Thirteen Buddhas


The Thirteen Buddhas is a Japanese grouping of Buddhist deities, particularly in the Shingon and Tendai sects of Buddhism. The deities are, in fact, not only Buddhas, but also include bodhisattvas. In Shingon services, lay followers recite a devotional mantra to each figure, though in Shingon practice, disciples will typically devote themselves to only one, depending on what the teacher assigns. The chanting of the mantras of the Thirteen Buddhas is a basic practice followed by Shingon and Tendai lay followers. They are also important in funeral and apotropaic / protective rituals.

Funeral rituals

The Thirteen Buddhas are also an important part of a traditional Japanese Buddhist funeral service, with each deity having a corresponding memorial service for the deceased. The names of the thirteen figures are given below in Japanese and Sanskrit and the corresponding date of their service after the death:
  1. Fudō, 7th day
  2. Shaka, 14th day
  3. Monju, 21st day
  4. Fugen, 28th day
  5. Jizō, 35th day
  6. Miroku, 42nd day
  7. Yakushi, 49th day
  8. Kannon, 100th day
  9. Seishi, 1st anniversary
  10. Amida, 2nd anniversary
  11. Ashuku, 6th anniversary
  12. Dainichi, 12th anniversary
  13. Kokūzō, 32nd anniversary

Mantras

While the thirteen figures have several mantras associated to each respectively, those listed below pertain to the standard formula used in Japanese ritual. The Shingon and Tendai schools each use a different method of transliteration of the original Sanskrit. Bhaisajyaguru is the only figure whose mantra fundamentally differs between traditions.
  1. Fudōmyōō :
  2. : namaḥ samanta vajrāṇāṃ caṇḍa mahāroṣaṇa sphoṭaya hūṃ traṭ hāṃ māṃ
  3. : nōmaku sanmanda bazara dan senda makaroshada sowataya un tarata kanman
  4. :
  5. : namaku samanda bazaranan senda makaroshana sowataya un tarata kanman
  6. :
  7. Shaka nyorai :
  8. : namaḥ samanta buddhānāṃ bhaḥ
  9. : nōmaku sanmanda bodanan baku
  10. : namaku samanda bodanan ba
  11. Monju bosatsu :
  12. : oṃ a ra pa ca na
  13. : on arahashanō
  14. : on a ra ha sha na
  15. Fugen bosatsu :
  16. : oṃ samayas tvaṃ
  17. : on sanmaya satoban
  18. : on samaya sataban
  19. Jizō bosatsu :
  20. : oṃ ha ha ha vismaye svāhā
  21. : on kakaka bisanmaei sowaka
  22. : on kakakabi samaei sowaka
  23. Miroku bosatsu :
  24. : oṃ maitreya svāhā
  25. : on maitareiya sowaka
  26. : on maitariya sowaka
  27. Yakushi nyorai :
  28. : oṃ huru huru caṇḍāli mātangi svāhā
  29. : on korokoro sendari matōgi sowaka
  30. : oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajya samudgate svāhā
  31. : on baiseizeibaiseizei baiseijasanborgyatei sowaka :
  32. : oṃ ārolik svāhā
  33. : on arorikya sowaka
  34. : on arorikya sowaka
  35. Seishi bosatsu :
  36. : oṃ saṃ jaṃ jaṃ saḥ svāhā
  37. : on san zan saku sowaka
  38. : on sanzen zensaku sowaka
  39. Amida nyorai :
  40. : oṃ amṛta teje hara hūṃ
  41. : on amirita teisei kara un
  42. : on amirita teisei kara un
  43. Ashuku nyorai :
  44. : oṃ akṣobhya hūṃ
  45. : on akishubiya un
  46. : on akishubiya un
  47. Dainichi nyorai :
  48. : oṃ a vi ra hūṃ khaṃ vajradhātu vaṃ
  49. : on abiraunken basara datoban
  50. : on abiraunken basara datoban
  51. Kokūzō bosatsu :
  52. : namo ākāśagarbhāya oṃ ārya kāmāri mauli svāhā
  53. : nōbō akyashakyarabaya on arikya mari bori sowaka
  54. : namo akyashagerubaya onarikya maribori sowaka

Zodiac

Eight of the thirteen figures are traditionally assigned as guardians of the twelve Earthly Branches of the Chinese zodiac.
Earthly branchGuardian
RatKannon
OxKokuzo
TigerKokuzo
RabbitMonju
DragonFugen
SnakeFugen
HorseSeishi
GoatDainichi
MonkeyDainichi
RoosterFudo
DogAmida
PigAmida