Today’s photo is a number of buddhas deep in thought. Bodhisattvas, actually, which are something like Buddhist saints. I think all of these are Kannon, a multi-armed fella (sometimes depicted as a guy, sometimes a girl, sometimes both) who is much loved in Japan.

Why multi-arms? The story goes that way back when Kannon was so distressed about saving people that her head split into eleven pieces. Some people get ulcers when they gets stressed; Boddhisattvas get split heads — go figure. Amida Buddha (The head guy in Pure Land Buddhism) saw this problem and so gave her eleven heads. Now she understood how to help the people, but when she tried to reach out and help them, her arms shattered. Amida to the rescure again, he gave her a thousand arms to aid people with. Hell of a guy, that Amida Buddha.

I took this at a small temple right outside of Iga Hachimangu.

These guys look pretty deep in thought. Tons of these statues all over the temple grounds.