The three front faces
Jihisō, the compassionate aspect
Seeing people of good conduct, it gives rise to loving kindness and bestows joy.
About Byōdōji
The Eleven-Faced Kannon of the Jibutsudō
The statue in the Jibutsudō, and the origin of the title Nikkō-in
The Eleven-Faced Kannon is the principal image of the Jibutsudō at Byōdōji. Of the temple's two titles, Iō-in comes from Yakushi Nyorai, the principal image of the main hall, and Nikkō-in comes from this Kannon.
Table of Contents
The Eleven-Faced Kannon, principal image of the Jibutsudō
In the Jibutsudō of Byōdōji, the Eleven-Faced Kannon (Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara) is enshrined as the principal image. Together with Yakushi Nyorai, the principal image of the main hall, this Kannon receives the prayers of each day.
It is a standing statue carved from a single block of wood (ichiboku-zukuri), with eleven faces on its head, holding a lotus and a water vase (suibyō). Temple tradition says it was already enshrined here when Kōbō Daishi traveled through this region. The Hishō kuketsu, a record of Shingon oral teachings, says that this vase holds the wisdom-water of compassion, amṛta (sweet dew). Because this water heals fevers, it adds, the rite of this deity is performed especially in prayers against epidemics.
Byōdōji has two temple titles: Iō-in, from Iō Zenzei ("King of Physicians"), another name for the principal image Yakushi Nyorai, and Nikkō-in, connected with the light of the Eleven-Faced Kannon. Byōdōji is a temple that holds both devotion to Yakushi Nyorai and devotion to the Eleven-Faced Kannon.
About the statue
The founding legend preserved at Byodoji
The temple title Nikkō-in comes from a legend: one morning, as the holy water for kaji was about to be drawn, the sunlight reflected on its surface was revered as the form of the Eleven-Faced Kannon.
The Byōdōji Origin Record tells that sunlight reflected in the morning's holy water brightly lit the inside of the temple. That great light was revered as the form of the Eleven-Faced Kannon, and the Eleven-Faced Kannon was enshrined as the principal image of the hōjō, the chief priest's quarters.
The record also tells that the name Byōdōji comes from Yakushi Nyorai's vow to save all people equally, without distinction.
What kind of Kannon is the Eleven-Faced Kannon?
Forms in which Kannon appears, changed according to the beings to be saved and the work to be done, are called henge Kannon, transformation Kannon. The Eleven-Faced Kannon is one of them. With the eleven faces on its head, it looks out in every direction and is said to respond to the suffering of any person in any direction.
Each of the eleven faces has a different expression. It turns a face of loving kindness to good people and corrects wrongdoers with a face of anger, turning to each person the face suited to saving them.
At the center of the sutras is Kannon's heart mantra (shinshingon, the central mantra expressing that Buddha's heart), named "Eleven-Faced." Together with the power of this mantra, the sutras also teach how to make the figure with eleven faces.
Its full name is Jūichimen Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara. Its Sanskrit name means "Avalokiteśvara with eleven faces." In Japan it was the first of the transformation Kannon to be revered, and many statues have been made since the Nara period.
More: the workings of the eleven faces
The workings of the eleven faces
The arrangement of the eleven faces is described in the sutra, and the way each face saves people is explained in a commentary, the Jūichimen jinju shingyō gisho.
The faces are not counted in only one way. The name is "Eleven-Faced," but if we include the Kannon's own original face that bears the eleven, there are twelve. The commentary explains this relation between eleven and twelve through three pairs: cause and result, skillful means and truth, and civil and martial. First, the original face is the cause of practice, and the Buddha face at the top is the result, awakening. Second, the eleven faces above are faces of skillful means for guiding people, and the original face is the true face. Third, the compassionate faces at the front correspond to the civil, and the wrathful faces on the left to the martial.
The large Buddha face at the top is different from the small kebutsu, the transformation Buddhas in the crowns of each face. The oldest surviving Chinese translation, Yaśogupta's Sutra Spoken by the Buddha on the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara Dhāraṇī, clearly teaches that the transformation Buddha in the crown is Amitābha.
The three left faces
Shinnusō, the wrathful aspect
Seeing people of evil conduct, it gives rise to sorrow and seeks to save them from suffering.
The three right faces
Byakuge jōshutsusō, the aspect with white fangs
Seeing people who strive purely, it praises them and leads them further along the Buddha's path.
The one face at the back
Bōaku daishōsō, the aspect of fierce laughter
Seeing people in whom good and evil are mixed, it laughs aloud, makes them mend their wrongs, and turns them toward the path.
The one face at the top
Butsumen, the Buddha face
To those who practice the Mahāyāna teaching, it teaches the ultimate path of the Buddha.
More: the benefits taught in the sutras
Benefits and prayer
The sutras teach the benefits gained by those who recite the mantra of the Eleven-Faced Kannon (the Eleven-Faced dhāraṇī). Best known are the "ten victories" gained in this life and the "four meritorious blessings" gained at death and after. The ten victories are as follows.
The four meritorious blessings are to see the Buddhas at the end of life, not to fall into the evil realms, not to die in a terrible disaster, and to be born in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The sutras of the Eleven-Faced Kannon teach both the wish to live this life in health, free from illness and calamity, and rebirth in the Pure Land after death.
The Eleven-Faced Kannon has long been cherished as the Kannon of healing, good health, and protection from misfortune because the sutras teach these benefits. At Byōdōji too, as the principal image of the Jibutsudō, this Kannon receives the prayers of each day.
- The body is always free from illness
- Always protected by the Buddhas of the ten directions
- No lack of wealth, clothing, or food
- Subduing enemies without fear
- Respected by noble people, who speak first
- Unharmed by poison or evil spirits
- Unhurt by any blade or staff
- Never drowned
- Never burned by fire
- Never dying an untimely death
More: devotion in Japan
Devotion to the Eleven-Faced Kannon in Japan
As the Eleven-Faced Heart Dhāraṇī Sutra translated by Xuanzang spread, many statues were made in China and Japan. The Eleven-Faced Kannon became the most widespread of the transformation Kannon.
In the Nara period, many statues were made as principal images for prayers in this life, such as healing from illness. The murals of the Golden Hall at Hōryūji include a figure thought to be the Eleven-Faced Kannon. Most sutras prescribe small statues, but in Japan many larger-than-life statues were made. Forms unique to Japan also arose, such as the "Hasedera style," standing on a rock with a staff (shakujō) in the right hand and a water vase with a lotus in the left.
The "Omizutori" of the Nigatsudō at Tōdaiji is formally called the Jūichimen keka, the Eleven-Faced Repentance. It is a rite of confessing faults before the principal image, the Eleven-Faced Kannon, and praying for the peace of the nation and the happiness of the people. It has been held every year without a break since Tenpyō Shōhō 4 (752).
The Eleven-Faced Kannon is also counted among the "Six Kannon" who save beings in the six realms (the worlds of delusion), and is regarded chiefly as the Kannon who saves beings in the realm of the asuras.
- Famous statues of the Eleven-Faced Kannon designated National Treasures remain across Japan, at Kōgenji (Dōganji Kannondō, Shiga), Shōrinji (Nara), Hokkeji (Nara), and elsewhere.
The Eleven-Faced Kannon Goma on the 18th of each month
The 18th is said to be Kannon's holy day (ennichi), the day of special connection. On the night of the 18th of each month, Byōdōji performs the "Eleven-Faced Kannon Goma" before the Eleven-Faced Kannon.
The goma is a Shingon rite of prayer in which the wisdom-fire (chika, the fire of the Buddha's wisdom) is kindled in the goma hearth, and goma sticks are offered into the flames while mantras are recited. Wishes for the ten victories taught in the sutra, such as freedom from illness and protection from calamity, are entrusted to the wisdom-fire.
The Eleven-Faced Kannon Goma is a goma for sokusai. Sokusai means calming illness, calamity, and obstacles, and praying for peaceful days. You may entrust to it wishes for good health, healing from illness, and protection from misfortune. You may also apply online.
Mantras to Recite
When you join your hands before the Eleven-Faced Kannon, recite the following mantras. To begin with, the second, "on maka kyaronikya sowaka," is enough.
The first mantra
on rokei jinbara kiriku
oṃ lokeśvara hrīḥ
A mantra expressing refuge in Kannon. The closing "kiriku" is the seed syllable (shuji, a Sanskrit letter representing a Buddha in a single character) of the Lotus family.
Mantra praising the great compassion
on maka kyaronikya sowaka
oṃ mahā-kāruṇika svāhā
"O Greatly Compassionate One": a mantra taking refuge in Kannon's great compassion. It comes from the words with which the root sutra praises Kannon as "the Greatly Compassionate One" (mahākāruṇika), and it is the mantra most widely recited before the Eleven-Faced Kannon.
The root Eleven-Faced dhāraṇī (heart mantra)
tanyata on taratara chirichiri torotoro iteihatei shareisharei harasharei kusomei kusomeiharei iribiri shirishirichi jaramahanouya harimashudasatoba makakyaronikya sowaka
tadyathā oṃ dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru iṭṭe vaṭṭe cale cale pracale pracale kusume kusuma-vare ili mili citi jvalam-āpanaya śuddha-sattva mahā-kāruṇika svāhā
The root heart mantra (the long mantra) named "Eleven-Faced," taught in the sutra. Benefits such as the ten victories are taught as coming from reciting this heart mantra 108 times.
Frequently asked questions
The principal image of Byōdōji is Yakushi Nyorai, isn't it? Where is the Eleven-Faced Kannon?
The principal image of the main hall is Yakushi Nyorai. The Eleven-Faced Kannon is enshrined as the principal image of the Jibutsudō. Of the temple titles, Iō-in comes from Yakushi Nyorai, and Nikkō-in from the Eleven-Faced Kannon.
Does the temple title Nikkō-in refer to Nikkō Bosatsu?
The title Nikkō-in comes from the legend that, on a morning at the time of the founding, the sunlight reflected on the surface of the holy water was revered as the form of the Eleven-Faced Kannon. Its origin is different from that of Nikkō Bosatsu, the attendant of Yakushi Nyorai.
Why are there angry faces and laughing faces?
To save each person by turning to them a suitable face. It turns a face of loving kindness to good people, corrects wrongdoers with anger, and laughs aloud at those in whom good and evil are mixed to make them mend their wrongs. All of these express the great compassion of Kannon, who responds to the suffering of any person in any direction.
How is the Eleven-Faced Kannon different from the Thousand-Armed Kannon?
The Thousand-Armed Kannon also bears eleven faces on its head, so the two cannot be told apart by the number of faces alone. The Eleven-Faced Kannon is a transformation Kannon whose emphasis is on expressing workings such as compassion and wrath through its eleven faces.
Is "on maka kyaronikya sowaka" a mantra only for the Eleven-Faced Kannon?
It is a mantra praising Kannon as "the Greatly Compassionate One," and it is widely recited before the Eleven-Faced Kannon as well. The mantra unique to the Eleven-Faced Kannon is the long heart mantra (the Eleven-Faced dhāraṇī) taught in the sutra.
What wishes is the Eleven-Faced Kannon prayed to for?
The sutras teach freedom from illness, protection from calamity, no lack of wealth or food, and rebirth in the Pure Land after death. In Japan, this Kannon has long been cherished for healing, good health, and protection from misfortune.
May I pray while continuing medical treatment?
Yes. Doing everything one can to heal illness, and praying to the Buddha, have gone together since ancient times. Please continue the medical care you need and pray with peace of mind.
How can I pay my respects to the Eleven-Faced Kannon?
Please speak to us at the nōkyōjo. When no ceremony is being held, you may enter the hall to pray. Recite "on maka kyaronikya sowaka" and join your hands. For the Eleven-Faced Kannon Goma on the 18th of each month, you may apply for prayers online.
Choose a Goma by your wish
Byodoji accepts online applications for five monthly Goma rites. Choose the deity closest to your wish, then review the details on the application screen.
References
References and sources
This page lists the original texts and studies directly related to the principal image of the Jibutsudō at Byōdōji and the temple's traditions. The Chinese translations of the scriptures were checked against the Taishō Tripiṭaka (CBETA). Fuller references on doctrine, transmission, and form are listed in the article "What Is the Eleven-Faced Kannon?"
See the full references in "What Is the Eleven-Faced Kannon?"Byōdōji collection and temple tradition
Byōdōji collection: the Eleven-Faced Kannon, principal image of the Jibutsudō. A standing statue carved from a single block of wood, with eleven faces on the head, holding a lotus and a water vase.
Byōdōji's founding tradition: the origin of the temple title Nikkō-in, in which the morning light reflected in the holy water was revered as the form of the Eleven-Faced Kannon.
Sutras and commentaries
Yaśogupta, trans., Sutra Spoken by the Buddha on the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara Dhāraṇī (Bussetsu jūichimen kanzeon jinju kyō; Taishō No. 1070). The oldest surviving Chinese translation.
Xuanzang (Genjō), trans., Eleven-Faced Heart Dhāraṇī Sutra (Jūichimen jinju shingyō; Taishō No. 1071). Translated in the first year of Xianqing (656); the most widely read version in Japan.
Huizhao (Eshō), Commentary on the Eleven-Faced Heart Dhāraṇī Sutra (Jūichimen jinju shingyō gisho; Taishō No. 1802). The only surviving Chinese commentary on Xuanzang's translation.
Amoghavajra (Fukū), trans., Ritual Sutra for Reciting the Heart Mantra of the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (Jūichimen kanjizai bosatsu shin mitsugon nenju kikyō; Taishō No. 1069). Describes the four-armed form and four kinds of goma.
Shingon ritual texts
Jōnen, Gyōrinshō, fascicle 28, "The Eleven-Faced Rite" (Taishō No. 2409, vol. 76). Records a master's teaching that interprets the number of faces as "the eleven stages."
Raiyu, Usuzōshi kuketsu, fascicle 8, "The Eleven-Faced" (Taishō No. 2535, vol. 79). Records the rite performed to remove the calamities of illness and epidemics, and the secret teaching that the water vase is filled with the water of compassion and nectar.
Kyōshun, Hishō kuketsu, fascicle 15, "The Eleven-Faced Rite" (Shingonshū zensho, vol. 28, pp. 214–217). Records that of the four kinds of rite, this rite is as a rule performed for averting calamity (sokusai).
Kōnen, Gojikkanshō, fascicle 27 (Shingonshū zensho, vol. 30, pp. 94 and 116). Contains oral teachings on the Eleven-Faced rite and the deity's secret name.
Studies and devotion in Japan
Ōtsuka Nobuo, "'Jūichimen kanzeon jinju kyō' no keisei to tenkai ni tsuite" (On the Formation and Development of the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara Dhāraṇī Sutra), Kōyasan Daigaku Mikkyō Bunka Kenkyūjo kiyō 25, 2012. Full text (PDF)
Sawa Ryūken, "Jūichimen kannon no hyōgen ni tsuite" (On the Representation of the Eleven-Faced Kannon), Mikkyō kenkyū 84, 1943, pp. 57–79. Read on J-STAGE
Tōdaiji Nigatsudō (Nara), the hall of the Shuni-e (Omizutori), the Eleven-Faced Repentance. Official site
e-Kokuhō, the database of masterpieces in the collections of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. Official site
Read together
An explanation of the Eleven-Faced Kannon, a guide to the goma, and pages on Byōdōji's principal image and history.
What Is the Eleven-Faced Kannon?
An article explaining the origins of the Eleven-Faced Kannon, the meaning of the eleven faces, and the ten victories, with quotations from the original texts.
ReadThe Eleven-Faced Kannon Goma on the 18th of each month
An explanation of the sokusai goma performed on the night of Kannon's holy day, with guidance on applying online.
ReadThe Principal Image Yakushi Nyorai
An introduction to Yakushi Nyorai, principal image of the main hall: the origin of the statue and how to pray.
ReadThe History of Byōdōji
The path of Byōdōji from its founding to the present, with the origins of its temple, mountain, and cloister names.
ReadWhat Is the Cucumber Empowerment (Kyūri Kaji)?
An article on kyūri kaji, in which a name and a wish are entrusted to a single cucumber to pray for good health through the summer.
Read