#cintamani

Rare pattern for this antique purple kimono, depicting dragons in the clouds among what looks like strings of pearls.

Bodhisattva Cintāmaṇicakra, 9-10th century

Heian period, Japan

Wood, single block construction

Height: 94.9

Important Cultural Property

Holding such attributes as a wish-fulfilling jewel and a dharma wheel, this six-armed emanation of the bodhisattva Kannon (Skt. Avalokiteśvara) is known as Nyoirin (Skt. Cintāmaṇicakra). There is a profound sense of volume to its form, which has been shaped from a single block of Japanese nutmeg. The statue seems to reflect the stylistic influence of works from beyond East Asia, for instance in its connected eyebrows carved to form long and sharp lines. Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, p.343, no.97.

The legend said that this statue was discovered in the sea of Tango region. The carving technique of the early Heian period can be seen on the stern face with connected eyebrows, as well as the thick and broad body structure. The scarf-like cloth (jōhaku) was draped widely which is rare to see, it leads a theory that this statue belongs to the Tendai sect. Collection of the Nara National Museum

detail of Christ Surrounded by Singing and Music-making Angels by Hans Memling, 1480s (center of triptych)

I first became interested in Journey to the West thanks to the manga/anime Dragon Ball Z. The series is named after a set of seven glass-like orbs (fig. 1) that were created by the Namekian-turned-protector deity Kami for the benefit of mankind. When all seven are collected, they summon the dragon god Shenron, who grants a single wish. One common wish is to resurrect a beloved fighter who had previously been killed in battle.

The seven dragon balls.

But what would the Dragon Balls be like if they appeared in the Journey to the West universe? There are two possibilities. The first is the most obvious, the Cintāmaṇi (Sk: "wish-fulfilling jewel"; Ch: ruyi baozhu, 如意寶珠, lit: "as-you-will treasure jewel"). Also known as "dragon jewels" (longzhu, 龍珠), these luminous orbs are commonly held by Bodhisattvas in Buddhist art (fig. 2), thereby signifying their ability to grant any wish that a believer may have. They are also mentioned in Buddhist scripture. For instance, the Treatise of the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Sk: Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra; Ch: Da zhidu lun, 大智度論, c. 2nd-century) reveals that the Cintāmaṇi is a bodily relic found in the brains of dragon kings (longzhu chu longnao zhong, 龍珠出龍腦中) (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, p. 193). Therefore, we would be able to maintain the connection to dragons in Journey to the West.

A 14th-century Korean painting of the Earth Store Bodhisattva holding a Cintāmaṇi.

In East Asia, the Cintāmaṇi is closely associated with our second possibility, the Śarīra (Sk: "body"; Ch: Sushe/zi, 舍利/子) (fig. 3). These pearl-like beads figure among the bodily relics left over from the historical Buddha's cremation. [1] Strong (2004) explains: "[They are the result] of a process of metamorphosis brought on not only by the fire of cremation but also by the perfections of the saint (in this case the Buddha) whose body they re-present" (p. 12).

They are said to come in different colors and sizes depending on the country and religious tradition (Strong, 2004, p. 11).

Photo of Śarīra relics.

Journey to the West could have one or even both of these bodily relics. For example, the Cintāmaṇi would allow demon kings or lesser spirits to wish for powerful heavenly weapons, thereby helping them fight stronger opponents; or, the Śarīra could grant the devils more spiritual power, thereby allowing them to bypass centuries of spiritual cultivation.

But neither of these items could help evil beings achieve immortality. I've previously noted that Journey to the West was heavily influenced by the Buddho-Daoist philosophy of the Southern Quanzhen School Patriarch Zhang Boduan (張伯端, mid to late-980s-1082). He believed that in order to become a true transcendent (xian, 仙), one had to achieve both the Daoist elixir of immortality and Buddha-nature (Shao, 1997; 2006). The first extends your life, while the second frees you from the endless rounds of rebirth. While the aforementioned spiritual objects may grant them divine longevity, it won't make them unkillable. And if they are killed, they would still be subject to the wheel of reincarnation. It would be up to them to achieve the last step in this two-step process. But that would require these spirits to mend their evil ways and “return to the right path” (gui zheng, 歸正)⁠—i.e. convert to Buddhism. 

Note:

There are three main types of Buddha relics: 1) those of the body left over from his cremation (hair, teeth, nails, bones, and Śarīra beads); 2) those that he used (walking staff, alms bowl, robes, etc.); and 3) those that he taught (i.e. lessons from scripture) (Strong, 2004, p. 8).

Sources:

Buswell, R. E., & Lopez, D. S. (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Shao, P. (1997). Monkey and Chinese Scriptural Tradition: A Rereading of the Novel Xiyouji (UMI No. 9818173) [Doctoral dissertation, Washington University]. Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

Shao, P. (2006). Huineng, Subhūti, and Monkey’s Religion in “Xiyou ji”. The Journal of Asian Studies, 65(4), 713-740. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/25076127.

The salt of Nature is found everywhere, and in everything. From all substances however, it is not easily to be obtained, nor is it sufficiently powerful for all purposes. For the often mentioned Masterpiece of the Philosophers, it is as good as for many things. But it is necessary to choose the best that can be found in Nature … When the Artificer knows how to extract from the world, its inner central force or Salt of Nature, and also knows where to find an abundance of the Salt of Nature united to the astral focal seat in anything … then the truth of Nature is resident in him, and with this illumination he can perceive Nature throughout. If anyone should come to know the Little World properly, then nothing of the Greater World would remain unknown to him … I say to you, my disciples in the study of Nature, if you do not find the thing for which you are seeking, in your own self, much less will you find it outside your self. Understand the glorious strength resident in your own selves. Why trouble to enquire from another? In Man … there are things more glorious than are to be found elsewhere in the whole world. Should anyone desire to become a Master, he will not find a better material for his achievement anywhere than in himself … from an eager heart, moved by my own experience, I will cry out to my beloved fellow men: “Oh! Man, know thyself!” In you resides the Treasure of all Treasures … which by men of experience and intelligence, is named the Great Wonder of the World. It is in reality a burning water, a liquid fire, more potent than all fire, air, earth, or water. —Lapidus quotes Ali Puli, The Asiatic Moor - Pass-Key Number Two: Ali Puli, Posted by Salamander and Sons in Alchemy Books

An Ottoman tile with cintamani design, Turkey, 17th century

Hic lapis exilis extat, pretio quoque vilis, spernitur a stultis, amatur plus ab edoctis.