Yakushi Triad Momoyama Period, 1603 Kondo (Main Hall) of the To-ji Temple Kyoto, Japan A statue of Yakushi, the Buddha of Healing, replaces a Heian original lost in the fire of 1486. Located in the Kondo of the temple, it is flanked by statues of Nikko to the viewer's right (Sunlight Bodhisattva, photos below) and Gakko to the viewer's left (Moonlight Bodhisattva, no photos available). Underneath the platform are statues of the 12 Godly Generals. The 12 Generals are protectors of Buddhism. They have symbolic relationships to Yakushi's 12 Vows, and also to the zodiac, such that a person's birth sign places him under the protection of the corresponding General. Each General wears different expressions and attributes. The color and detailing of their uniforms is carefully applied. John and Phyllis Martin attribute these statues to "Kosho," but they do not specify whether they mean Kosho the father of Jocho (Heian period), or Kosho the son of Unkei (Kamakura period).

Nikko Kondo (Main Hall) of the To-ji Temple Kyoto, Japan A statue of Nikko is set to the viewer's right of the statue of Yakushi. A similar statue of Gakko (no photos available) is located to the left of Yakushi. In this triad, Nikko and Gakko have their outer arms raised. In other triads, their inner arms are raised.

Photo Sources (all): To-ji Temple

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