Bishamonten Meaning
Benzaiten is the only female deity among the 7 Gods, known as the Goddess of literature, art, music, and other forms of creativity. She is an excellent Goddess to help imbue your creative endeavors with success and fortune. In this article, let’s look at some of the most prolific Gods of wealth and discuss how you can work with them to attract luck and good fortune into your life.
She says that the first to assemblages of 2, 3 or 5 of them appeared in the late 15th century. While we don’t have an image of that wood block print from Lung Men we do have a picture from those fine people at Harvard of a huge carved relief sculpture at the entry to cave 19. As best I can tell the fellow holding the pagoda is Bishamon. In a 1906 volume of Kokka there is a one page entry entitled “Portrait of Bishamon-ten ”. Joly in 1906 identified Bishamon as one of the san-sen-jin (三戦神) or war gods.
Try researching each one and see which deity you connect with the most. You can even meditate over their images to see which one speaks to you. Bishamonten is considered to be a protective warrior God, believed to be able to protect you from evil. Mantras are not used as a special meditative device in Japan in Zen temples/monasteries. First group are mantras of different dieties, like Mahakala, Vaishravana-Bishamonten, Idaten etc. and those are protection dieties with their corresponding mantras. The other group belongs to buddhas/bodhisattvas with which given monastery or temple has some connection.
She carries an umbrella 毘沙門天 or parasol as a symbol of his sovereignty. She is also sometimes displayed with a mongoose, often shown ejecting jewels from its mouth. The mongoose is the enemy of the snake, a symbol of greed or hatred; the ejection of jewels represents generosity.
Wake no Michitaka founded the temple in 749 to repent for accidentally shooting his nurse with an arrow. At the same time, he carved a small statue of Yakushi from a mulberry tree and enshrined it as the temple's honzon. Kōbō Daishi later carved a larger statue of Yakushi and placed this smaller one inside.
Later, they built a statue of the Ushi-oni near the fountain in the temple compound. There is a particular figure of statue which is called Tobatsu Bishamonten. It wears armor knitted from chains (Kinsako (金鎖甲), and protective gear called Ebigote (海老籠手) over the arms, as well as a coronet on the head.
One who is all knowing, one who hears everything in the kingdom, one who is always listening, completely versed in Buddha's teachings. Said to be the most powerful of the four Shitennō, with the other three serving as his vassals. Also the most popular and widely known of the four in Japan.
This temple is thought to be an especially effective place to pray for victory in battle. This is because at the time of the Mongol invasions, Emperor Kameyama came here and prayed for the safety of the nation. They belonged originally to the Brahmanic pantheon, and in Buddhism were partly assimilated by the dragon. At Sanjusangendo in Kyoto, two of the 28 followers of Kannon in the temple are Taishakuten , and his attendant, Kinnara, who is playing the drum . Not commonly represented in the Buddhist artwork of Japan.
The Deva (meaning “celestial beings”) rank above theAsura and humans in the six stages of existence. Many devas have godlike powers, and reign over celestial kingdoms of happiness and splendor. Deva live countless years, but their lives eventually end, for the Deva are not yet free from the cycle of birth and death . That distinction belongs only to the Bosatsu, the Rakan, andNyorai . Among the Eight Legions, the Deva are represented most often by Bonten,Taishakuten, the four Shitennō , and the Goddess Benzaiten. Among the eight Yashaou, and one of Bishamonten’s attendants.