Daishoin: Mandala of the Two Realms
Buddhist mandalas are visual representations of the cosmos, and can take many forms and express various ideas. The most widely used mandala in esoteric Shingon Buddhism, to which Daishoin belongs, is the Mandala of the Two Realms (Ryokai Mandala). The two realms are the Diamond Realm (Kongokai), the domain of unchanging wisdom, and the Womb Realm (Taizokai), the domain of physical phenomena. Both realms are depicted as a classification of various deities, and together express the idea of the underlying unity of the absolute and the phenomenal. The Mandala of the Two Realms reveals through the variety of forms of Buddhas and other deities that they are ultimately all manifestations of the one cosmos. The number of deities in a depiction of the Mandala of the Two Realms varies and can be as high as 414. These are grouped into nine sections in the Diamond Realm and 12 in the Womb Realm in a highly complex structure. The intricacies of the two realms can be studied at Misen Hondo, the main hall on the summit of Mt. Misen, where a Mandala of the Two Realms is on permanent display. A larger version is exhibited at Daishoin’s Kannondo Hall on special occasions.