Condensed Visual Guide to Japan's 13 Buddhist Deities © 2018 Mark Schumacher

Slide Three ‐‐ Conclusions Up Front, Japan's Thirteen Buddhist Deities

China's Ten Kings of Hell 十王
Ten Kings combined with India's 7‐7. China
adds three kings & rites. China & Japan pairkings with Buddhist deities.
Japan's Esoteric Buddhism 真言・天台
Three more kings, Buddhist deities, &postmortem rites added; deities added
form a Shingon triad; also Jizō = Emma.
Japan's Thirteen Deities were likely
concocted by Japan's Shingon school.

死後の儀式・追薦
追善・追福・冥塗Gyakushū 逆修Ennichi
緣日十齋日佛

三十日秘仏

八守護仏

China's Ten Kings of Hell

13 Buddhist Counterparts

Postmortem Rites

Premortem Rites

Holy Day

10 Days Fasting

30 Secret Deities

8 Protectors

1Shinkō‐ō 秦広王, 秦廣王

Fudō Myō‐ō 不動明王

7th day 初七日

16th day, 1st month

28th‐‐‐‐

28th day2Shokō‐ō 初江王

Shaka Nyorai 釈迦如来

14th day 二七日

29th day, 2nd month

30th

30th day30th day‐‐

3Sōtei‐ō 宋帝王

Monju Bosatsu 文殊菩薩

21st day 三七日

25th day, 3rd month25th‐‐

25th day25th day

4Gokan‐ō 五官王, 伍官王

Fugen Bosatsu 普賢菩薩

28th day 四七日

14th day, 4th month

14th14th day

14th day14th day

5Enma‐ō 閻魔王

Jizō Bosatsu 地蔵菩薩

35th day 五七日

24th day, 5th month

24th

24th day24th day‐‐6Henjō‐ō 変成王, 變成王

Miroku Bosatsu 弥勒菩薩

42nd day 六七日

15th day, 6th month

5th‐‐

5th day‐‐

7Taizan‐ō 泰山王, 泰山府君

Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来

49th day 七七日

8th day, 7th month

8th

8th day

8th day‐‐

8Byōdō‐ō 平等王

Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩

100th day 百ヶ日

18th day, 8th month

18th18th day

18th day18th day9Toshi‐ō 都市王

Seishi Bosatsu 勢至菩薩

1st year 一周忌

23rd day, 9th month

23rd

23rd day23rd day23rd day

10Gotōtenrin‐ō 五道轉輪王Amida Nyorai 阿弥陀如来

3rd year 三回忌

15th day, 10th month

15th

15th day15th day15th day

11Renge‐ō 蓮華王

Ashuku Nyorai 阿閃如来

7th year 七回忌

15th day, 11th month

4th‐‐

4th day‐‐

12Gion‐ō 祇園王

Dainichi Nyorai 大日如来

13th year 十三回忌

28th day, 11th month

28th

28th day28th day28th day

Hōkkai‐ō 法界王

Kokūzō Bosatsu 虚空蔵菩薩
RED BLOCK =Denominational Triads

33rd year 三十三回忌Standardized
14th Century

13th day, 12th month
13thStandardized
Modern15th Century
Holy Day‐‐
8 of 10See Slide 4

13th day
Only Fudō missing
See Slides 61‐62

13th day8 of 8See Slide 63

13Japan alone created a group with 13kings & 13 Honji

TEN KINGS / JUDGES (JŪ‐Ō 十王) OF UNDERWORLDNAME OFHELL JUDGE

Shinkō‐ō
Shokō‐ō
Sōtei‐ōGokan‐ō
Enma‐ō
Henjō‐ō
Taizan‐ōByōdō‐ō
Toshi‐ō
Gotōtenrin‐ō

#12345678910CHINESE

HONJI 本地

MEMORIAL

PROBABLE

IDENTITY

BUDDHIST COUNTERPARTRITESORIGINKing Kuang of Ch'in
King of the First RiverKing Ti of SungKing of the Five Offices
King Yama Rāja
King of Transformations
King of Mount T'ai
Impartial KingKing of the Capital

Fudō Myō‐ōShaka Buddha
Monju Bosatsu
Fugen BosatsuJizō Bosatsu
Miroku Bosatsu
Yakushi Buddha
Kannon Bosatsu
Seishi Bosatsu
Amida Buddha

7th day
14th day21st day28th day35th day42nd day
49th day
100th day
1st year
3rd yearKing who turns wheel of rebirth

India's Seven
Seventh‐Day Rites

China's Pure Land
Faith

Three more judge‐honji pairings were added in the mid‐14th century. They are Japanese innovations.

Renge‐ōGion‐ō
Hokkai‐ō

Related Groupings (see notes below)

Honjibutsu 本地仏Original Sources

Composition of Japan's
Thirteen Buddhist Deities
India's Seven Sevens 七七日
Reflecting ancient beliefs from India ontransmigration / reincarnation. After
wandering for 49 days (seven sevens), thedead are sentenced on day 50 to rebirth in
one of six karmic realms. Influence of Seven
Planets & the Seven Big Dipper Stars. Seven
Weeks + Six Karmic Realms of Rebirth = 13.

MODERN

Suijaku 垂迹Local Manifestations

111213Lotus Flower KingKing of Gion (Jetavana)
Dharma Realm King

Ashuku Buddha
Dainichi Buddha
Kokūzō Bosatsu

7th year
13th year
33rd year

Japan's Esoteric
Buddhism