仏教にまつわる動物

今回は仏教にまつわる動物の話です。

まずはトラです。私はこの夏日本にでかけた際に、東京神楽坂（かぐらざか）の善國寺でトラのお守りをいただいてきました。昨年生まれた寅（とら）年の孫のためにです。このお寺のご本尊は毘沙門天（びしゃもんてん）です。毘沙門天はもともとヒンズー教の神様でしたが、仏教の守り神の一人としてあがめられてきました。さてこの神のお使いがトラです。トラは走り回って人々の願いを聞いてまわるそうです。そのトラと寅年のご縁で、このお守りをいただいてきました。ご利益がとくに大きいとされる寅の日に出向きました。孫の健やかな成長を守ってくれることを願っています。

もうひとつはキツネです。先年東京赤坂の豊川稲荷（いなり）でお札をいただきました。稲荷は京都で外国人観光客に人気の伏見稲荷をはじめとしてほとんどが神社ですが、豊川稲荷は禅宗のお寺です。そこのご本尊はダキニ天です。ダキニはもともとヒンズー教の魔女でしたが、仏教に取り入れられて密教ではブッダの伴侶となり、その後次第に変容して人々を災難から守る女神になりました。それが日本に伝わると神道の稲荷神と一体化されました。ダキニ天は稲荷神の使いであるキツネにまたがる姿で描かれています。

その他にも例えば、普賢菩薩（ふげんぼさつ）は象に乗って教えを広める旅をし、文殊菩薩（もんじゅぼさつ）はおごそかで堂々とした獅子（ライオン）に乗っています。仏教の教えが動物に結びついたのは興味深いですね。

The topic for this time is animals in Buddhism.

The first one is a tiger. When I visited Japan this summer, I went to Zenkokuji Temple in Kagurazaka, Tokyo and received a charm of tiger for my grandson who was born last year. It was a year of tiger in the Japanese zodiac. The main deity of the temple is Bishamon Ten, or Vaiśravaṇa in Sanskrit. The deity was originally a Hindu god, and later revered as a protector of Buddhism. A tiger is the servant of this deity. The tiger is said to run around to listen to the people’s wishes. I received the charm honoring the connection between this tiger and the year of tiger. I intentionally visited the temple on a day of tiger in the Japanese calendar because it is believed that more merits will be given on the days of tiger. I wish the charm will help my grandson grow and stay healthy.

Another is a fox. Several years ago I received a talisman at Toyokawa Inari in Akasaka, Tokyo.

Inari is usually a Shinto Shrine, such as Fushimi Inari in Kyoto that is popular among the international tourists. On the contrary, Toyokawa Inari is a Zem Buddhist temple. Its main deity is Dakini Ten. Dakini was originally a witch in Hinduism. She was later accommodated in Buddhism and became a consort of The Buddha in esoteric Buddhism, and then was transformed to a goddess who protects people from misfortunes. When she arrived at Japan, she became unified with Inari Kami in Shinto. Therefore Dakini Goddess is depicted riding a fox, which is a servant of Inari Kami.

For example in addition to them, Fugen Bosatsu, or Samantabhadra Bodhisattva in Sanskrit, rides on an elephant for traveling to spread Buddhist teachings. Monju Bosatsu, or Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva in Sanskrit, rides on a lion that is solemn and dignified. It is interesting that the Buddhist teachings are related to animals.