Monju Bosatsu

Monju (文殊) is the bodhisattva of wisdom. His sword cuts through ignorance, his sutra holds the perfection of wisdom, and the lion beneath him roars the teaching. Japanese students still pray to Monju before examinations, and a well-known proverb says that three ordinary heads together equal the wisdom of Monju.

Japanese 文殊菩薩, Monju Bosatsu
Sanskrit Mañjuśrī
Rank Bodhisattva
Recognise by A sword raised in the right hand; a sutra in the left; seated on a lion
Often with Shaka and Fugen
Memorial rite The 21st day, in the Thirteen Buddhas

Identifying Monju

The lion is the clearest sign. Monju sits on a lion's back, or on a lotus carried by one, with a sword upright in his right hand and a scroll or book in the left, sometimes resting on a lotus. In the Shaka triad he takes the left side of the Buddha, opposite Fugen on his elephant. Monju is sometimes shown as a youth with his hair tied in one, five or eight topknots, a sign of the purity of wisdom.

Monju crossing the sea

A favourite Kamakura theme shows Monju riding his lion across the waves towards Japan, attended by a boy pilgrim, Zenzai Dōji, a groom leading the lion and an old sage. The group at Abe Monjuin in Nara, made by the sculptor Kaikei in the thirteenth century, is the most celebrated example.

Monju in the Zen hall

In Zen monasteries, Monju is enshrined in the meditation hall as the Holy Monk, often shown in monastic dress, presiding over the monks at practice. See Zen Buddhism in Japan.

Collecting notes

  • Monju figures are scarcer than Kannon. Many surviving ones are attendants separated from a Shaka triad, so look for a matching Fugen.
  • The sword is fragile and frequently replaced. The lion's carving often shows the quality of the workshop.

In the collection

Search the collection for Monju or browse bodhisattva figures. Our collector concierge can search Japan for a Monju image.

See also

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