#tendai

The piece uses 6 colors total: Black, white, yellow, green, red and blue. These can symbolize many things depending on the context, but here I intended for it to reference both the five hindrances + the Buddha AND the six realms.

The middle contains three animals: the snake, the boar and the bird. They represent the three poisons and are arranged in the shape of three magatama (mitsudomoe).

The first ring contains the duality of karma. This is usually depicted with a sharp border between the side where someone either falls to Hell or becomes a buddha, but I decided for the theme of this mandala to be the nonduality of opposites. For that reason both sides take on a spiraling waning and waxing shape. The figures in them are just vague silhouettes, as the concept of karma is an abstract concept that’s hard to articulate or accurately depict.

The six realms are depicted tilted. This is simply to draw more attention to the figures outside the mandala. The lower realms mainly use red and the upper ones mainly use blue (reflecting the way the karma layer’s colors are set up).

The buddha are all different beings depicted doing something benevolent instead of holding the traditional symbols buddhas hold. In each case their buddhahood is symbolized by their color (white represents buddhahood and liberation) and a star shaped halo.

Otherwise I didn’t want to depict these buddhas as perfect beings, I wanted to draw attention to the fact that the origins of dukkha can’t be exorcized, it can only be minimized and the buddha path is never complete. Parts of these buddhas extend to other realms symbolizing how buddhas can be anyone and anything anywhere.

The twelve dependent originations are abstract just like the duality of karma for the same reason. In many cases I used Japanese symbols to interpret these elements, because my faith is rooted in Japanese culture.

The wheel itself is gold, the color of earth according to wuxing. The element of earth represents dualities, the element of change and also stability, both yin and yang and all four seasons. It’s related to the figures holding/turning the wheel.

Matarakishin is a form of the kami Matarajin, a kami of, arguably, dukkha. He’s strongly connected to the element of earth, travel (be it physical or metaphorical) and is a guardian of Buddhist treasures and the Pure Land Sutra. He governs the unseen world, kakuriyo ( 隠り世 ) as a shukujin ( 宿神 ) a kami that governs fate, and with it, change. Him and his attendants represent the three poisons and are generally considered a single entity.

Faithful to traditional bhavacakras, he’s depicted fierce and horrifying as a symbol of change, same with his attendants Nishita and Teireita. Matarakishin is a green kishin (oni kami), representing greed and takes on a boar-like appearance. Between his horns is the Pole Star, a celestial body he embodies. It’s the same star used for the buddhas’ halo representing his buddha nature.

Teireita is a blue oni taking the form of a snake (representing hatred). They embody the Big Dipper, which is why the have the constellation between their horns. The final two stars connected align exactly with the Pole Star.

Nishita takes the form of a bird and is a red oni (represeinting ignorance). Their single horn point to the Little Dipper. Matarakishin stands directly above them because the Pole Star is one of the stars making up the Little Dipper.

Four of their hands hold the wheel of dharma in total, representing the four sights.