだけは絶対に人に負けないだけの自信があった。一つ、この力を発揮して、人び とに因縁の何たるかを教えてあげて、悪い因縁を切るための信仰へ道を開いてあげよう。 人に尽す道はこれしかないと思った。

その当時のわたくしの信仰というと、準胝観音をご本尊とする観音信仰であった。 なぜ、この信仰をもつにいたったかといえば、仕事に大失敗した時、わたくしは、自殺 を決意したことがあった。

道楽したり、怠けたりしたわけではないのに、トラブルが重なり、大きな負債を背負っ てしまった。債権者に連日責められる羽目となった。

そこで、二、三日、自分の行く末をじっくり考えてみたいと思い、父が戦争中に控えて いた、田の中の工場跡へバッグ一つ提げて出かけていった。

二、三日考えているうちに、もう生きているのが面倒になり、いっそ死んでしまえ、と いう心境に陥ってしまった。いわば、死神がついたということであろう。

死神がつくということがどういうことなのか、この時わたくしははじめてわかったよう

です』と諭され、少しのお金とともにお経をくれた。それで自分も死ぬのを止め、信仰を もって一生懸命に働いた結果、こうしていっぱしの商売人になった」

と、自分の過去を、中村さんに話して聞かせた。

それ以来、その人は、自分を救ってくれた人への恩返しのつもりで、その時手渡された ものと同じ経巻をたくさんつくって、多くの人に布施しているということであった。

この話を聞かされた中村さんは、大いに勇気づけられ、その経巻と、とりあえず飢えを しのげる程度のお金をいただいて、その人の家を去った。 その後、一生懸命に働いて、つ いには、日本一といわれる製紙原料問屋を築いたというのである。

そして、その中村さんもまた、助けてくれた人と同じ道を歩みたいと、一生に何十万巻 かの観音経を布施することを念願された。

ある時、中村さんは父に向かって、

「あなたは何百人もの人を使って陸軍の大きな機械相手の仕事をされているが、非常に危 険な仕事でしょうから、一つこれをお守り代わりにみなさんに差し上げてください」

ということで、この観音経を父に一千巻布施してくださったとのことである。先に述べ た通り、父は、自分の入れた臨時人夫を指揮して二十四時間作業の機械相手の仕事をして いたのである。

父は特に信仰というものはなかったが、尊敬している人格者の中村さんのお話であった から、素直にありがたくいただき、全員に配った。 それが少し余っていたと思われる。 不思議なことに、その一巻が偶然にころがっていたわけである。どう考えてもそんなとこ ろにあるわけはないのだが、事実あったのである。いまでも不思議に思っている。

このお経には考えてみると、一つの系譜というものがある。 この経巻の布施によって、 中村さん、中村さんを助けた人、そしてまたその人を救った人等々、みな自殺を思いとど まらせている。いままた、自殺寸前のわたくしがこれを手にした。 これは本当にただ事で はない。これは自分を救おうという何か大きな目に見えない意志が働いているのではない か、この意志に従うべきではないか、その時そう思った。

その刹那、パーッと考えが変わった。ちょうど太陽が昇る瞬間に、間に光が射すかのよ うに、あるいは夜が朝に変わるかのように、心が生き生きと晴れやかになっていった。 「死ぬのをやめよう」 「生きよう」と、わたくしは自分自身に誓った。そして、この観音経 によって、わたくしが本当に救われたならば、中村語郎さんと同様に、わたくしもこのお 布施しようと決心した。

ちょうどその時、山の向こうに朝日が昇ろうとしていた。わたくしは、その太陽に向か 合掌した。そして、声を出して誓ったのである。「どうか私に再起の力をあたえて下 さい。もしも、このお経の中に書いてある通り、私が救われたならば、私は生涯にこのお 経を百万巻布施いたします」と。

その後、三年間、わたくしは死にもの狂いで働き、当時の借金は全部返済してしまった のである。

そこで、このお経の功徳が大変なものであることがわかったので、どのようにして、そ れを多くの人びとに布施するかということを考えた。要するに、この時考えたことは、う んと儲けてお寺に寄付するとか、この観音経をもとにして何かのグループを結成し、自分 がスポンサーになって、有能な有徳の士に中心になってもらい、その功徳を広めようとい うことであった。

は夢にも思っていなかった。

慈恵会の設立

も立てていたが、まさか自分自身が宗教家になろうとは、その頃

いま、阿含宗の信徒に授けている勤行式は、その経巻をそのまま模したものである。

そうした諸々の経緯を経て、生に出てきたわけであるが、その前後から、完全に治っ ていたと思っていた身体がまた悪くなり、要注意の状態になったが、行で死ぬなら本望だ という気持もあって、どんどん荒行を実行した。

一方、運命学のほうは、アマチュアではあったが、相当勉強もし、多くの人たちの運命 を実際に見るという経験も積んだ。したがってすごく当たると、一部ではかなり評判にな っていたので、ちょっと宣伝でもすれば、 昔の友人や仕事の関係者などいくらでも集まっ てきたと思う。しかし、そういう生き方、やり方では、過去の因縁を切ることにはならな

いと考え、徹底して誰にも知らせなかった。 過去とまったく絶縁することが因縁を切る第 一歩であると思った。 過去の引っかかりで収入を得たり、飯を食っていたのでは過去の業 は消えぬと思ったのだ。

このような次第で、わたくしは、生まれ変わったつもりで、自分自身が救われた観音経 にもとづき、準胝観世音菩薩をご本尊として、観音慈恵会をはじめた次第である。

それまでにわたくしは、仏教の本格的な勉強をしたことがない。だから、自分自身でも 坊主になったつもりもなければ、宗教家になったつもりもなく、一介の求道者として歩み はじめたのである。この求道生活によって、一人でも多くの人が救われることが、わたく 自身の罪障消滅になり、因縁解脱につながるのだ、という固い信念があった。

わたくしは、自分の力で、人を救うなどという大それた気持をもったことは一度もない。 自分が救われ、中村語郎さんが救われ、そのまた前の人が救われたという、この救われる 一つの系譜というか、その救いの流れの中に、人を入れてあげることによって、人を救う ことができるのではないか、あるいはその救いの流れに入るきっかけをつくってあげるだ けでも、わたくしの役割を果たすことができるのではないか、それで、人が救われるとし たら、その功徳がわたくしにきて、因縁が一つ一つ切れていくであろう。そう思って、昭 和二十九年の秋口に観音慈恵会をはじめたわけである。

genealogy of faith

I don’t. Even when I got married, you told me that I would become a writer, and that I should be prepared to live in poverty. I will definitely win the Akutagawa Prize, that was your Loguse. The whole time you were in business, he was on edge when you were successful as well as when you failed. I felt sorry and annoyed that you were doing your best to do what you didn’t have, but I was watching you thinking that someday you’d notice, because you’re the kind of person who can’t help but do as much as you can. I’ll take care of your father, her mother, and the children, so do whatever you want as long as it’s not bad. But please don’t count on my income.”

So I sold the books and suits I had, and made over 48,000 yen. That’s right, I rented a tenement house in the back of Namamugi in Yokohama. It was a layout of 6 tatami mats and 3 tatami mats. He believes that the house no longer exists, but if it still exists, he wishes to preserve it as the birthplace of the Agon sect.

To enter this tenement house from the main street, one had to pass through a narrow alley about the width of one’s shoulders, so even when it rained, umbrellas were not allowed.

At any rate, I decided to start working on the study of fate, which had been a hobby until then, in earnest, and to make it useful for people.

What is the basis of liberation from karma?

In other words, I thought that I was accumulating virtue. When I think about what I can do for others now, there is nothing. But if there is one thing, it is the knowledge of destiny. I was confident that I would never lose to anyone. One, let’s use this power to teach people what their ties are, and open the way to the faith that will cut off bad ties. I thought this was the only way to serve people.

At that time, my faith was the Kannon faith with Juntei Kannon as the principal image. The reason why I came to have this faith is that when I made a big mistake at work, I decided to commit suicide.

It wasn’t that I was having fun or being lazy, but the troubles piled up and I was burdened with a huge debt. I was forced to be blamed by my creditors day after day.

So, for a few days, I wanted to think about my future, so I went out with a bag to the ruins of a factory in Tanaka, where his father had been during the war.

After thinking about it for a few days, he came to the point that he was tired of living and that he should rather die. In other words, it means that the god of death has arrived.

At this time, I think I understood for the first time what it means to have a Shinigami.

genealogy of faith

I don’t. Even when I got married, you told me that I would become a writer, and that I should be prepared to live in poverty. I will definitely win the Akutagawa Prize, that was your Loguse. The whole time you were in business, he was on edge when you were successful as well as when you failed. I felt sorry and annoyed that you were doing your best to do what you didn’t have, but I was watching you thinking that someday you’d notice, because you’re the kind of person who can’t help but do as much as you can. I’ll take care of your father, her mother, and the children, so do whatever you want as long as it’s not bad. But please don’t count on my income.”

So I sold the books and suits I had, and made over 48,000 yen. That’s right, I rented a tenement house in the back of Namamugi in Yokohama. It was a layout of 6 tatami mats and 3 tatami mats. He believes that the house no longer exists, but if it still exists, he wishes to preserve it as the birthplace of the Agon sect.

To enter this tenement house from the main street, one had to pass through a narrow alley about the width of one’s shoulders, so even when it rained, umbrellas were not allowed.

At any rate, I decided to start working on the study of fate, which had been a hobby until then, in earnest, and to make it useful for people.

What is the basis of liberation from karma?

In other words, I thought that I was accumulating virtue. When I think about what I can do for others now, there is nothing. But if there is one thing, it is the knowledge of destiny. I was confident that I would never lose to anyone. One, let’s use this power to teach people what their ties are, and open the way to the faith that will cut off bad ties. I thought this was the only way to serve people.

At that time, my faith was the Kannon faith with Juntei Kannon as the principal image. The reason why I came to have this faith is that when I made a big mistake at work, I decided to commit suicide.

It wasn’t that I was having fun or being lazy, but the troubles piled up and I was burdened with a huge debt. I was forced to be blamed by my creditors day after day.

So, for a few days, I wanted to think about my future, so I went out with a bag to the ruins of a factory in Tanaka, where his father had been during the war.

After thinking about it for a few days, he came to the point that he was tired of living and that he should rather die. In other words, it means that the god of death has arrived.

At this time, I think I understood for the first time what it means to have a Shinigami.

‘, and gave me a little money and a sutra. So he himself stopped dying, and as a result of his faith and his hard work, he became a good merchant.”

He told Mr. Nakamura about his own past.

Since then, this man, intending to repay the person who saved him, had made many copies of the sutras that had been handed to him at that time, and distributed them to many people.

Upon hearing this story, Mr. Nakamura was greatly encouraged, and left the man’s house after receiving the sutra scroll and enough money to endure his hunger for the time being. After that, he worked hard and eventually established Japan’s No. 1 paper raw material wholesaler.

And Mr. Nakamura also wanted to walk the same path as the person who helped him, and he wished to disseminate hundreds of thousands of scrolls of the Kannon Sutra in his lifetime.

One day, Mr. Nakamura turned to his father and said,

“You’re working with hundreds of people working on a large machine for the army, but it’s a very dangerous job, so please give me one of these as a talisman.”

Therefore, he donated 1,000 scrolls of this Kannon Sutra to his father. As he said earlier, his father directed the temporary laborers he had hired to work with machines around the clock.

My father didn’t have a particular faith, but he was a person of character whom I respected, Mr. Nakamura. I think it was a little left over. Strangely enough, the first volume had fallen by chance. No matter how you look at it, there’s no way he could have been there, but it was a fact. I still wonder.

If you think about this sutra, there is a lineage. The offering of this sutra dissuades Mr. Nakamura, the person who helped Mr. Nakamura, and the person who saved him, and so on, from committing suicide. Now again, I got this on the verge of suicide. This is just a matter of fact and he is not. At that time, he wondered if this was some kind of great, invisible will to save himself, or that he should obey this will.

At that moment, my thoughts suddenly changed. Just at the moment when the sun rose, his mind became lively and sunny, as if a ray of light were to shine between them, or as if the night had turned into morning. “Let’s stop dying”, “Let’s live”, I vowed to myself. And if I was really saved by this Kannon Sutra, I decided to make this donation, just like Mr. Nakamura Iro.

Just then, the sun was about to rise over the mountains. I put my hands together facing the sun. Then he swore aloud. “Please give me the strength to recover. If I am saved as it is written in this sutra, I will disseminate this sutra one million times in my lifetime.”

After that, I worked frantically for three years and paid off all the debts I had at that time.

Then, knowing that the merits of this sutra were great, I thought about how to bestow it on many people. In short, what he had in mind at the time was to make some kind of profit and donate it to a temple, or to form a group based on this Kannon Sutra, to become a sponsor, have talented and virtuous people play a central role, and spread the merit of the group.

never dreamed of.

Establishment of Jikeikai

At that time, I never thought that I would become a religious person myself.

The gongyo ceremony that is now given to followers of the Agon sect is an exact copy of the sutra scroll.

After all these circumstances, he came out to life, but before and after that, his body, which he thought was completely healed, became ill again, and he was in a state of needing attention.

On the other hand, although I was an amateur in fate studies, I studied a lot and gained experience in actually seeing the fate of many people. Therefore, if he hit it very well, it was quite popular in some areas, so if he advertised it a little, I think he would gather as many as his old friends and people related to his work. However, with such a way of life and way of doing things, it is not possible to cut off the ties of the past.

I didn’t tell anyone about it. I thought that cutting ties with the past was the first step. He thought that he would not be able to erase his past karma by earning income or making a living from his past entanglements.

Therefore, as if I had been reborn, I started the Kannon Jikeikai, based on the Kannon Sutra, which saved me, and with Juntei Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva as the principal image of worship.

Until then, I had never studied Buddhism seriously. Therefore, he himself did not intend to become a monk, nor did he intend to become a religious person. I had a firm belief that if as many people as possible could be saved through this life of enlightenment, it would lead to the elimination of my own sins and liberation from karma.

I have never once had such a great feeling that I could save people with my own power. I was saved, Mr. Nakamura was saved, and the person before me was saved.Isn’t it possible to save people by putting them in the flow of salvation?Isn’t it possible to save people? With that in mind, I started Kannon Jikeikai in the early fall of 1944.