One Buddha and Four Attendants

Commentary by Robin Beck:

:

14th Century Myohokkeji Izu Shizuoka 

This painting is dated to the late Kamakura Era, the early 14th Century
{1300's}. It is kept at Myohokkeji Temple Tamazawa, Mishima City, Izu,
Shizuoka. Myohokkeji was originally Nissho's Hokkeji Temple at Hama,
Kamakura. Nissho took up residence at Hama after Tatsunokuchi. Hokkeji
was officially founded by Nissho in 1284 and transfered to a Nichiyu in
1317. The Temple was moved to Izu and renamed Myohokkeji by
Oman-no-kata in 1621. Myohokkeji houses Four {4} authenticated original
Nichiren Gohonzons. These are: 

*The Nichiren Prayer Gohonzon aka Medicine Mandala of April 1276 (Kenji
2), #37 in the Gohonzon Shu, conferred upon Nissho. See Also
Coffeehouse 

*Mandala #62 dated April 8, 1279 (Koan 2). See Also Coffeehouse 

*Mandala #78 {no info} See Also Coffeehouse 

*The Great Mandala for Transmitting the Dharma issued to Nissho in the
11th month of 1280; #101 in the Gohonzon Shu See Also Coffeehouse 

It is also home to Six {6} National Treasures of Japan. Note that I am
reading and trying to interpret from a Japanese Web Page. These
treasures appear to include: 

1. The Ministers' Quarters
2. What are likely scrolls of a version of the Senji Sho.
3. Nichiren's annotated scrolls of the Lotus Sutra {Chu Hokekyo}, See
Also Distribution of the Mementos?.
4. An early Pictorial Mandala Gohonzon.
5. Statues of Guardian Deities?
6. The early 14th Century {1300s} Painting of Nichiren. 

The perspective in the painting is interesting. Nichiren is shown much
larger than life. By contrast, the lay followers appear to be as small
as children. Also, note that the Gohonzon in the painting is a
Shakyamuni Statue flanked by standing statues of the Four Boddhisattvas
of the Earth. 

This motif was, I think, popular from 1275 - 1333. There is a record
that Toki Jonin had such a statue arrangement at Nakayama before 1280.
More complex arrangements become popular in the late 14th C. 

Also, I was told the painting might represent a recollection of
Nichiren teaching the Lotus Sutra to Lay Discples in the main house of
Lord Hakiri {aka Hakii Rokuro Sanenaga, Nambu Sanenaga, or Nichien
Nyudo} at Mount Minobu, between 1274 & 1282. It could also have been
copied from older sketch. 

Dr. Stone wrote:

"The "one Buddha and four attendants" came into fairly widespread use 
among Nichiren's followers as a honzon almost immediately after his 
death. There was also a more complex configuration consisting of the 
two Buddhas, Sakyamuni and Many Jewels, seated together in the jeweled 
stupa and flanked by the four bodhisattvas (itto ryoson shishi). The 
earliest attested grouping was made by Jogyoin Nichiyu (1298-1374) of 
the Nakayama lineage in 1335." 

See: See Dr Stone on the Gohonzon -- Download .pdf @
Dharma_Study_Group. Also, for discussions of Nichiren related art {and
more}, pleae check out: nichirenpix · Nichiren Buddhist Art & Culture
To access the web features of nichirenpix and Dharma_Study_Group, one
must join with a valid Yahoo ID. See Yahoo! Groups