Tamonten also Bishamonten Lord of the North, Member of Shitenno Japanese Buddhism & Sculpture

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.

In Taoist belief, he is conflated with the god Li Jing, whose iconography incorporates many of Vaiśravaṇa's characteristics, such as carrying a pagoda. Sometimes shown holding a mongoose, representing victory over the Naga . Kangiten is regarded as protector of temples and worshipped generally by gamblers, actors, geishas and people in the business of “pleasure“.

Because the names of the Juuni Shinshou were transliterated from Sanskrit to Chinese, they tend to vary. The aim of this site is to provide down to earth, thought provoking content to inspire higher thinking, infuse positive energy, expand consciousness and promote self awareness.Follow me on Faceboook. The name Vasudhara translates to “stream of gems” in Sanskrit. She is one of the most popular goddesses worshiped in Buddhist cultures, viewed as a generous and compassionate deity who blesses her followers with both material and spiritual wealth. Caishen is honored as the God of money and wealth in both Chinese and Taoist cultures. He is particularly worshipped during the Chinese New Year as he is believed to bless the coming year with prosperity.

She carries an umbrella 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.

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 毘沙門天 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 bring back and share with those awaiting your return?

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.

Nearly always dressed in armor (yoroi 鎧), looking ferocious (funnusō 忿怒相), and carrying weapons or objects (jimotsu 持物) said to eliminate evil influences and suppress the enemies of Buddhism. Also typically shown standing atop evil spirits , symbolizing the power to repel and defeat evil. This legend has been made famous the Noh drama called Ama. This temple was built by the son and by Gyōgi Bosatsu in the 694 as a memorial to her and remains dedicated to the spirits of the dead . However, the original temple dates from much earlier and the honzon dates from the time of Empress Suiko in the 6th century.