Dipankara

Today I wanted to write about Dipankara, a past buddah whose name means lamp bearer. He is also the protector of merchants. He was the buddah before Siddhārtha Gautama. Dipankara is mainly venerated in Nepal. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipankara?wprov=sfla1

Sitātapatra

Today I wanted to write about Sitātapatra a Buddhist goddess who protects against the supernatural. She is the counterpart to Avalokiteśvara. One of her mantras is: Hum ma ma hum ni svaha Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitatapatra?wprov=sfla1

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Today I wanted to write about Dhṛtarāṣṭra, a Buddhist Deva of the east and music. Dhṛtarāṣṭra is a member of the Heavenly Kings. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dh%E1%B9%9Btar%C4%81%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADra?wprov=sfla1

Vajrayakṣa

Today I wanted to write about Vajrayakṣa, a one of the Buddhist wisdom kings, a group of war deities. Vajrayakṣa is a manifestation of Amoghasiddhi. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayak%E1%B9%A3a?wprov=sfla1

Hārītī

Today I wanted to write about Hārītī, a Buddhist goddess who is the protector of children. Hārītī is a daughter of Prajñāpāramitā Devī. She was born from an act of compassion when the prayers for an abandoned child grew loud enough for Mother Dharma to answer them. Hārītī is the wife of The king of

Vaiśravaṇa

Today for the Holidays I wanted to write about Vaiśravaṇa, also called Bishamonten, a Buddhist war deity. Vaiśravaṇa is one of the Four Heavenly Kings and one of the Seven Gods of Fortune. Vaiśravaṇa was known to regularly descend to earth to protect Siddhārtha Gautama. His earliest sites of veneration were trees, however now he

Daikokuten

Today for the Holidays I wanted to write about Daikokuten, a genderfluid Japanese deity of wealth. Daikokuten is a syncretic figure between Mahakala (Shiva) and Ōkuninushi. They were later conflated with Parvati as they became more of an ambiguously gendered deity. The yang wood rat and rats in general are sacred to Daikokuten. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daikokuten?wprov=sfla1

Kisshōten

Today for the Holidays I wanted to write about Kisshōten, a Japanese goddess of beauty and happiness. Kisshōten is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune. She is also part of a trinity with Benzaiten and Daikokuten. Worship of Kisshōten originally came to Japan from India as a Buddhist form of Lakshmi. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissh%C5%8Dten?wprov=sfla1

Mañjuśrī

Today I wanted to write about Mañjuśrī, a Bodhisattva associated with wisdom. Mañjuśrī is a major divinity in Mahayana buddhism known for leading people to wisdom, notably Longnü, who he helped reach enlightenment. A common mantra of his is: oṃ arapacana dhīḥ. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manjushri?wprov=sfla1

Acala

Today I wanted to write about Acala, one of the Wisdom kings in Buddhism, who takes a more wrathful approach to Dharma by removing obstacles and destroyi Acala is the messenger of Vairocana. Acala’s worship is most prevalent in Japanese Buddhism where he is often venerated as the Honzon of many temples and shrines. He

Mahākāśyapa

Today I wanted to write about Mahākāśyapa, a Buddhist Bodhisattva who was the first patriarch of the Buddhist council. Mahākāśyapa studied directly under Siddhārtha Gautama and was succeeded by Ānanda as leader of the Buddhist council. He was somewhat adopted by Siddhārtha Gautama, leaving him in charge of the Buddha’s cremation. After the death of

Bai Long Ma

Today for Dragon month I wanted to write about Bai Long Ma, a Chinese dragon-god who is a major figure in Journey to the West. He is a son of Ao Run. After he destroyed his father’s pearl, he was sentenced to be executed. However, Guanyin saved him, so he only had to live in

Ānanda

Today I wanted to write about Ānanda, one of the 10 principle disciples in Buddhism. Most primary texts ate said to be written by Ānanda using the memory of Siddhārtha Gautama (The Buddha)‘s teachings. Ānanda was the cousin of Siddhārtha Gautama. Ānanda also founded the Buddhist council. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%80nanda?wprov=sfla1

Inari Ōkami

Today, for pride, I wanted to write about Inari Ōkami, a genderfluid Kami of rice, fertility, foxes, tea, agriculture, alcohol, merchants, swordsmiths, and success. Inari first descended to Japan in the form of a young woman on a white fox to bring rice to Japan during a famine. Being a shapeshifter, Inari shows up in

Guanyin

Today for Pride Month I wanted to write about Guanyin, an androgynous Buddhist Bodhisattva of mercy, healing, travel, and the protector of fishermen, women and children, among many other things. Guanyin is a child of Miaozhuang Wang who wanted them to marry for money. After years of an unfulfilling marriage, they turned to a life

Houtu

Wrapping up with earth week I wanted to write about Houtu, a genderfluid Chinese goddexx of the land, earth, soil, Di, and Yin. Houtu is a child of Gonggong. They’re one of the four heavily ministers (Sì yù). They are often synchronized with Bhumi. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houtu?wprov=sfla1

Kangiten

Today, I wanted to write about Kangiten, a Japanese–Buddhist Deva of success and bliss. Kangiten is one if the 3000 children of Uma, they were born a demon and feasted on human flesh before being transformed by Avalokiteśvara. They’re often compared to Ganesha, a Hindu god also depicted as an elephant. Kangiten is part of

Myōken

Today I wanted to write about Myōken, a Buddhist spirit of Polaris. Myōken doesn’t appear in any Buddhist legends, first being mentioned in Chinese sutras suggesting he may have originally been a Taoist deity before syncretism with Buddhism. Xuanwu and Ame-no-Minakanushi are commonly combined with Myōken is parts of East Asia. In Japan August is

Shuimu

Today I wanted to write about Shuimu, a Chinese water demon. Shuimu is a shapeshifter, often taking the form of a beautiful woman. However, her true form is a snake or dragon (she may have originally been a human though as one legend tells her being a peasant woman with magic killed by her mother-in-law),

Subhūti

Today I wanted to write about Subhūti, a Buddhist Bodhisattva who teaches his followers about śūnyatā, the philosophy of emptiness. Subhūti was born into a wealthy family if merchants and is the brother of Anathapindika. After hearing Siddhārtha Gautama (The Buddha) teach he became a monk and lived in the forest where he attained Arhat.

Pilanpo

Today I wanted to write about Pilanpo, a Chinese–Buddhist Bodhisattva associated with space. She’s the cousin of Mahamayuri, as both are descendants of Fènghuáng. In Journey to the West Pilanpo is the only one of the gods capable of capturing Hundred-Eyed Demon King by using a needle made from the sun rooster of Hairy Head.

Ucchusma

Today I wanted to write about Ucchusma, one of the eight Vidyārāja in Mahayana Buddhism, he’s specifically associated with protection, exorcisms, birth, healing, purification, and the bathroom. Ucchusma was born from the Joy of Shakyamuni Buddha’s heart sent to defeat the Brahma king. Along with Shakyamuni, Ucchusma is frequently identified with Nio/Guhyapāda. Over a dozen