Monju is frequently depicted with a sword in one hand and a sutra in the other. Sometimes he carries a lotus flower and is riding a lion. Awareness of details such as these will greatly assist the viewer in ascertaining the identity of a bosatsu in Buddhist painting and sculpture. Jizo Bosatsu Unfortunately, employing a single identification formula does not guarantee that one will be liberated from all difficulties with regard to recognizing Buddhist images. Relying exclusively on one particular verification technique for all Buddhist images is simply insufficient.
Several tactics are necessary, but the reward justifies the effort.
Identifying the Chinese characters next to the image when available, looking carefully for some of the thirty-two attributes of a Nyorai , and being attentive to the hand gestures and various objects associated with particular Nyorai or bosatsu makes viewing Buddhist art an enriching experience. Among the courses he teaches is Religions of East Asia. All photographs are from the postcard collection of Douglas P. Sjoquist. Drawings are from worksheets supplied by Douglas Sjoquist.