A good deal of literature has appeared in the post-World War II period concerning Buddhism, warfare, and combative arts. Most of this literature has centered on the relationship between Zen and "martial arts" while the influence of the Tantric, or "Esoteric," Buddhist tradition has been left relatively neglected. This dissertation examines the often disregarded relationship between Tantric Buddhism and the arts of war through a detailed investigation of the evolution of the Buddhist warrior goddess, Marici (Jp. Marishiten).
The aim of this dissertation was to (1) examine the origins and development of the cult of Marici (2) explore the nature of the cult within the larger framework of Sino-Japanese Tantric Buddhism, and (3) determine the way in which the Buddhist cult was adapted and used by the Japanese warrior class from the ninth through the sixteenth centuries.
Chapter 2 proposes reasons for the origin and evolution of the Marici cult on and around the Indian subcontinent from the fifth through the tenth centuries. A number of comparisons are made concerning Marici's attributes and functions and those of antecedent and contemporary deities.
Chapters 3 and 4 deal with the Buddhist cult in China. Chapter 3 covers the "early" period (sixth and seventh centuries) while Chapter 4 covers the "mid- to late" period (eighth through tenth centuries). These chapters deal mainly with the introduction of the cult, the process of Buddhist assimilation it underwent, and a later period reflecting the development of Vajrayana in India.
Chapter 5 turns to Japan where the cult of Marici was fitted into the modular ritualism of the medieval Tantric schools. Comparisons are also made with the rituals of Marishiten as performed by practitioners of Shugendo.
Chapter 6 deals with the Marici cult as it was viewed and practiced by Japanese warriors. A number of unpublished warrior documents are examined in this chapter in order to illuminate the "warrior" Marishiten of Japan.
Chapter 7 provides an extensive examination of the significance Marishiten held for the Japanese warrior.
