Wishfulfilling Jewel (nyoi hooju)

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Daruma Pilgrims Gallery

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Wishfulfilling Jewel (nyoi hooju 如意宝珠)
Sanskrit: cintamani



NYOI means "To Fulfill all Wishes".
This jewel is an attribute of the Kannon with 1000 Arms and very often a Jizoo Bosatsu. Also seen with Kokuuzo Bosatsu, Eki Bosatsu, Myooken Bosatsu, Dakiniten, Benten and Kichijooten.

Sometimes this jewel is painted on the belly of a Princess Daruma.

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houju
A set of three jewels with a flaming edge
(kaen hooju 火炎宝珠).



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The jewel at the top of a railing.
giboshi 擬宝珠
Pillars topped with a jewel, hoojubashira 宝珠柱
This is usually made of metal, to protect the wooden structure.
Stone lanterns (tooro 灯篭) and pagoda roofs, esepcially with pyramid-like roofs, are also topped with this kind of jewel.



Read more :
JAANUS about Giboshi

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On a very small princess Daruma doll there is only one of these jewels.
The three jewels remind us of the Korean war of Empress Jinguu, which was favoured by a strong wind called "Treasure of Ebb and Tide" (kanju manju 干珠満珠). But come to think about this name, there should be only two jewels!


Two clay bells (dorei 土鈴) with the "Ebb and Tide" Jewel

© PHOTO 都道府県の民芸品


. Hoju and the "Crow Script" of the Kumano Shrines
Amulets with a design called "crow character" 烏文字.


. kanju manju 干珠満珠 the tide jewels .
- Introduction -

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hooju 宝珠 wishfulfilling jewel and hoo no ki 宝の杵 treasure mallet
Daijooboo 大乗坊 Daijo-Bo
3 Chome-6-13 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka



Amulets from 昆崙山宝満寺, 日本橋毘沙門天 Nihonbashi Bishamonten
official name: 昆崙山宝満寺 Konronsan, Homan-Ji

The amulets refere to the jewel and mallet that Bishamon-Ten holds in his hands. Some say the jewel refers to the female, the mallet to the male symbol and together they bring fertility to the people

. Amulets from Osaka .

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Well, the pattern of three jewels dates back to 16th century China and Tibet as an auspicious item of Lamaist Buddhism, where it is called
"Mani Jewel" (mani hooju 摩尼宝珠).


Mani Hoju from Tibet


So the pattern on the stomach of this Princess Daruma is not for Ebb and Tide but represents the wishfulfilling jewel of Buddhism (nyoi hooju 如意宝珠), which we alreaday met in the story of Takeda Princess Daruma.

This jewel has also been venerated by the sugar merchants of Edo.

As a Buddist symbol, these jewels are usually placed on a lotus-shaped dias, but in our case here it is depicted on an upside down helmet, which is usually painted on a weaving pattern symbolizing a straw coat. If a hat is represented uspide down in Japan, since ancient times it does not represent our world but the other world, the world of the Gods; maybe this makes it a better container for the Buddhist jewels.



In Esoteric Buddhism this big round jewel represents the great compassion of the Buddha and the complete absence of any worldly wish!

Matsuyama Hime Daruma

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Nyoi szepter, nyoiboo 如意棒

This is a kind of broad ladle with the top part formed like an auspicious bat (koomori 蝙蝠) and is used by priests during the recital of sutras or lectures to emphasize a point. It is about 30 cm long. In ancient China the top part was sometimes made out of a mushroom with an auspicious shape to symbolize long life. You can see it with statues of high priests of the Zen sect and esoteric Buddhist sects. When Daruma Daishi is depicted as a normal priest, this is his iconographical symbol.



Daruma with a Priest's Szepter Nyoi 　
如意を持つだるま
Here are two examples, one we have already seen in the story about Yakimono (2) and one a detail of a bronze incense burner which will be explained later in the story about incense burners (kooro).

Daruma and the Nyoi Szepter

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Nyoirin Kannon, Wishfulfilling Kannon
如意輪観音

"Dragon wheel, dragon vehicle" ryuusha, ryusha 竜車, 竜舎
The top of a pagoda, soorin 相輪 with a wishfulfilling jewel

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Juwel (mani hooshu, nyoiju, nyoi hooju)
Das wunscherfüllende Juwel (Wunschjuwel) gewährt Gold und Reichtümer sowie Kleider, Essen und Trinken, wenn man sie nur ganz intensiv im Herzen wünscht. Es ist die Essenz aller Schätze. Nach der Überlieferung wurde es dem Drachenkönig im Meer abgenommen oder es kam aus dem Kopf eines großen Fisches oder es entstand aus einer der Reliquien (shari, busshari) des Shakyamuni.

Im esoterischen Buddhismus verkörpert das runde Juwel das große Erbarmen des Buddha und die vollkommene Wunschlosigkeit.
Seit der Edo-Zeit werden drei spitz zulaufende Juwele von den Zucker-Händlern verehrt.

Rund, nach oben spitz zulaufend, manchmal von Flammen umgeben (kaen hooju). Zwei Linien über dem runden Teil. Flammende Juwele oft als Gruppe zu drei oder fünf Stück.
Häufig aus Bergkristall oder einer echten Perle gefertigt.

Frühe Kannon-Statuen, Wunscherfüllende Kannon, Kokuuzo Bosatsu, Jizoo Bosatsu, Eki Bosatsu, Myooken Bosatsu, Dakiniten, Benten und Kichijooten.

©　Gabi Greve
Buddhastatuen (Buddhastatues) Who is Who
Ein Wegweiser zur Ikonografie von japanischen Buddhastatuen


摩尼宝珠

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