Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Buddhas, Jizo, & other statues of Kunisaki 1

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The Kunisaki peninsular is home to an uncountable number of buddhist statues, mostly made of stone.

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Some are by the roadside, and some are in the grounds of temples, but many are at the sites frequented by Yamabushi, the mountain ascetics who lived and visited here.

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Some are carved directly into the rock itself, but many are placed in the man-made caves that were used by the ascetics for their meditation practices.

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There are a bewildering array of characters in the Buddhist pantheon. As well as various buddhas there are numerous bodhisatvas as well as saints, disciples, and other deities often derived from hindu deities.

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Its only recently that I have started to visit buddhist sites, mainly for an interest in the statuary and other art.

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I am beginning to recognize some of the figures, but the identity of others still eludes me.

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It is my hope that one day I can return to kunisaki and follow the old pilgrim trail as there are for sure many wonders to be found off the beaten track.

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1 comment:

  1. What wonderful statues. Was that top one originally painted with that red or is it something else?

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