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96-482: Cundi can refer to: Cundi, Angola Cundi, Ethiopia Cundi (Buddhism) Cundī Dhāraṇī , a Buddhist mantra in China Cundi (footballer) , real name: Secundino Suárez Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Cundi . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

192-506: A Korean immigrant family. Hakuhō (673 through 686) Buddhism (Hakuhō refers to Emperor Tenmu ) saw the official patronage of Buddhism being taken up by the Japanese imperial family, who replaced the Soga clan as the main patrons of Buddhism. Japanese Buddhism at this time was also influenced by Tang dynasty (618–907) Buddhism. It was also during this time that Buddhism began to spread from

288-469: A date of 552 for when King Seong of Baekje (now western South Korea ) sent a mission to Emperor Kinmei that included an image of the Buddha Shakyamuni , ritual banners, and sutras . This event is usually considered the official introduction of Buddhism to Japan. Other sources, however, give the date of 538 and both dates are thought to be unreliable. However, it can still be said that in

384-888: A deity – the apprehension of the word and the apprehension of the image – entail and merge with each other." In the sūtra, the Buddha speaks extensively about the various effects and benefits of reciting the Cundī dhāraṇī. Many of the effects are purifying and uplifting in nature. For example, after pronouncing the dhāraṇī, the Buddha then says: If there are bhikṣus , bhikṣuṇīs , upāsakas, or upāsikās who memorize and recite this dhāraṇī 800,000 times, their deadly karma in every place, created over innumerable eons, will be completely annihilated. In every place where they are born or reside, they will always meet Buddhas and bodhisattvas. They will always have adequate resources and abilities to do as they wish. In any birth, they will always be able to leave

480-570: A foreign deity. The Nihon Shoki then states that the emperor allowed only the Soga clan to worship the Buddha, to test it out. Thus, the powerful Soga clan played a key role in the early spread of Buddhism in the country. Their support, along with that of immigrant groups like the Hata clan , gave Buddhism its initial impulse in Japan along with its first temple (Hōkō-ji, also known as Asukadera ). The Nakatomi and Mononobe, however, continued to oppose

576-449: A medical facility at Gokurakuji in 1287, which treated more than 88,000 people over a 34-year-period and collected Chinese medical knowledge. Another set of new Kamakura schools include the two major Zen schools of Japan (Rinzai and Sōtō ), promulgated by monks such as Eisai and Dōgen , which emphasize liberation through the insight of meditation (zazen). Dōgen (1200–1253) began a prominent meditation teacher and abbot. He introduced

672-635: A new system of monastic regulations based on the bodhisattva precepts . This new system allowed Tendai to free itself from direct state control. Also during this period, the Shingon ( Ch. Zhenyan; "True Word", from Sanskrit: " Mantra ") school was established in the country under the leadership of Kūkai . This school also received state sponsorship and introduced esoteric Vajrayana (also referred to as mikkyō , "secret teaching") elements. The new Buddhist lineages of Shingon and Tendai also developed somewhat independently from state control, partly because

768-662: A version of the Cundīdevīdhāraṇīsūtra ) conducted a Cundī ritual for the Tang emperor Xuanzong (r. 712–36) to help end a long drought, a rite which was deemed to be successful. Amoghavajra translated another version of the sutra, Cundīdevīdhāraṇīsūtra ( Qi Juzhi Fomu Suo Shuo Zhun Ti Tuoluoni Jing ) which is significantly larger. Various related ritual manuals (like the Seven Koti Buddha Devi Cundi Heart Dharani Ritual and

864-622: A vindictive form of the goddess Durgā , or Pārvatī , wife of the god Śiva . However, as Gimello notes "the often repeated claim that she is the Buddhist form of the Saivite deity Durgā invites suspicion, except insofar as both goddesses are examples of the general growth of devotion to female and maternal deities so rife throughout medieval India ." According to Robert Gimello, Cundī "came to be a, if not the, central focus of esoteric Buddhist practice in late traditional Chinese Buddhism. She

960-588: Is Princess Senshi's (964–1035) Hosshin waka shū (Collection of Waka of the Awakening Mind, 1012). The courtly practice of rōei (performing poetry to music) was also taken up in the Tendai and Shingon lineages. Both monks and laypersons met in poetry circles ( kadan ) like the Ninnaji circle which was patronized by Prince Shukaku (1150–1202). The Kamakura period (1185–1333) was a period of crisis in which

1056-477: Is also during this period that true lineages of "Shintō" kami worship begin to develop in Buddhist temples complexes, lineages which would become the basis for institutionalized Shintō of later periods. Buddhists continued to develop theories about the relationship between kami and the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. One such idea, gongen ("provisional manifestation") , promoted the worship of kami as manifest forms of

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1152-575: Is also sometimes considered a manifestation of Guanyin and in this form she is called Zhǔntí Guānyīn ( Chinese : 準提觀音, "Cundi Avalokiteśvara"). She is known as Junje Gwan-eum Bosal (준제관음보살, Hanja : 准提觀音菩薩, "Cundi Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva") in Korean, while in Japan she is known as Jundei Kannon (准胝観音, "Cundi Avalokiteśvara") and in Vietnam she is known as Chuẩn Đề Quan Âm ( Chữ Hán : 準提觀音, "Cundi Avalokiteśvara"). In modern Chinese Buddhism , she

1248-646: Is also sometimes identified with Marīci or the Queen of Heaven . In Chinese Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia , statues of Cundī are traditionally enshrined in vegetarian halls (齋堂; zhaitang ). According to the Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra , the dhāraṇī (incantation, spell) associated with Cundī is the following (in Sanskrit, English, Chinese): Nan Huaijin 's version adds Om Bhrūm ( Ong Bu Lin ) to

1344-510: Is an elaborately illustrated Lotus Sūtra installed at Itsukushima Shrine . The Buddhist liturgy of this era also became more elaborate and performative. Rites such as the Repentance Assembly ( keka'e ) at Hōjōji developed to include elaborate music, dance and other forms of performance. Major temples and monasteries such as the royal Hosshōji temple and Kōfukuji, also became home to the performance of Sarugaku theater (which

1440-536: Is known by the name Lhamo Cunda, Chunde or Cundi ('Lhamo' in Tibetan is ' Devi ' in Sanskrit , a term of veneration meaning ' goddess '). The name Cundī (along with other variations like Cundā, Cundrā, Candrā, Caṇḍā, and Cuṇḍrā) refers to an Indian Mahayana Buddhist deity found in numerous Indian sources such as the Śikṣāsamuccaya , Cundādhāriṇī Sūtra , Sādhanamālā, Niṣpannayogāvalī , Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa and

1536-701: Is no agreed upon etymology. Proposals include Śundhi (purity), Sunda (bright and beautiful), Cuṇṭi ( well ), or Cuṇḍī (to become smaller). Oda Tokunō (織田得能) interpreted the name as "purity, in praise of the purity of mind and nature" which refers to the Dharmakāya (in Bukkyo daijiten [Buddhist Dictionary], rev. ed. Tokyo 1954, p. 993b, s.v. "Juntei 準提"). According to C. N. Tay, "the Fo Guang Buddhist Dictionary , ed. Ding Fubao (丁福保) follows this interpretation." An 11th century manuscript of

1632-589: Is referred to as "new Kamakura" Buddhism, their beginning can actually be traced to the late Heian. This includes the practice of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism , which focuses on the contemplation and chanting of the nenbutsu , the name of the Buddha Amida (Skt. Amitābha) , in hopes of being reborn in the Buddha field of Sukhāvatī . This practice was initially popular in Tendai monasteries but then spread throughout Japan. Texts discussing miracles associated with

1728-499: Is still a significant presence in Chinese Buddhism today." In China she became known as Zhǔntí Fómǔ ( Chinese : 準提佛母 , "Buddha-Mother Zhunti"). She is also called Zhǔntí Púsà ( Chinese : 準提菩薩 , "Cundi Bodhisattva"). She was introduced into China in the 8th century when the Cundīdevīdhāraṇīsūtra was translated by Divakara (Dipoheluo, 613–88). Zanning (919-1001) mentions that Vajrabodhi (who also translated

1824-565: Is strongly influenced by Chinese Buddhism and Korean Buddhism , which were influenced by Indian Mahayana Buddhism . Though most scholars date the introduction of Buddhism to the middle of the sixth century, Deal and Ruppert note that immigrants from the Korean Peninsula, as well as merchants and sailors who frequented the mainland, likely brought Buddhism with them independent of the transmission as recorded in court chronicles. Some Japanese sources mention this explicitly. For example,

1920-487: Is the origin of Nō Drama ) as well as ennen ("longevity-enhancing") arts which included dances and music. Doctrinally, these performative arts were seen as skillful means ( hōben , Skt. upaya ) of teaching Buddhism. Monks specializing in such arts were called yūsō ("artistic monks"). Another way of communicating the Buddhist message was through the medium of poetry, which included both Chinese poetry ( kanshi ) and Japanese poetry ( waka ). An example of Buddhist themed waka

2016-487: Is usually depicted with multiple arms. A common form of Cundī found in East Asia has eighteen arms, each wielding implements that symbolize skillful means . Her eighteen arms also represent the eighteen merits of attaining Buddhahood, as described in an appendix to the Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra . There are forms of Cundī with four, six, sixteen or twenty-six arms. The four arms of the four-armed form of Cundī symbolize

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2112-556: Is vain and illusory, and the Buddha's realm alone is true." Regardless of his actual historical role, however, it is beyond doubt that Shōtoku became an important figure in Japanese Buddhist lore beginning soon after his death if not earlier. Taoist traditions of immortality and becoming a xian made it to Japan in the times of early Buddhism, but Buddhism absorbed them. "[U]nder Buddhist influence," these stories were "associated with certain ascetic monks who were devoted to

2208-857: The Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (at the Cambridge University Library) contains a miniature illustration of "Cundā of the Cundā temple of Paṭṭikerā" (in the Tippera, Bangladesh ). In the Sādhanamālā, Cundā is considered to be affiliated with Vairocana Buddha and the Niṣpannayogāvalī states that she is the embodiment of the Cundādhāriṇī, a dharani also mentioned by Shantideva in his Śikṣāsamuccaya . In

2304-526: The Guhyasamāja . Conze notes that the Tibetan terms for the goddess goes back to the Sanskrit: Cundī, Caṇḍī (a name for hindu goddess Durga ), Cunda, Chundi, or Cuṇṭi. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya argues the correct Sanskrit name should be Cundā. The deity's mantra, "oṃ cale cule cunde svāhā," seems to indicate the original name being Cundā. Peter Alan Roberts comments, in a note to a translation of

2400-826: The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa , she appears under the name Candrā (which generally means moon in Sanskrit). Images of the deity also appear in illustrated Prajñāpāramitā sutra manuscripts. Cundī and the Cundī Dhāraṇī are also featured in the Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra , which was translated three times from Sanskrit into Chinese in the late 7th century and early 8th century by the Indian esoteric masters Divākara (685 CE), Vajrabodhi (723 CE), and Amoghavajra (8th century). The worship of this deity became popular in north India during

2496-561: The Chan lineage of Caodong , which would grow into the Sōtō school. He criticized ideas like the final age of the Dharma ( mappō ), and the practice of apotropaic prayer. Additionally, it was during this period that monk Nichiren (1222–1282) began teaching his exclusively Lotus Sutra based Buddhism, which he saw as the only valid object of devotion in the age of mappō. Nichiren believed that

2592-421: The Cundī Dhāraṇī as follows: It is a defining feature of Zhunti practice, beginning with the Tang translation of the Cundī Dhāraṇī scriptures, that devotees are encouraged to use a mirror – "as an altar" (wei tan), some of the texts say – to facilitate visualization. Gazing into a mirror while reciting the dhāraṇī , one is to visualize both the image of the deity and the mystic letters that embody her. In time,

2688-710: The Factors of Bodhi , if they obtain hearing of this dhāraṇī method, they will quickly realize the attainment of Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi. If there are people who are always able to remember, recite, and maintain this dhāraṇī, they will all obtain immeasurable roots of goodness. Buddhism in Japan Buddhism was first established in Japan in the 6th century CE. Most of the Japanese Buddhists belong to new schools of Buddhism which were established in

2784-579: The Heian Period Fusō ryakki (Abridged Annals of Japan), mentions a foreigner known in Japanese as Shiba no Tatsuto, who may have been Chinese-born, Baekje -born, or a descendant of an immigrant group in Japan. He is said to have built a thatched hut in Yamato and enshrined an object of worship there. Immigrants like this may have been a source for the Soga clan's later sponsorship of Buddhism. The Nihon Shoki ( Chronicles of Japan ) provides

2880-791: The Kamakura period (1185－1333). During the Edo (Tokugawa)-period (1603–1868), Buddhism was controlled by the feudal Shogunate . The Meiji-period (1868–1912) saw a strong response against Buddhism, with persecution and a forced separation between Buddhism and Shinto ( Shinbutsu bunri ). As of 2022, around 70.8 million people, or about 67% of Japan's total population, identify as Buddhist. The largest sects of Japanese Buddhism are Pure Land Buddhism with 22 million believers, followed by Nichiren Buddhism with 10 million believers, Shingon Buddhism with 5.4 million, Zen Buddhism with 5.3 million, Tendai Buddhism with 2.8 million, and only about 700,000 for

2976-535: The Kāraṇḍavyūha, her mantra appears after Om mani padme hum is pronounced. Seventy million Buddhas appear and recite Cundī Dhāraṇī . Gimello writes that the sutra "relates an occasion on which seventy-seven krore of tathagatas recited the Cundī Dhāraṇī , thereby causing a pore in Avalokitesvara's body to open and reveal in brilliant illumination a vast multitude of world systems (T. 1050: 20.63a)". Cundī

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3072-638: The Lotus Sutra ." Asuka-period (538 to 710) Buddhism ( Asuka bukkyō ) refers to Buddhist practice and thought that mainly developed after 552 in the Nara Basin region . Buddhism grew here through the support and efforts of two main groups: immigrant kinship groups like the Hata clan (who were experts in Chinese technology as well as intellectual and material culture), and through aristocratic clans like

3168-562: The Pala Empire , where she was taken as a patron deity of the Pāla dynasty. According to the Tibetan historian Taranatha , the founder of the dynasty, Gopala I , was a devotee of Cundā. The deity spread throughout the Buddhist world to the rest of India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan regions, also becoming popular in East Asia. During the 8th century, various texts related to

3264-737: The Seven Koti Devi Ritual, are attributed to Śubhakarasiṃha ). Further sources were translated during the Song dynasty which augmented the Chinese cult of Cundī and her status as an esoteric deity including Kāraṇḍavyūha sūtra , the Māyājāla tantra , and the Cundī (Cundā) tantra . In the 11th century Buddhism of the Liao dynasty (916–1125), Chinese Cundī practice developed into its most well known form (which remains influential today). This

3360-713: The Yamato Province to the other regions and islands of Japan. An important part of the centralizing reforms of this era (the Taika reforms ) was the use of Buddhist institutions and rituals (often performed at the palace or capital) in the service of the state. The imperial government also actively built and managed the Buddhist temples as well as the monastic community. The Nihon Shoki states that in 624 there were 46 Buddhist temples. Some of these temples include Kawaradera and Yakushiji . Archeological research has also revealed numerous local and regional temples outside of

3456-470: The four immeasurables : loving-kindness or benevolence ( maitrī ), compassion ( karuṇā ), empathetic joy ( muditā ), and equanimity ( upekṣā ). In the Sādhanamālā, she is described as follows: She is of the colour of the autumn moon, and is four-armed. She shows the varada-mudrā in the right hand and holds the book on a lotus in the left. The two other hands hold the bowl. She is decked in all ornaments. Abhayakaragupta's Niṣpannayogāvalī describes

3552-745: The six old schools established in the Nara period (710－794). Originating in India, Buddhism arrived in Japan by first making its way to China and Korea through the Silk Road and then traveling by sea to the Japanese archipelago . Though often overlooked in Western academia, Buddhism was transmitted through trade routes across South East Asia in addition to the Sinophere. As such, early Japanese Buddhism

3648-668: The 1. flag marked with cintāmaṇi jewel, 2. lotus, 3. Kamaṇḍalu, 4. noose, 5. bow, 6. javelin, 7. discus, 8. sword, 9. tarjaṇī (raised index finger), 10. bowl, 11. bhiṇḍipāla and 12. the prajñāpāramitā Scripture. A three-faced, twenty-six armed Cundā form exists in the Rinjung Gyatsa, a collection of deities from all four classes of tantra, compiled in the sixteenth century by the Tibetan master Lama Taranatha. In many images of Cundā, her arms hold numerous symbolic objects or make Buddhist hand gestures - mudras . Important mudras which are often depicted in images of Cundā include

3744-471: The Buddha, funerals, memorial rites for ancestral spirits, the feeding of hungry ghosts, feasts sponsored by donors, and tea services that served to highlight the bureaucratic and social hierarchy." Medieval Rinzai was also invigorated by a series of Chinese masters who came to Japan during the Song dynasty , such as Issan Ichinei (1247–1317). Issan influenced the Japanese interest in Chinese literature, calligraphy and painting. The Japanese literature of

3840-480: The Buddhas and bodhisattvas became popular in this period, along with texts which outlined death bed rites. During this period, some Buddhist temples established groups of warrior-monks called Sōhei . This phenomenon began in Tendai temples, as they vied for political influence with each other. The Genpei war saw various groups of warrior monks join the fray. There were also semi-independent clerics (who were called shōnin or hijiri, "holy ones") who lived away from

3936-455: The Buddhas. A group of Tendai monks at Mt. Hiei meanwhile incorporated hongaku thought into their worship of the kami Sannō, which eventually came to be seen as the source or "original ground" ( honji ) of all Buddhas (thereby reversing the old honji suijaku theory which saw the Buddha as the honji ). This idea can be found in the work of the Hiei monk Sonshun (1451–1514). Beginning with

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4032-430: The Buddhist immigrant groups, Asuka Buddhism was mainly the purview of aristocratic groups like the Soga clan and other related clans, who patronized clan temples as a way to express their power and influence. These temples mainly focused on the performance of rituals which were believed to provide magical effects, such as protection. During this period, Buddhist art was dominated by the style of Tori Busshi , who came from

4128-492: The Five Mountains ( Gozan Bungaku ) reflects this influence. One of his students was Musō Soseki , a Zen master, calligraphist, poet and garden designer who was granted the title "national Zen teacher" by Emperor Go-Daigo . The Zen monk poets Sesson Yūbai and Kokan Shiren also studied under Issan. Shiren was also a historian who wrote the Buddhist history Genkō shakusho . The Royal court and elite families of

4224-536: The Kamakura period, these new schools did not gain as much prominence as the older lineages, with the possible exception of the highly influential Rinzai Zen school. Among the founders of the forty-six sects in Japanese Zen, sixteen were Chinese masters, fifteen were Japanese masters who traveled to China during the reign of the Song dynasty , and another fifteen were Japanese masters who visited China during

4320-656: The Liao. During the 17th century (in the late Ming and early Qing dynasty ), there was another period of growth of Cundī Esotericism, especially in southern China. During this era, at least six works on Cundī practice were composed. These six texts are today part of the addendum to the Jiaxing Canon as well as in the Supplement to the [Kyoto] Buddhist Canon . Further sources from this period also contain many references to Cundī. There are aso many paintings and images of

4416-502: The Seventy Million", 七俱胝佛母), "Zhunti Buddha Mother" (準提佛母 , Zhǔntí Fómǔ ) in Chinese and Saptakoṭibuddhamatṛ ("Mother of Seventy Million Buddhas", though this Sanskrit reconstruction of 佛母 is speculative). Some depictions of Cundī share many iconographic and symbolic elements with another female Buddhist deity, Prajñāpāramitā Devi . As such, some images of these goddesses are difficult to identify. In Tibetan Buddhism she

4512-556: The Soga, blaming their worship for disease and disorder. These opponents of Buddhism are even said to have thrown the image of the Buddha into the Naniwa canal. Eventually outright war erupted. The Soga side, led by Soga no Umako and a young Prince Shōtoku , emerged victorious and promoted Buddhism on the archipelago with support of the broader court. Based on traditional sources, Shōtoku has been seen as an ardent Buddhist who taught, wrote on, and promoted Buddhism widely, especially during

4608-543: The Soga. Immigrant groups like the Korean monks who supposedly instructed Shōtoku introduced Buddhist learning, administration, ritual practice and the skills to build Buddhist art and architecture. They included individuals like Ekan (dates unknown), a Koguryŏ priest of the Madhyamaka school, who (according to the Nihon Shoki ) was appointed to the highest rank of primary monastic prelate ( sōjō ). Aside from

4704-555: The Tibetan version of the Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra : "Cale cule cunde are the vocative forms of Calā, Culā, and Cundā, three variations of her name. Cundi is the vocative for Cundī." The meaning of these names is not always clear. The name Cundī connotes a low caste woman, prostitute or other low class female position (such as a madam/ procuress ). Robert Gimello and the Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism claim that

4800-531: The capital also studied the classic Chinese arts that were being taught in the five mountain Rinzai temples. The shogunal families even built Zen temples in their residential palaces. The five mountain temples also established their own printing program ( Gozan-ban ) to copy and disseminate a wide variety of literature that included records of Zen masters, the writings of Tang poets , Confucian classics , Chinese dictionaries, reference works, and medical texts. It

4896-548: The capital was shifted to Kyoto (then known as Heiankyō ) by emperor Kanmu , mainly for economic and strategic reasons. As before, Buddhist institutions continued to play a key role in the state, with Kanmu being a strong supporter of the new Tendai school of Saichō (767–822) in particular. Saichō, who had studied the Tiantai school in China, established the influential temple complex of Enryakuji at Mount Hiei , and developed

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4992-455: The capital where great temples such as the Asuka-dera and Tōdai-ji were erected. The most influential of the temples are known as the " seven great temples of the southern capital " ( Nanto Shichi Daiji ). The temples were not exclusive and sectarian organizations. Instead, temples were apt to have scholars versed in several of schools of thought. It has been suggested that they can best be thought of as "study groups". State temples continued

5088-402: The capital. At the state temples, Buddhist rituals were performed in order to create merit for the royal family and the well-being of the nation. Particular attention was paid to rituals centered around Buddhist sutras (scriptures), such as the Golden Light Sutra . The monastic community was overseen by the complex and hierarchical imperial Monastic Office ( sōgō ), who managed everything from

5184-412: The circumference of the back. The effect is of an image of the goddess encircled by "garlands" of sacred syllables, as though to reinforce the claim that the goddess and the incantation were inseparable, perhaps even mutually constitutive. And, of course, as the instrument in question is a mirror, the fusion of goddess and spell is further fused with the practitioner's own reflection. Sometimes, to emphasize

5280-465: The conflicts and disasters of this period were caused by the wrong views of Japanese Buddhists (such as the followers of Pure Land and esoteric Buddhism). Nichiren faced much opposition for his views and was also attacked and exiled twice by the Kamakura state. During this period, the new "Kamakura schools" continued to develop and began to consolidate themselves as unique and separate traditions. However, as Deal and Ruppert note, "most of them remained at

5376-453: The control of the country moved from the imperial aristocracy to the samurai . In 1185 the Kamakura shogunate was established at Kamakura . This period saw the development of new Buddhist lineages or schools which have been called "Kamakura Buddhism" and "New Buddhism". All of the major founders of these new lineages were ex-Tendai monks who had trained at Mt. Hiei and had studied the exoteric and esoteric systems of Tendai Buddhism. During

5472-406: The deity in the mañjuvajra-maṇḍala as follows: Cundā is moon-white in colour. She has twenty-six arms. With the two principal hands she exhibits the chief mudrā . In the remaining right hands she shows the 1. abhaya-mudrā , 2. sword, 3. garland of jewels, 4. citron, 5. arrow, 6. axe, 7. club, 8. hammer, 9. goad, 10. thunderbolt, 11. tripatākā and 12. rosary. In the remaining left hands she shows

5568-405: The deity may have emerged as a local yakshini that became important in Indian Buddhism in around the 8th century. According to The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, the word Cuṇḍā in Sanskrit can also mean a small well or reservoir. Regarding Candrā, the name means moon in Sanskrit and the goddess is often described as being the color of the moon. In the Japanese Buddhism , there

5664-450: The deity were translated into Chinese. Another important Buddhist textual source of Cundī and the Cundī Dhāraṇī is the Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra , a sūtra centered around the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara that introduced the popular mantra oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ . This text is first dated to around the late 4th century CE to the early 5th century CE. This text may be the reason the deity later came to be identified with Guanyin . In

5760-415: The devastating Ōnin War (1467–1477) , the late Muromachi period saw the devolution of central government control and the rise of regional samurai warlords called daimyōs and the so called "warring states era" ( Sengokuki ). During this era of widespread warfare, many Buddhist temples and monasteries were destroyed, particularly in and around Kyoto. Many of these old temples would not be rebuilt until

5856-521: The development of the six great Nara schools, called Nanto Rokushū ( 南都六宗 , lit. the Six Sects of the Southern Capital ) , all were continuations of Chinese Buddhist schools. The temples of these schools became important places for the study of Buddhist doctrine. The six Nara schools were: Ritsu ( Vinaya ), Jōjitsu ( Tattvasiddhi ) , Kusha-shū ( Abhidharmakosha ), Sanronshū ( East Asian Mādhyamaka ), Hossō ( East Asian Yogācāra ) and Kegon ( Huayan ). These schools were centered around

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5952-399: The dharmachakra mudra (which symbolizes turning the dharmawheel ), the varada mudra (symbolizes granting fulfillment) and the abhaya mudra (fearlessness). Regarding the symbols that she holds, Puspa Niyogi writes: Among the objects held, the lotus is a symbol of purity; the book held by Cundā is Cundādhāriṇī, the rosary is for counting the number of repetitions of the mantra; the cakra is

6048-406: The end of the dhāraṇī. According to Gimello, "in some later texts, the longer version is routinely framed by certain preliminary and concluding dharani uttered for purificatory and protective purposes." One example is: Om raṃ om jrīṃ oṃ maṇī padme huṃ Namaḥ saptānāṃ samyaksaṃbuddha koṭīnāṃ tadyathā: Oṁ cale cule cunde svāhā vrāṃ Robert Gimello describes an element of the practice of

6144-476: The goddess from this period. Many of the figures associated with the late Ming Buddhist revival, such as Yunqi Zhuhong (1532-1612), Hanshan Deqiing (1546-1623), and Ouyi Zhixu (1599-1655), were very engaged with Cundī practice. The slightly later figure Shoudeng (1607-1675) was also important in promoting Cundī Esotericism. He wrote the popular guide to practice titled Method for the Practice of Zhunti Meditation ( Zhunti sanmei xingfa 准提三昧行法). Cundī Esotericism

6240-409: The home life, and will have the ability to maintain the pure precepts of a bodhisattva. They will be born in human or heavenly realms, they will not fall into evil destinies, and they will always be protected by all the heavenly guardians. The dhāraṇī is also closely associated with buddhahood and complete enlightenment (Skt. Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi ). At the end of the sūtra, the Buddha closes

6336-403: The icon and the recitation of the mantra are also coupled with the formation of a specific Cundī mudra. These three elements (mirror mandala, dharani and mudra) make up the practice of the "three mysteries" (sanmi), a key element of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism . According to Gimello, the Chinese Cundi practitioner Daoshen held that by invoking the deity Cundi through esoteric ritual and reciting

6432-404: The kami in different ways. Some monks saw them as just worldly beings who could be prayed for. Other saw them as manifestations of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. For example, the Mt. Hiei monk Eryō saw the kami as "traces" (suijaku) of the Buddha. This idea, called essence-trace ( honji-suijaku ) , would have a strong influence throughout the medieval era. The copying and writing of Buddhist scripture

6528-410: The late Ming is also attested by German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) who included an illustration of the deity in his famous China Illustrata (1667). Cundī is still widely revered in East Asian Buddhism , especially in China where Cundī practices were promoted by some modern Chinese Buddhist figures, like Nan Huai-Chin . Her mantra is also used by contemporary Chinese healers. She

6624-500: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cundi&oldid=877713879 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Cundi (Buddhism) This deity is also called by various other names and epithets, including Cundavajrī, Saptakoṭi Buddha- bhagavatī ("The Blessed Buddha of

6720-468: The major Buddhist monasteries and preached to the people. These figures had much more contact with the general populace than other monks. The most well known of these figures was Kūya (alt. Kōya; 903–972), who wandered throughout the provinces engaging in good works ( sazen ), preaching on nembutsu practice and working with local Buddhist cooperatives ( zenchishiki ) to create images of bodhisattvas like Kannon. Another important development during this era

6816-476: The mantra one could also attain the truth of the Huayan teaching. Gimello writes that Daoshen held that "the "body" of Huayan doctrine and the envisaged image of Cundi are somehow co-inherent, and that by invoking the presence of the goddess we somehow confirm the truth of the doctrines and render them practically efficacious". As such he "urges upon his readers a kind of religious synesthesia in which hearing or reading doctrine, as distilled in dharani, and seeing

6912-698: The medieval era, political power was decentralized and shrine-temple complexes were often competing with each other for influence and power. These complexes often controlled land and multiple manors, and also maintained military forces of warrior monks which they used to battle with each other. In spite of the instability of this era, the culture of Buddhist study and learning continued to thrive and grow. Furthermore, though there were numerous independent Buddhist schools and lineages at this time, many monks did not exclusively belong to one lineage and instead traveled to study and learn in various temples and seminaries. This tendency of practicing in multiple schools or lineages

7008-455: The middle of the sixth century, Buddhism was introduced through official diplomatic channels. According to the Nihon Shoki , after receiving the Buddhist gifts, the Japanese emperor asked his officials if the Buddha should be worshipped in Japan. They were divided on the issue, with Soga no Iname (506–570) supporting the idea while Mononobe no Okoshi and Nakatomi no Kamako worried that the kami of Japan would become angry at this worship of

7104-430: The monastic code to the color of the robes. In 710, Empress Genme moved the state capital to Heijōkyō , (modern Nara ) thus inaugurating the Nara period . This period saw the establishment of the kokubunji system, which was a way to manage provincial temples through a network of national temples in each province. The head temple of the entire system was Tōdai-ji (completed in 752). Nara state sponsorship saw

7200-446: The old schools did not happen all at once. In fact, the new schools remained under the old schools' doctrinal and political influence for some time. For example, Ōhashi Toshio has stressed how during this period, the Jōdo sect was mainly seen as a subsidiary or temporary branch sect of Tendai. Furthermore, not all monks of the old sects were antagonistic to the new sects. During the height of

7296-423: The old system was becoming less important to Heian aristocrats. This period also saw an increase in the official separation between the different schools, due to a new system that specified the particular school which an imperial priest ( nenbundosha ) belonged to. During this period, there was a consolidation of a series of annual court ceremonies ( nenjū gyōji ). Tendai Buddhism was particularly influential, and

7392-501: The periphery of Buddhist institutional power and, in some ways, discourse during this era." They further add that it was only "from the late fifteenth century onward that these lineages came to increasingly occupy the center of Japanese Buddhist belief and practice." The only exception is Rinzai Zen, which attained prominence earlier (13th century). Meanwhile, the "old" schools and lineages continued to develop in their own ways and remained influential. The new schools' independence from

7488-569: The practice of conducting numerous rituals for the good of the nation and the imperial family. Rituals centered on scriptures like the Golden Light and the Lotus Sūtra . Another key function of the state temples was the transcription of Buddhist scriptures, which was seen as generating much merit. Buddhist monastics were firmly controlled by the state's monastic office through an extensive monastic code of law, and monastic ranks were matched to

7584-456: The ranks of government officials. It was also during this era that the Nihon Shoki was written, a text which shows significant Buddhist influence. The monk Dōji (?–744) may have been involved in its compilation. The elite state sponsored Nara Buddhism was not the only type of Buddhism at this time. There were also groups of unofficial monastics or priests (or, self-ordained; shido sōni ) who were either not formally ordained and trained through

7680-425: The reign of Empress Suiko (554 – 15 April 628). He is also believed to have sent envoys to China and is even seen as a spiritually accomplished bodhisattva who is the true founder of Japanese Buddhism. Modern historians have questioned much of this, seeing most of it as a constructed hagiography . A popular quote attributed to Shōtoku that became foundational for Buddhist belief in Japan is translated as "The world

7776-490: The reign of the Yuan dynasty . The new schools include Pure Land lineages like Hōnen's (1133–1212) Jōdo shū and Shinran's (1173–1263) Jōdo Shinshū , both of which focused on the practice of chanting the name of Amida Buddha. These new Pure Land schools both believed that Japan had entered the era of the decline of the Dharma ( mappō ) and that therefore other Buddhist practices were not useful. The only means to liberation

7872-429: The small disc-shaped bronze mirrors used for this purpose came to be commonly imprinted, on the back, with the deity's iconic form, according to the canonical description, and, on the front and/or the back, with the inscribed dhāraṇī . It was not unusual to have the Sanskrit version of the spell embossed on the outer edge of the front or reflecting side of the disc, and to have the transliterated Chinese version embossed on

7968-461: The state channels, or who chose to preach and practice outside of the system. These "unofficial" monks were often subject to state punishment. Their practice could have also included Daoist and indigenous kami worship elements. Some of these figures became immensely popular and were a source of criticism for the sophisticated, academic and bureaucratic Buddhism of the capital. During the Heian period ,

8064-405: The symbol of absolute completeness; dhvaja is the banner of victory; the trisula is held to symbolize "the sun with a flame" but there is much diversity of opinion regarding it; the sword is the symbol of the emptiness which constitutes the core of the doctrine of perfect wisdom. The begging-bowl typifies renunciation of all possessions. In Hindu texts, a deity also called Cundā is considered

8160-472: The teaching by saying: This great dhāraṇī of Cundī is a great brilliant mantra teaching that is spoken by all Buddhas of the past, all Buddhas of the future, and all Buddhas of the present time. I also now speak it thusly to benefit all sentient beings, causing them to attain Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi. If there are sentient beings with little merit, who lack the roots of goodness, natural ability, and

8256-420: The theme of communion between devotee and deity, the goddess's image is imprinted on the back of the mirror, facing backwards, so that someone viewing the rear of the mirror would see the back of the goddess and could therefore easily imagine, when gazing at his or her own image in the front of the mirror, that it was the goddess herself, in the guise of one's own visage, who is gazing back. The visualization of

8352-551: The traditional foundations of the Buddhist path, ethical cultivation and meditation practice. Other monks attempted to minister to marginalized low class groups. The Kegon-Shingon monk Myō'e was known for opening his temple to lepers, beggars, and other marginal people, while precept masters such as Eison (1201–1290) and Ninshō (1217–1303) were also active in ministering and caring for ill and marginalized persons, particularly those outcast groups termed "non-persons" ( hinin ). Deal & Ruppert (2015) p. 122 Ninshō established

8448-663: The veneration of the Lotus Sūtra grew in popularity, even among the low class and non-aristocratic population, which often formed religious groups such as the "Lotus holy ones" ( hokke hijiri or jikyōja ) and mountain ascetics ( shugenja ) . Shugendō is an example of the fusion of Shinto mountain worship and Buddhism. The aim of Shugendo practitioners is to save the masses by acquiring supernatural powers through rigorous training while walking through steep mountains. Furthermore, during this era, new Buddhist traditions began to develop. While some of these have been grouped into what

8544-404: Was Enni Ben'en (1202–1280), a high-ranking and influential monk who was initiated into Tendai and Shingon. He then traveled to China to study Zen and later founded Tōfukuji . The Tendai and Shingon credentials of Rinzai figures such as Enni show that early Zen was not a lineage that was totally separate from the other "old" schools. Indeed, Zen monastic codes feature procedures for "worship of

8640-459: Was a widespread practice in this period. It was seen as producing merit (good karma). Artistic portraits depicting events from the scriptures were also quite popular during this era. They were used to generate merit as well as to preach and teach the doctrine. The "Enshrined Sutra of the Taira Family " ( Heikenōkyō ), is one of the greatest examples of Buddhist visual art from this period. It

8736-529: Was also widely practiced by Chinese Buddhist laypersons during the Ming. In P'eng Chi-ch'ing's (1740-1796) biography of lay Buddhists, the most popular mantras among laypersons were the Cundī mantra and the Great Compassion Mantra. She is also prominent in the art of the late Ming, such as in the paintings of Chen Hongshou (1598–1652). The popularity of Cundī Esotericism among the laypeople in

8832-676: Was led by the work of Daoshen who wrote the Collection of Essentials for the Attainment of Buddhahood by Total [Inter-]Penetration of the Esoteric and the Exoteric, . Daoshen's work linked Chinese Esoteric Buddhism , especially Cundī esotericism, with Huayan philosophy. According to Gimello, Daoshen's work is the foundation of what is today known as Chinese "Cundī Esotericism". Cundī Esotericism continued to be practiced in China after

8928-484: Was now the faithful chanting of the nembutsu. This view was critiqued by more traditional figures such as Myō'e (1173–1232). Another response to the social instability of the period was an attempt by certain monks to return to the proper practice of Buddhist precepts as well as meditation. These figures include figures like the Kōfukuji monk Jōkei (1155–1213) and the Tendai monk Shunjō (1166–1227), who sought to return to

9024-534: Was popular in Kyūshū . Popular sites for pilgrimage and religious practice, like Kumano , included both kami worship and the worship of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, which were often associated with each other. Furthermore, temples like Tōdai-ji also included shrines for the worship of kami (in Tōdai-ji's case, it was the kami Shukongōjin that was enshrined in its rear entryway). Buddhist monks interpreted their relationship to

9120-774: Was termed shoshū kengaku . It became much more prominent in the medieval era due to the increased social mobility that many monks enjoyed . Both the Kamakura shogunate (1192–1333) and the Ashikaga shogunate (1336–1573) supported and patronized the " Five Mountains culture " ( Gozan Jissetsu Seido ) of Rinzai Zen. This Rinzai Zen tradition was centered on the ten "Five Mountain" temples (five in Kyoto and five in Kamakura). Besides teaching zazen meditation, they also pursued studies in esoteric Buddhism and in certain art forms like calligraphy and poetry. A pivotal early figure of Rinzai

9216-509: Was that Buddhist monks were now being widely encouraged by the state to pray for the salvation of Japanese kami (divine beings in Shinto). The merging of Shinto deities with Buddhist practice was not new at this time. Already in the eighth century, some major Shinto shrines ( jingūji ) included Buddhist monks which conducted rites for shinto divinities. One of the earliest such figures was "great Bodhisattva Hachiman " (Hachiman daibosatsu) who

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