Wisdom King (myōō)
Ryōtō Aizen Myōō
両頭愛染明王
Ryōtō Aizen Myōō is a deity represented in a form in which Fudō Myōō and Aizen Myōō are united in one body. In an image at the Nara National Museum, a blue-black Fudō and a red Aizen are joined together. It is a characteristic expression of Esoteric Buddhism that represents two different workings in a single image.
This introduction is based on materials from Shōhōin (Tobi Fudō). It is summarized within the scope of the beliefs and traditions those materials convey, and does not present explanations or customs common to all schools, shrines, and temples.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Fudō and Aizen in a single form
Ryōtō Aizen Myōō is a deity represented in a form in which Fudō Myōō and Aizen Myōō are united in one body. In an image at the Nara National Museum, a blue-black Fudō and a red Aizen are joined together. It is a characteristic expression of Esoteric Buddhism that represents two different workings in a single image.
Source: 奈良国立博物館
An esoteric image with two faces
Images of Ryōtō Aizen have an iconographic tradition concerning how the two deities are combined. The Nara National Museum points out that the composition of its image, accompanied by stars and Monju, is unlike any other, so it is not necessarily a format common to all images.
Source: 奈良国立博物館
Related kami and buddhas
Sources (in Japanese)
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：両頭愛染明王」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：目次」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 奈良国立博物館「両頭愛染明王像」（2026-10-15 確認）