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Fudo "The Immovable"
 What
do you do when your religion needs some muscle? A few tough guys to
protect the good and defeat evil? In the case of Japanese Esoteric
Buddhism you adopt a handful of fierce looking Hindu deities into the
pantheon and assign them the job. This seems to be exactly what happened
sometime during the 9th century A.D., when a few gods from the Asian
subcontinent were recruited to work as a team under the leadership of a very
special deity called Fudo "The Immovable" (aka Dainichi Nyorai).
This group are collectively known as the Myo-o kings and consists of
between five and eight individual deities (depending upon their purpose).
All the Myo-o kings appear as fierce warriors, assuming aggressive
postures and carrying various holy weapons (sometimes in numerous pairs of arms)
which they can apply in the cause of righteousness. The only Myo-o
king who is never depicted in motion is the group's leader, Fudo "The
Immovable" who's moral resolve and faith can never be swayed.
 Any
image of Fudo is normally quite impressive,
especially if the god is depicted with his special imagery and holy implements.
Fudo
is most often seen with a halo of fire surrounding his head which is considered symbolic of
purification from material desire. Fudo's fierce gaze and glaring
eyes (one looks up while the other down in order to encompass a wider range of
vision) are thought to convert anger into salvation. Fudo carries
in his right hand the devil-subduing sword "kurikara" (which also
represents wisdom and the cutting through of ignorance) while in his left hand
he holds a rope which is used to catch and bind demons. Foreigners in
Japan may be startled when encountering small or even larger-than-life images of
Fudo and other protector gods amidst the peaceful gardens and polished
corridors of Japanese Buddhist temples. When viewing such statues it is
important to keep in mind that the deity's frightening countenance and
aggressive posture are actually meant to display outrage at sin and evil, and to
provide a protective sense of comfort to those seeking the path of peace.
And if this is accomplished, then perhaps we can see the statues with the sense
of awe and respect their maker's intended.
Fudo "The Souvenir"
 In
the past in Japan, small medallions of Fudo and the
other Myo-o kings were sometimes acquired as souvenirs or charms by
individuals visiting or on pilgrimage to one of this country's many famous Buddhist temples.
Religious pilgrimage has always been important to the Japanese, who in feudal
times were encouraged to travel each year by foot or ship to that country's most
holy shrine at Ise, located near the city of Edo (present day Tokyo).
In fact, most Japanese were lucky to make the trip once in their lifetime, yet
many Japanese of both high and low estate did in the past participate in less
ambitious pilgrimages to notable shrines and temples throughout Japan.
Bringing back a personal token or charm from one's pilgrimage (in addition to
many gifts for family and friends) has always been an important aspect of such
Japanese religious endeavors. And small memorabilia capturing images of
famous and important gods appear to have been a popular choice by many.
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