33 



in the same chapter. The same stitra may be used, because it 

 has the power of ruling the rain, but these ceremonies are seldom 

 performed on such an extensive scale. As a rule a yellow paper 

 . tablet with an invocation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who 

 reside above the rays of the sun and are mentioned in the 

 "Sutra of the vajra brilliant flames (the beams of the sun), which 

 puts a stop to wind and rain" ', is erected in the hall of the 

 Triratna and offerings are made to them. Then Kwan-yin is 

 invoked and this Bodhisattva's dharanis are recited, or those of 

 the "Medicine-Master, Tathagata of the liu-li (one of the sapta- 

 ratna, probably the bluish precious stone called vaidtirya) light" ^ 

 i. e. the sunlight, and the latter's name is invoked a thousand 

 times. De Groot explains this Medicine-Master to be the oriental 

 Sun, who cures Nature and drives away all illnesses caused by 

 the demons of Darkness. His cult, the counterpart of that of 

 Amitabha, the occidental Sun, is based upon a stitra, which we 

 find mentioned in Nanjo's Catalogue sub nr 171 \ This Tathagata 

 is the well-known Yakushi Nyorai of Japan. It is quite clear 

 that he is considered to be most powerful in causing the rains 

 to stop and refreshing the earth by his rays. Thereupon ^akya- 

 muni, the Buddhas who are above the brilliant flames, and all 

 the Nagas are supplicated to grant good weather, and besides 

 the two former the Medicine-Master and Kwan-yin are each 

 invoked thrice in kneeling attitude. Finally, the Buddha, Dharma 

 and Sangha are, as always, praised as the refuge of all. The 

 same ceremonies are repeated by other monks till the rain stops, 

 and then a larger number of them for the last time celebrates 

 the rites as a sign of gratitude and satisfaction. 



In Japan, which in summer time has much more to suffer from 



^ ^M^^'^'^'ka^'^M^M^^ Bheshajyaguru vaidurya- 

 prabhasa Tathagata purvapranidhana guna sutra, "Sutva on the merits and virtue of 

 the original vow of the Medicine-Master, the Tathagata Vaidiirya light; translated by 

 HiiEN TsANG, A.D. 650. Of. nrs -170, 172, 173. According to Nanjo, nrs 170, 171 and 

 172 are later translations of the twelfth Sntra of nr 167; the main title ofthisworkis 

 ^^ B^ "^ ^^ TS Jlift 5li '^ ) Buddhabhashita mahabhishekarddhidharani sutra, 

 "Siitra on the divine dharam of the Great washing of the top of the head (baptism), 

 spoken by Buddha". This is apparently the Kanjo-kyo, |^ J"^ ^ , "Siitra on the 

 ■washing of the top of the head", recited in the fifth month of A.D. 880 in the Sacred 

 Spring Park at Kyoto, for stopping the abundant rains {Sandai jitsuroku, Ch. XXXVII, 

 p. 541). 



Verh. Kon. Akad. v. Wetensch. (Afd. Letterk.) N. R. Dl. XIII, N" 2. 3 



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