The celebrated ninth-century Nyoirin Kannon statue of Kanshinji is regarded by scholars as the temple's original honzon (main icon) and a paradigm of Esoteric Buddhist expression. This essay highlights the canonizing strategies of modern scholarship and suggests another honzon for Kashinji's early history. A study of records and contexts points to the importance of both extant and lost ninth-century statues at the temple. At the same time，historiographic investigation highlights the adverse relationship between scholarly research on Kanshinji and modern apologists' presentation of Esoteric Buddhism and its icons as enigmatic and sensual，and other misrepresentations of their function.
目次
Canonization, Determinations, and Apologies 32 Esoteric Buddhism 37 The Early History of Kanshinji and Its Sacred Images 39 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Value: The Register as Evidence 44 Causality and Value 50 The Life of Image 52 Expectations and Esoteric Description 55 Within and Outside the Canon 57 Frequently Cited Sources 57 Notes 57
