16 charles d. orzech, richard k. payne, henrik h. sørensen
from action, doctrine and ideology from practice, fragments the tradi-
tion in ways that make the tradition’s dialectic unity harder to see.
- Art, Architecture and Material Culture
Another referent for the concept of esoteric Buddhism is to the art,
architecture and material culture that supports practice. In temples
one finds, for example, mandalas, and paintings and statuary of dei-
ties. Mandalas have long been identified with esoteric Buddhism, even
to the extent of being considered by some scholars to be a defining
characteristic. Other kinds of artistic forms and styles also serve to
mark esoteric Buddhism, such as the representations of bodhisattvas
in wrathful form.
Esoteric Buddhist architecture includes special purpose buildings,
e.g., gomadō. Other buildings reveal an esoteric vision of the
cosmos, recreating a mandalic structure in three dimensions. Upon
entering the Kondō and Daitō on Mt. Kōya, for example,
the Diamond and Womb worlds are revealed to the visitor. There are
also forms that might be considered almost midway between archi-
tecture and material culture. For example, one finds miniature forms
of the Shikoku pilgrimage, small enough to walk through in a half
hour easily. These are to be found not only in temples in Japan, but
also abroad, an instance being one at the Shingon mission in Kauai,
Hawai‘i.
Perhaps the clearest expression of material culture in relation to
esoteric Buddhism is the implements and altar settings that are used in
esoteric ritual performances. Vajras—single, triple and five-pointed—
and vajra bells are found on esoteric Buddhist altars. The altars them-
selves are often two-dimensional representations of a mandala laid
flat, but having a three-dimensional stūpa at the position of the central
deity. Even more distinctive of esoteric practice than such mandalic
altars are altars for the performance of homa, which include a hearth
in which the fire is built. Disposable items used in ritual performance,
such as incense of three different kinds (powder, chip and ball ), can-
dles, wood, oil, together with a minor economy in the production and
supply of such disposable items, also constitute an important part of
the material culture of esoteric Buddhism.^31
(^31) See Payne and Orzech, “Homa,” in this volume. For a more detailed discussion
see Payne 1991.