Deities of Kunisaki and Beyond
Shinto Gods as Buddhist Manifestations
As Buddhism spread it incorporated local deities as guardians. Japan was no different and according to the Honji Suijaku, a 9th Century theory that held sway until the late 19th Century, Shinto kami are emanations of buddhas, bodhisattvas or devas who mingle with us to lead us to the Buddhist path. This posed no conflict to Shintoism since its deities are not considered absolute, like the Judeo-Christian god. The idea was that to make salvation easier to effect, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas assumed the forms of gods with whom the Japanese were already comfortable.
A result of this was the amalgamation of shrines and temples. The Shinto deity, kami, is considered a temporary manifestation of a Buddha and known as a Gongen. However, after the Meiji Restoration in 1869, Shinto, in which the Emperor plays a central role, was afforded pre-eminence on a national scale. The amalgamation with Buddhism was dissolved by Government decree and temples and shrines were forced apart.
Hachiman Bosatsu
Originally the tutelary deity of the Usa clan of north Kyushu, Hachiman later became the Yamato court guardian of the western region. From the 8th Century AD, warriors revered him as a patron and shrines were built to him throughout Japan. Hachiman is believed to provide domestic safety, to guard royal dwellings and to be the deity of martial virtue. The amalgamation of Shintoism and Buddhism resulted in his depiction wearing priestly robes. Generally he is seated with his feet hidden by a robe, tonsured and carrying a monk’s staff with metal rings and prayer beads. Other representations show him clothed as a noble warrior, and armed with bow and arrows. Hachiman was enthroned as a god protector with the title ‘great Bodhisattva’ at Todai-ji, Nara.
Usa Jingu, near Kunisaki, is the head shrine for Hachiman. Other major sanctuaries include Tsurugaoka in Kamakura and Otoko-yama in Kyoto. Hachiman is the second most common shrine in Japan after Inari, which is dedicated to harvests and headed by the shrine at Fushimi, south of Kyoto.
Zao Gongen
Punisher of evildoers
Zao Gongen is a syncretic deity conceived following a vision seen by En no Gyoja on Mt. Yoshino. This deity is said to be an emanation of Maitreya Bodhisattva. Coloured blackish-blue, he has one face with three eyes and two arms. He wears a three pointed crown and carries a three pronged vajra weapon in his right hand and a sword held at hip level in his left. The face is enveloped in flames intended to consume the desires of the followers who seek its protection. This might be a temporary incarnation of the historical Buddha.
