The Heian era is often referred to as a period of peace and tranquility. The government introduced
a more esoteric form of Buddhism to Japan from Tang china, and a great appreciation
for arts rose in court life.
Let’s take a closer look at the history and life of the Heian period.
The Heian period is marked by the move of the capital to Heian-kyo in 794, where it
remained until 1868, when the court moved to Tokyo. Today, this city known for its long
and rich history is now called Kyoto.
The move is traditionally ascribed to Emperor Kanmu and the court - who wanted to distance
the secular seat of power from the centers of the six Buddhist schools.
During the Nara period, an ambitious monk named Dōkyō became very powerful and influential
during the reign of Empress Shōtoku. After he healed her of a serious illness, she honored
him with titles and power. And, It's even alleged that they had an affair.
There was a bit of an ordeal, when he tried to take a seat on the throne. There was an
oracle who said that there would be peace if he became emperor. A high-ranking official
was sent to verify the prediction, and the second oracle that came said that since he
was not of imperial lineage, he should not be named emperor, and that wicked people who
sought the throne as such should be swept away. And of course, Dōkyō exiled that official.
In end, when the empress died, Dōkyō was banished from Nara.
So, as a result, the capital was moved to Heian, and the Nara temples did not move with
them.
New esoteric Buddhist sects were imported from China with state support to reduce the
power of the temples in Nara, two major sects being the Tendai and Shingon. The more studious
and ascetic Tendai became the state sect while Shingon entranced the aristocracy with its
mysterious rituals.
Just as the previous capitals Fujiwara and Heijoo, Heian’s location was selected because
it satisfied Chinese geomancy requirements: it was flanked on three sides by mountains
and was bordered by two relatively large rivers. Also like them, It was laid out in a rectangular
grid. Since there was a conscious effort to distance the court from the religious powers-
there were only two major Buddhist temples that were allowed within the boundaries of
the city’s original plans: Tooji and Saiji. They were positioned near the southern boundaries,
as the city’s spiritual guardians at the primary entrance, but also positioned far
away from the emperor and government.
One thing to keep in mind is that the aristocracy living in the capital was only a small percentage
of the population - no more than one thousand people, but their tastes set the tone for
artistic creation during this time.
It was a time when gentlemen and gentlewomen were expected to be highly refined, products
of and contributors to a highly refined courtly aesthetic. The clothes they wore were elaborate-
with multiple layers of silk, cut in a specific fashion specific to men and women. The ideal
beauty of women were to have a round face with small features, long, straight black
hair, white powdered faces with eyebrows plucked and penciled in, and teeth blackened. The
ideal man would also have a round face and small features.
With a strong hierarchy in place, advantageous marriages were often arranged by parents,
as it was the best way for a man to gain rank (both for the father marrying off his child,
and the son marrying a daughter of higher rank). It was also common for men to have
several wives - as women at the time often died young in childbirth, and again, the man
can advance in rank with strategic marriages of his children
so it was ideal to have a lot of them.
The life of a noblewoman was not all that great from today’s perspective - from diaries
we know that custom required her to remain hidden from the eyes of all men except for
her father and her husband. Shaded in the world of the shinden, or mansion, behind folding
screens with a household of servants, she rarely needed to do housekeeping or raising
the children, or caring for her husband.
She passed her time with festivals and ceremonies, practicing calligraphy and musical instruments.
Women were taught to read and write, and even allowed to inherit property but, since they
did not oversee the administration of their economic affairs, they needed the assistance
from either a husband or male relative, lovers or retainers.
Certain areas of studies were limited to men, such as Confucian classics and Chinese characters.
In the beginning of the 9th century, a system of writing called hiragana was introduced,
where it was purely Japanese syllabary. This system was what was women were encouraged
to use, so the great works of literature by women from this time, such as the famous Genji
monogatari (or The Tale of Genji) were almost entirely composed in hiragana script.
They were also really into poetry and calligraphy. Like really into it: This was a time when
the aristocracy used poetry to not only judge the other person’s knowledge and character,
but also for everyday communication, between friends, family, lovers and even government
officials. Many Japanese poem forms had developed, the most famous of them being the haiku.
The Heian period spans over 4 centuries, and is divided into three distinct phases:
Early Heian,Middle Heian, or Fujiwara, And Late Heian or Insei.
Since there’s a lot of ground to cover - like 4 centuries of it - This video will be split
into 2 parts. This video will cover the Early Heian, and a part 2 will cover the middle-
and late- Heian.
The Heian period began with a continued adherence to Chinese models, but by the end of its first
century, there was an overwhelming sense that there was nothing more to gain from contact
with China and in 894, the imperially sponsored embassies to Tang China were officially discontinued.
In 907, Tang dynasty fell, and while trade continued between the counties, the Japanese
court and aristocracy increasingly looked to themselves. Architecture, painting and
sculpture were reworked to suit a newly emerging national taste.
From the Asuka to Nara periods,Chinese objects were seen as prized possessions of the elite,
but in the Heian period, while the demand for the imported kara-e, or Chinese style,
screens seems to have continued unabated, the aristocratic preference in other crafts
- particularly lacquer and metal wares - seems to have shifted to those of Japanese-style
decoration. One of the major events of the Early Heian
period is the introduction of the Tendai and Shingon Buddhist sects. It was felt that the
teachings and rituals of the six schools of Nara were aimed primarily at securing material
benefits for the state and for their wealthy aristocratic patrons, and not at spiritual
attainment and Enlightenment. These two new schools refocused Japanese Buddhism on the
serious matter of philosophy and practice, and the sculpture and painting that they produced
in the first century of the Heian period tended to address this new seriousness in Buddhist
matters, leaving behind the light and cool elegance of eighth century Heijoo.
At the heart of tantric teachings is the concept that the Buddha possesses two aspects: the
phenomenal body, manifested in the earthly emanations of such Buddha as Shaka, and the
absolute or ineffable body, which is expressed by the supreme or transcendental Buddha, such
as Birushana. The concept of the nonduality of the Buddha - the phenomenal and the transcendental
bodies of the Buddha were not separate entities but rather different manifestations of the
same absolute principle - is expressed in new objects of worship, including the Ryookai
(or Two Realms) Mandala, which diagrams the two realms called the Taizookai (or Womb World)
and Kongookai (or Diamond World). A “Mandala” refers to a diagram of the
spiritual universe, portrayed abstractly in the mind, in three-dimensional sculptural
and architectural forms, and in two dimensional images.
The Womb world Mandala is composed of twelve precincts or courts arranged in concentric
zones and expresses the many facets of Buddha’s nature. Dainichi Nyorai sits at the center
of an eight-petaled lotus flower, with his hands in a meditation gesture. To his north,
south, east and west are the four transcendental Buddhas, with four bodhisattvas in between.
Framing this are four distinct precincts: The Court of Universal Knowledge, the Court
of Wisdom, the Vajra’s Holder’s Court, and the Lotus Holder’s Court. In the second
and third layers are courts of bodhisattvas, and the last outermost layer contains various
guardian figures.
The Diamond Realm Mandala consists of nine rectangles, each representing a Buddha world.
All the deities depicted are fully enlightened beings. At the center is the Attainment of
Buddhahood Assembly, with Dainichi Nyorai in the center of the middle circle, surrounded
by four bodhisattvas. At the center of each of the four circles are the four transcendental
Buddhas, surrounded by bodhisattvas. At the center, top rectangle is Dainichi, making
the gesture wisdom fist.
According to Shingon doctrine, one can attain Enlightenment in this existence through contemplation
and rituals using the paired mandalas. By visualizing the symbols of the spiritual world
that are depicted in the mandala, one learns the Three Mysteries of body, word, and thought,
which cannot be expressed in words.
By meditating on and performing rituals in front of the two mandalas, and repetition
of one’s secret mantra, anyone can become one with Dainichi Nyorai and achieve enlightenment.
An example of a sculptural Mandala can be found in Tooji. The nearly life sized images
are arranged on a low altar. At the center of the platform is Dainichi Nyorai, surrounded
by the four transcendental Buddhas. To the east is a set of the Five LImitless Wisdom
Bodhisattvas, 4 of which are arranged around the most important, Kongoo Haramitsu, To the
west are The Five Wisdom Kings, again with four of them grouped around the most important
Fudoo. At the four corners are The Four Guardian Kings. And the figures in between them Bonten
and Taishakuten.
This arrangement isn’t based on a known sutra, but likely an attempt to combine new
and old into a synthetic whole. of the original 21 images, the five buddhas and the Kongo
Haramitsu are later replacements. Today all of the images face south, but in earlier times
the figures of the extreme east and west faced outwards, so they would face the viewer as
they circumambulated the mandala.
Compared to the earlier Nara sculptures, the Tooji bodhisattva sculptures have greater
bulk and more solid volume than earlier works. They have a sensuality that earlier works
lack. The majority of each sculpture is carved from a single block of wood, with cavities
scooped of out the back and head and torso to prevent the wood from drying unevenly and
causing surface cracks. The forearms and fronts of the knees are carved from separate pieces
of wood and joined to the central part of the statue. Details of the hair, face, upper
body and feet have been modeled in lacquer and glued to the plain wood surface. Then,
the bodhisattvas were coated with lacquer and covered with gold leaf, while the Myoooo
were covered with gofun (gesso) and decorated in bright colors and rich textile patterns
- similar to the Nara period sculptures in Todaiji.
The earliest temple to reflect the teachings of the Shingon and Tendai schools is Jingoji,
near Mount Takao. A standing Yakushi image in Jingoji is thought to be the main icon
of an older temple, Jinganji, probably completed in 793 and later moved to the current temple.
This figure of the healing buddha is life-size with thick limbs. He holds a medicine jar
in the left hand, and the fear-not or semui-in gesture with the right. The drapery cut into
deep folds is tight across the widest part of the the thigh. The left shoulder and drapery
folds are slightly higher than those of the right, making him appear to slightly turn
to the left. A subtle detail that gives movement to the large piece. The face is almost brooding
in quality, adding to the overall effect of something strange, supernatural, and not particularly
welcoming.
Carved out of a single block of Japanese cypress, that was not hollowed out, the sculpture features
some serious cracks that are now repaired. traces of paint remain of the face: red lips,
black pupils and white on the eyes, blue snail-shell curls and the rest was unpainted. It is believed
this is one of the earliest examples of ichiboku, a technique that appeared primarily in rural
or suburban temples as wood was the most readily available.
Muroji is a mountain temple located southeast of Nara. Even before the site was chosen for
the construction of a Buddhist temple, it was considered sacred by the locals because
of its unusual configuration of rocks and streams due to volcanic action.
The buildings of the temple have been laid out on three levels. Midway up the mountain
are the main buildings for worship: a golden hall, or kondoo, a mirokudoo or hall dedicated
to the Future Buddha Miroku, a building for the kanjoo initiation rites, and a five story
pagoda. Of these structures, only the kondoo and the five-storied pagoda of the middle
precinct have survived from the Early Heian period.
The five story pagoda is considered to be the oldest structure in the temple complex,
dating to the late Nara period or the early years of the 9th c. It is slender, and about
half the height of most pagodas. It’s also the oldest surviving pagoda in Japan.
A pagoda is an adaption of the traditional stupa - originally a mound containing the
Buddha's ashes, but over time became larger and more elaborate. In China, the stupa with
the influence of watchtower architecture evolved into the pagoda. It then spread to Korea,
and arrived in Japan along with Buddhism in the 6th century.
The irregular, mountainous topography of these sites forced Japanese architects to rethink
temple construction, choosing more indigenous elements of design. Cypress-bark roofs replaced
ceramic tile, wood planks were used instead of earthen floors, and a separate worship
area for the laity was added to the front of the main sanctuary.
Their use of native materials gives it a more informal appearance, fitting into its environment.
Muroji houses several major sculptures, but one most impressive from the Early Heian period
is the seated Shaka. Carved from a single piece of wood, with the exception of the knees
and forearms, the sculpture is also hollow in the head and chest, but neatly carved pieces
of wood fit to cover the hole.
Slightly tilted forward, the sculpture is just barely in balance, creating a tension
between the the viewer and image. His almost brooding facial features for a more austere
or withdrawn expression, in keeping with the secrecy of Esoteric Buddhist rites.
The folds of his clothing are cut in a new way, called the rolling-wave style, or honpa
shiki. The drapery is thick and sharply undercut at the crest, and the next is a single shallow
fold, creating a pattern that contrasts against the smooth surface of the body. The sculpture
was painted with gofun, or gesso, and color textile designs, but today, only the white
undercoat and a patch of vermillion remains. I hope you guys enjoyed this part 1 of the
early Heian period. Please click the annotation to continue watching the middle- and later-
Heian period. Or, you can go ahead and watch earlier periods of Japanese Art History. Please
like and subscribe for future videos, and I’ll see you guys next time.