Butsu Zone

Butsu Zone
Cover of the third Japanese Butsu Zone manga volume as of released in December 4, 1997
仏ゾーン (Butsu Zōn)
Genre	Fantasy
Manga
Written by	Hiroyuki Takei
Published by	Shueisha
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run	March 1997 – August 1997
Volumes	3

Butsu Zone (仏ゾーン, Butsu Zōn^?, "Buddha Zone") is the first serialized manga by Hiroyuki Takei in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump of 1997. The term "Buddha Zone" refers to the concept by which a Buddha can appear on Earth using a Buddha statue.

The series highlights the adventures of Senju (the Thousand-Hand Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva) who has to find and protect Sachi, an incarnation of the Buddha Miroku (Maitreya Bodhisattva). Miroku is said to appear on Earth at a time when the Dharma is no longer taught and is completely forgotten, achieve complete enlightenment and then re-teach the pure dharma, becoming a successor of Śākyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. It is thus Senju's job to aid Miroku (Sachi) in achieving enlightenment, enabling her to achieve Buddha.

In 1975, a young orphan girl named Sachi protests against the planned destruction of the temple Saigan (her home) by the Minoura clan, who plans to build a hotel in its place. When one of the gangsters notices the statue of the Thousand-Hand Kannon within the temple, Sachi tells them that she will not allow anything to happen to the statue. In response, the gangsters laugh and threaten her, telling her that there is nothing the statue can do to save her. However, the Thousand-Hand Kannon comes to life, breaking the temple doors and attacking one of the gangsters. The statue shatters into pieces and inside it is a boy who tells them to lay their hands off Sachi, sending fear amongst the gangsters who then flee, vowing revenge. The boy introduces himself as Senju, the Thousand-Hand Kannon.

Senju, as an emissary of the buddha Kannon, has appeared in the human world to find and protect the reincarnation of the future Buddha, Miroku. Recognizing Sachi as Miroku, Senju reveals that it is his mission to accompany her to India where she will awaken and achieve enlightenment to save the world from destruction. However, they inhibited by the Mara, forces that seek to pollute with earthly desires, and Buddha who believe that Senju is not strong enough to protect Sachi from harm.