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Mandala of Both Worlds: Diamond World
Not on view
Together with the previous mandala, this mandala forms a Mandala of Both Worlds, a representation of the Buddhist cosmos as explained in two sacred esoteric texts originating in southwest India. The inclusion of offering tables, presented symmetrically at the lower corners of the two sides of the large inner square sanctuary in this Womb World Mandala is standard for Tendai School versions, and can be contrasted with the typical Shingon iconography of the mandala. (See the Diamond World Mandala and Womb World Mandala by Matsubara Shōgetsu for examples of Shingon style.) Also notable here is a peculiar characteristic of the motif appearing above the central square. This central square contains the Buddha Dainichi Nyorai (Sanskrit: Mahavairochana Buddha) within an eight-lobed lotus, the petals of which support the Buddhas of the Four Directions and bodhisattvas. Above the square is a triangle that is topped by a leaf-shaped device backed by a halo and resting on a lotus pedestal, both of which contain swastikas. While this motif appears in Shingon mandalas, typically only one swastika is painted, and it appears within the triangle. It is the symbol of Adi-Dharma, or matter.
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