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once at Ashukuji ; various sets of the Seven Healing Buddhas
(Shichibutsu Yakushi ), probably used in rituals for the pro-
tection of the nation; a set of the Five Buddhas of the Four Directions
(Shihō Gobutsu ), namely the five central buddhas of the
Vajradhātu realm; and many others. There are also various references
to images of Hindu gods and goddesses, such as Nārāyaṇa (Naraenten
), Brahma (Bon-ten ), Indra (Taishakuten ),
and Sarasvatī (Benzaiten ) (Kushida 1964, 25–27; Sawa 1969a,
66–71). Among the extant images are one of Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha
at Gakuanji brought back by Dōji; and a Śrī Laksmī and a ̣
Sarasvatī at Tōdaiji, where there is also the famous and awe-inspiring
Vajrapāṇi (Shukongō ), thought to have been the personal
deity (nenjibutsu ) of Konju gyōja , an early eighth-
century ascetic.
Missing from lists like these is any mention of deities such as the
wrathful Vidyārājas (Myōō ), and of the esoteric mandalas that
became so common in the Heian period, such as the mandalas of
the two worlds (ryōkai mandara ), although there are
references to some parts of these mandalas and some of the main
deities. It is important to recognize that, contrary to what is usually
claimed, mandalas such as these were not completely unknown at this
time. The clearest examples are the mandala of the Treasure Wheel
Avalokiteśvara (nyoirin-kannon mandara ) made
by Bodhisena, as can be inferred from his epitaph, and the mandala
of the Universal Assembly ( fushūe mandara ) brought
back by Jianzhen (Hamada 1986, 490).
A great deal of paraphernalia also remains from this early period.
Implements used during the shunie of Nigatsudō and the “amend-
ment ritual” (shushōe ) of the Golden Hall of Hōryūji, together
with those unearthed at Nantaisan in Nikkō , can serve
as examples of what were probably common objects at the time.
Apart from incense burners, there are hand bells (nyō ) with three-
pronged vajra handles (sanko’nyō ), quite similar to the vajra
bells (kongōrei ) found in later periods, though the bell section
is less open and rounder. There are many types of bells with differ-
ent sounds, meant to be used by different people in various parts of
the rituals. There are also wands (jō ) made of bronze or iron, like
the monk’s staff (shakujō ), often with metal rings attached at the
end; or made of wood, like the incantation wand (kajijō ) that
was mostly used to cure illness or to drive away demons.