ИСТИНА

In this paper I describe and compare iconographies that are thought to represent miraculous appearances (Jap. 影向 yōgō) of buddhas and bodhisattvas. By miraculous appearance I understand the religious experience of a devotee seeing an actual corporeal presence of a sacred figure, seeing it coming into sight and somehow engaging with it. The most well-known of such iconographies is Amida-raigō-zu with a focus on Buddha Amida, but other Buddhist entities (such as bodhisattvas Kannon, Fugen and Monju) are also believed to perform this miracle and their images have corresponding iconographies (Senju-kannon-yōgō-zu, Fugen-bosatsu-raigi-zu, Monju-tokai-zu). I investigate how the presence of the sacred being was represented, what visual tools were developed in particular cases, if there are common patterns and visual lineage between them. Since the very titles of the iconographies suggest the idea of movement towards someone or across something I focus on the visual expression of this idea as well. Movement is shown through specific postures of the attendants, but also alluded to with attributes and iconographic details. In my PhD thesis I plan to discuss the religious background of this type of images as well, but in this presentation I will concentrate on the visual aspects of these iconographies.