“Who are they and why are they here?” a child’s voice echoes. These figures represent the Thirteen Buddhas. Each plays a vital role in Japanese Buddhist traditions. The Thirteen Buddhas of Fukuoka represent a grouping of deities. These deities come particularly from the Shingon and Tendai sects of Buddhism. The grouping includes Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
In Shingon services, lay followers chant mantras to each figure. However, disciples often focus on one Buddha. The choice depends on the teacher’s guidance. Chanting these mantras is basic for Shingon and Tendai followers. These Buddhas are also key in funeral and protective rituals.
These rites are unique to Japan. They connect closely with memorial services for the deceased. Bishop Taisen Miyata described a typical service. He noted the thirteen deities guard specific days after death. Families gather before a scroll showing the deities. They hold a memorial service and recite each mantra. This custom remains common in Japan today.
Each deity in the Shingon sect has a unique mantra. It includes an introductory syllable like “om”. A short description of the deity follows. It closes with a Sanskrit seed syllable unique to each deity. Reciting this syllable calls forth the deity. Practitioners believe in the mystical power of sound. It unites them with the invoked deity. These mortuary rites became standard by the Edo period. People petition the Buddhas to help the deceased’s spirit. They assist its journey into the afterlife.
In Buddhism, beings cycle through many lives and deaths. Rebirth is common, but nirvana is rare. The time between death and rebirth raises concerns. Feasts and offerings to Buddhist deities gain merit. This merit aids the departed before reincarnation. This concept is known as tsuizen kuyō. The Thirteen Buddha Rites also include premortem offerings. These actions, called gyakushu, increase merit before death.
The term “Thirteen Buddhas” is somewhat misleading. The group contains five Buddhas, seven Bodhisattvas and one Wisdom King. Only Shaka Nyorai is considered a historical person. Others are metaphysical concepts. Buddhas are the most exalted deities. Various Buddhist sects in Japan worship them. Dainichi Nyorai is central to the Shingon sect. Pure Land sects venerate Amida Nyorai. Zen sects honor Shaka Nyorai. Bodhisattvas embody Mahayana Buddhist teachings. They postpone Nirvana to help all beings reach Buddhahood. Wisdom Kings originated as Hindu deities. Japanese esoteric sects later adopted them. By the thirteenth century, they became popular protectors. They guard against evil. Fudō Myōō is the most common Wisdom King. Aizen Myōō is his counterpart.
The Thirteen Buddhas assist people during life. They continue to guide them after death. They lead them to enlightenment. The timeline of invocation by living Shingon followers is specific. It occurs on the seventh, fourteenth and twenty-first days. Also, the twenty-eighth, thirty-fifth and forty-second days. Then, the forty-ninth and one-hundredth days after death. Memorials continue on the first, third, seventh, thirteenth and thirty-third years. Each deity has an image, bija and pronunciations.