In the same year he completed and published his first deck, the Fantastic Medical Tarot, Dr. Shigeki Gomi turned his attention to the creation of a second deck, The Buddhistic Fantasy Tarot.
As with his first deck, Dr. Gomi uses airbrush techniques to achieve his striking, gorgeously colored images (the scans don't begin to do justice to the intense, rich colors). Card stock, printing and packaging are identical. The only difference is in the size of the cards themselves. The Buddhistic Fantasy Tarot is appreciably larger, measuring 4 1/8 x 6 inches.
In this deck, Dr. Gomi has continued to use the Rider-Waite (Rider-Waite) Tarot as his esoteric source. Whereas, with his first deck, Dr. Gomi chose to portray tarot concepts/ideas by using human organs and body parts as the central icons, here, he has elected to create images representing the events and meanings of Buddhist dogmas and/or the various manifestations of Buddha. The central images are very statue-like, set against cosmic, fantastical backgrounds. The cards are numbered, but are not labeled. Correspondences are as follows:
0 Shakyamuni (Ascetic)
Fool
1 Shakyamuni (Golden
Buddha) Magician
2 Kwannon
High Priestess
3 Kissho-Ten (Mahasri)
Empress
4 Shakya Nyorai
Emperor
5 Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana)
Hierophant
6 Kwanki-Ten
The Lovers
7 Monju-Bosatsu
Chariot
8 Kongorikishi (Deva
King) Strength
9 Basuhsennin (Superhuman
Being) Hermit
10 Mandala
Wheel of Fortune
11 Fudo-Myoo
Justice
12 Shakyamuni
Hanged Man
13 Emma-Daio (Yama)
Death
14 Kwannon (with 11 Faces)
Temperance
15 Asura (Demon)
Devil
16 Seven-Storied Pagoda
Tower
17 Benzai-Ten
Star
18 Gakko-Bosatsu
Moon
19 Rushana (Vairocana)
Sun
20 Miroku-Bosatsu (Maitreya)
Judgment
21 Syumisen
World
To even attempt to encapsulate the myriad blendings and derivations of Buddhism in a single review is an impossible task. But, in the interest of accurately articulating Dr. Gomi’s thought processes in the creation of his tarot deck, I will do my best to provide some basic information. To those more knowledgeable than myself (probably all of you readers!), I ask your forbearance in my attempt to find my way through a rich and immensely complex web of history, philosophy and faith which contains a considerable variety of interpretations and applications.
The teachings and practices of Buddhism go back 2500 years and begin with the enlightenment of Shakyamuni (who was born Siddhartha Gautama, son of a royal family the Shakya Region, located in the foothills of the Himalayas in the northern part of India). One version of the story tells of a man surrounded by luxury and pleasure, kept safely sequestered within his palace for the first 29 years of his life. One day, Siddhartha left the palace of his family and encountered all manner of human conditions: sickness, old age and death. Profoundly affected by this experience, Siddhartha left his home and family and pursued an ascetic life, searching for a way to end this suffering. After practicing extreme denial for six years, Siddhartha, while meditating under a bodhi tree, received enlightenment and a realization of another way – a “Middle Way” (a philosophy of life which is midway between indulgence and denial). He became known as Shakyamuni (Sage of the Shakya Clan) Buddha (title of one who has attained Nirvana or Enlightenment).
Soon after his Enlightenment, Shakyamuni had a vision in which he saw the human race as a bed of lotus flowers..... some still mired in mud, some just emerging from it and others on the point of blooming. This vision inspired Shakyamuni to pursue a life of teaching and helping others grow towards enlightenment.
So far so good. Now, it gets a little more complicated. As I said, there are many derivations of Buddhism. In Dr. Gomi’s deck, we see a particular aspect of Buddhism known as “Shingon Buddhism” (also known as Mikkyo in Japan). In Shingon Buddhism, there are many Buddhas in whom followers have a sacred connection. Each have special characteristics for which they are believed in and have their own vows and powers of salvation. There are 13 Buddhas of the Shingon School. They are often found represented together in painted images consisting of 5 Buddhas, 7 Bodhisattvas (one who has the wisdom and compassion to attain Nirvana, but has taken a vow NOT to become a Buddha until having helped all beings attain Nirvana) and Fudo Myoo (the Immovable Radiant King). These 13 Buddhas assist people during their lives and continue to assist them after death to guide them into the realm of Enlightenment.
Now, in addition to the 13 Buddhas, there are other deities with whom followers of Buddhism can have a special connection. Some of these deities are followers of Buddhism who attained Nirvana after long, intense effort. Others are Indian and/or Hindu gods/goddesses, assimilated into the Buddhist dogma.
Hopefully these few, but necessary paragraphs will enable you to more fully appreciate the next part of this discussion, which involves the actual cards themselves. Unless you familiarize yourself (at least a little bit) with the historical and philosophical sources of Dr. Gomi’s images, you cannot fully appreciate the workings of his creative thought process. So now, armed with Dr. Gomi’s iconographic platform (Buddhism) and his esoteric resource (the Rider-Waite tarot), you are more than ready to move on to an appreciation of his deck.
In the Fool card, we see Shakyamuni coming down from the mountain (closely following the imagery of the Rider-Waite deck). He stands on the precipice, the mountains seeming to float in the starry space of heavenly blue. This is an important card, for here we see Shakyamuni at the crucial turning point of his life. He has just completed 6 years of harsh asceticism and denial and still has not found a way to put an end to suffering. He is at a crossroads. The path behind him was one of valuable preparation..... but it was not the Answer to his quest. Another path has not yet opened before him. The future is totally unknown. The years of self-denial have taken their toll. He is tottering and weak. His aged figure leans heavily upon his staff. He has relinquished all previous ideas and philosophies. He is open and searching..... awaiting his destiny.
Next, we move on to the Magician card. Again, the central figure of this card is Shakyamuni, but what a difference has taken place. Here we see Shakyamuni AFTER his Enlightenment. He has completed his intense meditation and has come to a complete realization of how to guide others in ending their cycle of earthly suffering. He has turned his back on completing his own cycle; instead, he has decided to remain in this world in order to help others. His lifetime of teaching is about to begin. In this card, Dr. Gomi has chosen to portray Shakyamuni in his role as the “Golden Buddha”. The light of self-realization radiates from within him. He assumes the traditional stance of the Rider-Waite Magician, the connector of heaven and earth..... right arm raised to the starry heavens, the left arm lowered towards the green firmament. He appears strong, happy, radiant..... the embodiment of knowledge and fulfillment.
We will encounter Shakyamuni once again later in the deck, but let's move on to the Hierophant, which is a vivid depiction of Mahavairocana, or Dainichi Nyorai, the Great Shining Buddha, the Buddha of Universal Illumination. He is everywhere and everything. All the other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are various emanations or aspects of him. Dainichi Nyorai has two aspects to his personality, Wisdom and Truth. In the Hierophant, Dainichi Nyorai is depicted in his aspect of Wisdom, the jeweled crown upon his head representing the Five Wisdoms possessed by a fully awakened Buddha. His hands are in the Wisdom Fist mudra. This mudra (“hand position) represents the essential unity of ordinary beings and the Buddhas themselves. He floats serenely in a universal night sky filled with stars, with another galaxy stretching limitlessly into space immediately behind him.
The Lovers card is represented by Kwanki-Ten. Kwanki-Ten is not a Buddha or Boddhisatva, but remember what I said about various schools of Buddhism incorporating other deities into its philosophy? Well, here's an example. Kwanki-Ten is a god who defends Buddhism and is responsive to the human wishes for a happy life of a married couple. The central icon (a statue of two happily embracing figures) floats in a blue sky, with a swirling lemniscate in the background.
In the Chariot card, the figure depicted is Monju-Bosatsu (Manjusri Bodhisattva of Beautiful Splendor), Dispenser of Wisdom. In his right hand, he holds a sword for cutting off delusion. He is shown seated within a lotus flower. This chariot “car” is affixed to the back of a lion (sometimes called the king of a hundred animals). The overall image is intended to express the power of his wisdom.
A perfect representative for the Justice card is Fudo-Myoo, the Immovable Radiant King. Fudo Myoo is a very wrathful deity. In this depiction, Fudo Myoo is colored in a fierce red, seated on a flat rock (which symbolizes the unshakable peace and bliss which he bestows upon the minds and bodies of his devotees), surrounded by flames (which consume the evil and defilements of this world). He holds in his right hand a sword, which cuts through delusions and ignorance. In his left hand, he holds a rope with which he binds those who are ruled by their passions and emotions.
In the Hanged Man, we return to Shakyamuni. In this card, the central idea is Sacrifice, which is expressed by a depiction of Shakyamuni submitting himself to a very hungry-looking tiger (meant to emphasize the significant nature of the sacrifice). It is interesting to note that, in this card, Dr. Gomi has deviated from his artistic pattern of using very statue-like images to portray his central icons. Here, Shakyamuni is a rather ribbon-like figure with no detailed facial features, hurtling downward. The image is one of complete abandonment of self, to the extent that the physical “self” here is not of any importance at all and is, therefore, indistinct and almost surreal in its rendering. It is an interesting contrast to the very “real” depiction of the menacing tiger.
With the Death card, we are back on very familiar ground. Against a solid black background looms an enormous, glowing blue skull. Overlaying the skull are hands and feet sprouting upward through a patch of parched vegetation. Above all, floats the figure of Emma-Daio (Yama). An Indian deity, Yama is one of the kings of Hell. He is a magistrate at the Court of Judgment, which determines whether a soul will be reborn in Heaven or Hell.
The Tower is a visually stunning card. The central image is that of the Seven-Storied Pagoda, set against a background of dark mountains and a sky that is an absolute prism of color. The pagoda is alight with hundreds of tiny, twinkling lights. Just within the open door of the structure, is the figure of Buddha. In place of the traditional lightning bolt, another figure of Buddha emits a soft, gentle infusion of light towards the top of the pagoda. Even further afar in that amazing sky is a small reminder of the Rider-Waite imagery: we see another depiction of the mountains seen in the Fool card. All these images flow together to symbolize the advancement and elevation of the human spirit after many ordeals.
The Moon card is represented by Candraprabha (Gakko), which means, appropriately enough, “Brilliance of the Moon”. Candraprabha is an attendant of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of the Master of Medicine, who offers medicine to people suffering from illness and grants nourishment to the mind and body. The serene, jade-green image of Candraprabha is set against a vivid, deep yellow moon, hanging heavily in the star-studded night sky.
Contrast the cool serenity of the Moon with the Sun card, colored in bold, hot shades of red and orange set against that same evening sky. Here, we see the 2nd manifestation of Dainichi Nyorai (the 1st manifestation was depicted in the Hierophant card). This aspect of the Dainichi Nyorai depicts the hands in the Samadhi mudra, which represents the basic nature of the world. He is Truth, the companion aspect to Wisdom.
The Judgment card is an unusual one in that it (like the Hanged Man) is a departure from the rather traditional artistic renderings of the other beings/deities in the deck. Here, all traditional positioning and accoutrements (crown and stupa) have been set aside. Instead, we see a gigantic, but graceful being rising from the cloudy mists hovering above purple mountains. Or, perhaps he is taking his form from the very mists themselves. Here is Miroku-Bosatsu or Maitreya. And, what a story we have here. Maitreya is the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who saves the world of the future. 5,670,000,000 years after the death of Shakyamuni, Maitreya will appear in the world and save all beings who have lost their way. At that time, a flower known as the Dragon Blossom will bloom and Maitreya will preach the teachings and save the world. He is the perfect representation of the seed ideas of the Judgment card.
As with his first creation, the Fantastic Medical Tarot, Dr. Gomi has produced a beautifully rendered, thought-provoking deck. His images are deceptively simple, but his meanings and reasoning behind those renderings are interesting and stimulating.
The Buddhistic Fantasy Tarot was independently published in a single printing of 300 copies. It is very hard to find and highly collectible.
Any questions concerning this review may be forwarded through Wicce.
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2000 by Paula Gibby
used with permission