Hotei, the god of good fortune, one of the seven lucky gods, facing front with his head resting on his hands, peering out through an opening in his bottomless bag of goods Library of Congress



He re-established the temple there, modifying it to enshrine both Bishamonten and the deity he workshipped, Senju Kannon, the goddess of Mercy and Compassion. He named the temple buildings Kuramadera, after the name of the mountain. The asuras have also been described as ‘inferior deities’ or as being like fallen angels. In some cases they are reported to be more powerful than the yakshas mentioned above. Getty notes that “In Japan [Vaiśravaṇa] is worshipped under the name Bishamon, and is represented in armour ornamented with the seven precious jewels, and is generally standing on one or two demons. In his left hand he holds either a small shrine or the flaming pearl, while in his right is a jewelled lance.” The shrine is said to represent the Iron Tower in India where the Buddhist scriptures were found.

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.

Use this next day wisely and keep in mind that it isn't the last day of your pilgrimage, just another day on the henro trail of life. In commemoration of his trip to China, he enshrined his Shakujō at this temple. A Shakujō is a walking stick with large metal rings attached to the top of the handle in order to make rattling sounds. Likewise, it is now customary for all pilgrims to leave their walking stick here after they complete their pilgrimage. The temple was founded by Gyōgi Bosatsu in 738 (although Starr says that it was Shōtoku Taishi). Kōbō Daishi came her later and, in keeping a vow he made before leaving for China, performed a Goma ritual for the first seven nights in January and distributed amulets to the assembled people.

This, strangely enough, reminds me of contemporary football teams – either high school or college – praying for divine intervention. The winning side convinces itself that it has been shown celestial favoritism. The detail shown below is from a Meiji period painting of Bishamon. It was purchased by Patdem and posted by him at commons.wikimedia.org. Let’s start with this gorgeous Edo period, polychromed, wooden sculpture of Bishamon standing on top of a blue demon.

Bishamonten is the scourge of evil doers, the black warrior, and one of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. This may have been the 88th temple, but it is not the end of the journey. What will you 毘沙門天 bring back and share with those awaiting your return?

It should also be noted that these ‘virtues’ are not linked to morality, but are more closely tied to qualities one would want to possess. That is why a long life, wealth and popularity are included in this list. Of course, the Protestant ethic links success in life to one of God’s blessings, but still… And popularity? Just ask any Hollywood celeb where they rank on the morality scale. Confucian virtues are tied to morality, but they are Chinese and not necessarily Japanese – something you knew already. It is said that in the 12th century when the Taira were vying with the Minamoto for control of Japan both sides were appealing to Bishamon for support.

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.

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