#sevengods

Seven Lucky Gods

“In Japanese mythology, the Seven Lucky Gods or Seven Gods of Fortune are believed to grant good luck and often have their place in netsuke engravings or in other representations...but gradually became much closer canonical figures for certain professions and Japanese arts. During the course of its history, the mutual influence between gods has created confusion about which of them was the patron of certain professions. The worship of this group of gods is also due to the importance of the number seven in Japan, which is supposedly a bearer of good luck.”

”The Seven Gods of Fortune started being mentioned as a collective in the year 1420 in Fushimi...the Buddhist priest Tenkai selected these gods after speaking with the shōgun he served, Iemitsu Tokugawa, at the order of seeking whoever possessed the perfect virtues: longevity, fortune, popularity, sincerity, kindness, dignity, and magnanimity.

From the period of the gods Izanami and Izanagi, Ebisu is the only one whose origins are purely Japanese. He is the god of prosperity and wealth in business, and of plenitude and abundance in crops, cereals and food in general. He is the patron of fishermen.”

“Daikokuten... is the god of commerce and prosperity. There are other characteristics which have also been attributed to him, such as being the patron of cooks, farmers, bankers, and protector of crops. Curiously, he is also considered a demon hunter.

Bishamonten's origins can be traced back to Hinduism, but he has been adapted by the Japanese culture. He comes from the Hindu god Kubera and is...the god of fortune in war and battles, also associated with authority and dignity. He is the protector of those who follow the rules and behave appropriately. As the patron of fighters, he is represented dressed in armour and a helmet.”

“Benzaiten's origin is found in Hinduism, as she comes from the Hindu goddess Saraswati. While being the only female Fukujin in the modern grouping of seven Fukujin...she was adapted from Buddhism, she was given the attributes of financial fortune, talent, beauty and music among others...She is represented as a smart, beautiful woman...She is the patron of artists, writers, dancers, and geisha, among others.

Juroujin is the god of the elderly and longevity in Japanese Buddhist mythology. It is said that the legendary Juroujin is based on a real person who lived in ancient times...he is represented with a long white beard, riding a deer and is often also accompanied by a 1500 year old crane and a tortoise, as symbols of his affinity with long lives. In addition, he is usually represented under a peach tree...In his hand he holds a cane and a book or a scroll. The wisdom of the world remains written in its pages. Jurojin enjoys rice and wine, and is a very cheerful figure.”

“Hotei is the god of fortune, guardian of the children, patron of diviners and barmen, and also the god of popularity. He is depicted as a fat, smiling, bald man with a curly moustache. He always appears half naked...He carries a bag on his shoulders which is, according to the beliefs, loaded with fortunes for those who believe in his virtues. Hotei's traits and virtue are contentment, magnanimous and happiness.

The god Fukurokuju...has his origins in China...He is the god of wisdom, luck, longevity, wealth and happiness. This god receives certain credits, such as being one of the Chinese philosophers who could live without eating (breatharian)...He normally carries a cane in one hand and in the other a scroll with writings about the world. He is usually accompanied by a turtle, a crow or a deer, animals that are frequently used in Japan to symbolize a long life. It is also said that he likes to play chess, and so he is also credited for being the patron of chess players.”

“Kichijōten, a Fukujin goddess is also known as Kisshōten or Kisshoutennyo, and is adapted via Buddhism from the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. Kisshōten was given the traits beauty, happiness and fertility...Kichijōten replaces Fukurokuju as one of the seven Fukujin.”

Kisshōten

“She is considered to be the goddess of happiness, fertility, and beauty. Kisshoutennyo's iconography is distinguished by the Nyoihōju gem in her hand. When Kisshoutennyo is counted among the seven fukujin and fellow fukujin Daikoku is regarded in feminine form, all three of the Hindu Tridevi goddesses are represented in the fukujin.”

Cintamani

“Cintāmaṇi, also spelled as Chintamani (or the Chintamani Stone), is a wish-fulfilling jewel within both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, said by some to be the equivalent of the philosopher's stone in Western alchemy. It is one of several Mani Jewel images found in Buddhist scripture.”

“In Buddhism it is held by the Bodhisattvas (divine beings with great compassion, wisdom and power) Avalokiteshvara and Ksitigarbha...By reciting the Dharani (small hymn) of Cintamani, Buddhist tradition maintains that one attains the Wisdom of Buddha, able to understand the truth of the Buddha, and turn afflictions into Bodhi...In Buddhism the Chintamani is said to be one of four relics that came in a chest that fell from the sky...The Kintamani mountainous region in Bali was named after the Cintamani.”

“A maṇi-jewel; magical jewel, which manifests whatever one wishes for. According to one's desires, treasures, clothing and food can be manifested, while sickness and suffering can be removed, water can be purified, etc. It is a metaphor for the teachings and virtues of the Buddha...Said to be obtained from the dragon-king of the sea, or the head of the great fish, Makara, or the relics of a Buddha.”

Philosopher's stone

“The philosopher's stone, or stone of the philosophers is a legendary alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold (chrysopoeia, from the Greek χρυσός khrusos, "gold", and ποιεῖν poiēin, "to make") or silver. It is also called the elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and for achieving immortality; for many centuries, it was the most sought goal in alchemy. The philosopher's stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, enlightenment, and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher's stone were known as the Magnum Opus ("Great Work"). “

Maki-e

“Maki-e (literally: sprinkled picture) is Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold or silver powder as a decoration using a makizutsu or a kebo brush. The oldest Maki-e in existence now is the ornamentation on the sheath of the Kara-tachi sword with gilded silver fittings and inlay in Togidashi technique held by Shōsōin in Nara, Japan...The technique was developed mainly in the Heian period (794–1185) and blossomed in the Edo period (1603–1868). Maki-e objects were initially designed as household items for court nobles; they soon gained more popularity and were adopted by royal families and military leaders as a symbol of power.”

”Takamakie (or "raised maki-e") is one of the three major techniques in maki-e making. Developed in the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the technique of takamakie involves building up design patterns above the surface through a mixture of metal powder, lacquer, and charcoal or clay dust. Another special kind of maki-e is togidashi maki-e, where a black lacquer without oil is put on the metal decoration as an additional coat.”

Kintsugi

“Kintsugi  "golden joinery", also known as Kintsukuroi  "golden repair", is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.”

[A]t some point kintsugi may have been combined with maki-e as a replacement for other ceramic repair techniques...One theory is that kintsugi may have originated when Japanese shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent a damaged Chinese tea bowl back to China for repairs in the late 15th century. When it was returned, repaired with ugly metal staples, it may have prompted Japanese craftsmen to look for a more aesthetic means of repair.”

“Staple repair...where small holes are drilled on either side of a crack and metal staples are bent to hold the pieces together. Staple repair was used in Europe (in ancient Greece, England and Russia among others) and China as a repair technique for particularly valuable pieces.

Kintsugi is the general concept of highlighting or emphasizing imperfections, visualizing mends and seams as an additive or an area to celebrate or focus on, rather than absence or missing pieces. Modern artists experiment with the ancient technique as a means of analyzing the idea of loss, synthesis, and improvement through destruction and repair or rebirth.”

Kintsugi: why you should embrace your imperfections the Japanese way

“In Japan, kintsugi is the ancient art of repairing what has been broken...The revitalised ceramic becomes a symbol of fragility, strength and beauty. But now, kintsugi, which translates as “golden joinery”, is the latest lifestyle trend promising to transform our lives. Beyond its interior decorating roots, it can be seen as a metaphor for life.”

“Ceramics are fragile, strong and beautiful all at once, just like people...Ceramics and life can break apart into a thousand pieces, but not for that reason should we stop living intensely.”

It’s all about healing our emotional wounds and rebuilding our lives, becoming stronger in the process. The first step to living a kintsugi life...is to not be scared of taking risks and getting damaged.”

“Do not try to live a pleasant life without suffering, because if you do you will be resigning yourself to surviving instead of living intensely”...It is unrealistic to expect life will always be wonderful. It’s inevitable that, even when taking the utmost care, fragile things, such as our favourite mug, will occasionally break. Likewise, we all suffer illness, tragedy and the loss of loved ones.

[W]hen challenging times happen, we can apply kintsugi. Instead of sweeping our problems under the metaphorical carpet, we can put ourselves back together in a way that embraces the challenges we have faced as part of our life’s journey, while acknowledging that it is our scars that make us strong and interesting people...If we don’t properly take time to repair and reflect on life’s challenges, we are at risk of miring ourselves in self-pity and victimisation.

“When we are immersed in a creative process, we adopt a new perspective that allows us to analyse the pain that we’ve suffered, and transform it into something beautiful.”

(via Kintsugi: why you should embrace your imperfections the Japanese way)

Make the new you a better you

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." These words are often attributed to the American writer Ernest Hemingway.In fact, he said something a little different and meant something entirely different.

The underlying principles of kintsugi are twofold. First, the fact that something has been broken does not necessarily make it worthless or even any less valuable. Second, cracks and breaks are part of the unique history of an object and are best highlighted rather than disguised, celebrated rather than deplored.”

”If this sounds odd, imagine that you have a beautiful vase that has been in your family for generations. One day, your baby gets [their] hands on it and smashes it into a dozen pieces. What can you do?

Well, you can throw away the broken pieces, and lose the beauty and history of the vase forever. Or you can repair it the kintsugi way, enhance its beauty and have a permanent and touching reminder of your [baby]'s childhood. In kintsugi, every golden seam is a commemoration and celebration of an object's history.”

”When we were young, we cherished the notion of leading perfect lives one day. We saw ourselves accomplishing beautiful things and enjoying wonderful relationships. But, as time passes, our hopes and dreams get cracked or shattered. Does this strike a chord with you?

If so, look back upon your life. Think of the heartaches and disappointments you have suffered, and the heartaches and disappointments you have caused. Nothing can change things. The question is, what will you do about it? Will you bemoan and regret it, and regard yourself as inferior goods? Or will you accept it as part of your history, learn from it and move on?”

”The new you may be cracked and broken. But even so, with a kintsugi attitude, you can make the new you a better you. As Epictetus wrote: "Don't demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them to. Accept events as they actually happened. That way, peace is possible."

(via Make the new you a better you | The Straits Times)

The Japanese art principle that teaches how to work with failure

“Like a favorite cup or plate, people sometimes crack. We may even break.Obviously, we cannot and ought not throw ourselves away when this happens. Instead, we can relish the blemishes and learn to turn these scars into art—like kintsugi, an ancient Japanese practice that beautifies broken pottery...They call attention to the lines made by time and rough use; these aren’t a source of shame. This practice—also known as kintsukuroi, which literally means gold mending—emphasizes the beauty and utility of breaks and imperfections. It turns a problem into a plus.

You probably don’t expect other people to be perfect. You may in fact appreciate when people expose their vulnerabilities, show old wounds or admit errors. It’s evidence that we’re all infallible, that we heal and grow, that we survive blows to the ego or to our reputations or health and can live to tell the tale. Exposing vulnerabilities by admitting error creates intimacy and trust in relationships, and fosters forgiveness.”

“Psychologists call this distinction “beautiful mess effect.” We see other people’s honesty about their flaws as positive, but we consider admitting to our own failures much more problematic...this tendency stems from the fact that we understand other people’s experiences abstractly yet see our own concretely. We feel the things that happen to us viscerally and physically. What happens to others, however, functions more like an instructive tale, because the pain of failure isn’t our own and the distance gives us perspective. We all understand in theory that bad things happen. But we also feel really bad when they happen to us, and condemn ourselves.”

”In a series of seven tests, researchers demonstrated this self–other difference applies when subjects evaluate the effect of exposing vulnerability in various situations, including admitting errors and discussing bodily “imperfections.”

 “Vulnerability is courage in you and inadequacy in me”

“It’s absurd to be embarrassed about missteps and failures in our lives because they happen to everyone, and no experience is wasted. Everything you do—good, bad, and ugly—can serve as a lesson, even if it’s one you would never want to repeat again. Indeed, errors can be the most important and effective experiences of all.  Things fall apart. That’s life. But if you’re wise, you can use every scrap, patch yourself up, and keep going. That’s the essence of resourcefulness.”

“Likewise, the physical evidence of existence that accumulates over time and a life well-lived can be a source of pride rather than shame. We don’t have to try to look young and flawless, like we’re all brand-new products manufactured for Instagram.”

“Our aesthetic judgments based upon perfection and imperfection almost invariably have consequences that affect the quality of life, the social and political climate of a society, and the state of the world”

“When we expect everything and everyone to be perfect, including ourselves, we not only discount much of what is beautiful but we create a cruel world where resources are wasted, people’s positive qualities are overlooked in favor of their flaws, and our standards become impossibly limiting, restrictive, and unhealthy.”

”The kintsugi approach instead makes the most of what already is, highlights the beauty of what we do have, flaws and all, rather than leaving us eternally grasping for more, different, other, better...In other words, the experiences you have, and the person you already are, suffice. You may, of course, occasionally chip and break and need repairs. And that’s fine.”

(via The Japanese art principle that teaches how to work with failure | Quartz)