Daikoku-ten

Daikoku (Japanese大 黒, also: Daikokuten (大 黒 天) ) is one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods ( Shichi Fukujin ).

Attributes

Like most gods of fortune is also Daikoku a portly always laughing man with thick earlobes. He wears traditional Japanese clothes and a red cap. In his right hand he holds a lucky hammer, in the left a sack of riches. Mostly it stands or sits on two rice bags. These bags are often decorated with the Buddhist desire gem. His animal companion is the rat, which is often shown on images of Daikoku in its vicinity.

Symbolism and origin

Daikoku is the Japanese god of wealth, especially the rich harvest, rich food and the kitchen. This is, inter alia, to acknowledge his rice sacks. His hammer is a recurrent in Japanese legends magic tool, with which you can grant wishes. His thick earlobes are actually one of the 32 characteristics of a Buddha, suggesting its Buddhist origin. Daikoku literally means Big Black, a name he has inherited from his predecessor Indian Mahakala ( Sanskrit also Big Black ). Mahakala is considered in Hinduism as a punitive aspect of Shiva, but also in Buddhism - today mainly in Tibet - revered. He is a terrifying figure with black skin, three faces and predatory teeth. In this form of Daikoku / Mahakala came with Buddhism to Japan. Early pictures of the Japanese Daikoku him actually show even with three faces and / or black skin, but since he is regarded as the god of wealth (about 16th century), he has lost his terrifying trains.

Representation and cult

Daikoku is often depicted together with the other six gods of good fortune, or together as a couple with Ebisu, the god of fishermen. From Ebisu sometimes it also means that he is the son of Daikoku. Both are very popular motifs of the netsuke and ukiyo-e artists. In today's Japan Daikoku is usually worshiped in Shinto shrines, but also in some Buddhist temples. In the religious traditions of Japan him special attention is paid mainly to the New Year.