Fudō Myōō with Four Attendants, Outlined in Seed Syllables

Fudō Myōō with Four Attendants, Outlined in Seed Syllables

Chikai 智海

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

His name meaning “immovable wisdom king,” Fudō Myōō (Sanskrit: Acala-vidyaraja) represents the wrathful aspect of the Cosmic Buddha Dainichi (see the large statue to the left of the Buddhist altar). As in the two sculptures of Fudō displayed nearby, in this painting the Buddhist protective deity holds a wisdom-sword in his right hand and a lasso, outlined in red, in his left. He and his four youthful attendants (dōji) are circumscribed in tiny sacred Sanskrit characters called “seed syllables” (shuji), rendered in black ink. The syllables that form the five figures’ attributes are outlined in red ink. The monk Chikai, based at Kono Shrine near Amanohashidate (Kyoto Prefecture), was associated with the Shingon (Esoteric) sect of Buddhism and known as a prolific painter of Fudō images in his day, though only a few examples survive.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fudō Myōō with Four Attendants, Outlined in Seed SyllablesFudō Myōō with Four Attendants, Outlined in Seed SyllablesFudō Myōō with Four Attendants, Outlined in Seed SyllablesFudō Myōō with Four Attendants, Outlined in Seed SyllablesFudō Myōō with Four Attendants, Outlined in Seed Syllables

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.