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The Five Wisdom Kings is the most important grouping of Wisdom Kings (Vidyaraja) in Chinese Esoteric Buddhism. There are various types of apotropaic deities whose main role is as guardian deities, protectors or general removers of evil. Some of these are unique to Buddhism and others are Indian deities that Buddhism shares with Hinduism.
- What Do We Mean by Gods?
- The Tantric Deities
- Other Mahayana Godlike Beings
- What About God?
Let's start with polytheistic-type gods. In the world's religions, these have been understood in many ways, Most commonly, they are supernatural beings with some kind of agency---they control the weather, for example, or they might help you win victories. The classic Roman and Greek gods and goddesses are examples. Practice in a religion based on p...
Now, let's move on to the tantric deities. In Buddhism, tantra is the use of rituals, symbolism and yoga practices to evoke experiences that enable the realization of enlightenment. The most common practice of Buddhist tantra is to experience oneself as a deity. In this case, then, the deities are more like archetypal symbols than supernatural crea...
Although they may not practice formal tantra, there are tantric elements running through much of Mahayana Buddhism. Iconic beings such as Avalokiteshvara are evoked to bring compassion to the world, yes, but we are her eyes and hands and feet. The same is true of Amitabha. Some may understand Amitabha as a deity who will take them to paradise (alth...
Finally, we get to the Big G. What did the Buddha say about him? Well, nothing that I know of. It's possible the Buddha was never exposed to monotheism as we know it. The concept of God as the one and only supreme being, and not just one god among many, was just coming into acceptance among Jewish scholars about the time the Buddha was born. This G...
Apr 8, 2022 · An important first question to ask is if there even are any Buddhist gods. If you asked “the Buddha” himself, he would likely say “no.” This original, historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was a regular, albeit rich, human being who, through introspection and meditation, managed to escape his suffering and achieve liberation from the endless cycle of death and rebirth.
The Buddhist pantheon of gods is derived mainly from Hinduism, Indian folk religions, and local religions where Buddhism took root. In many cases characteristics of gods from different faiths are merged into a single god. A Buddhist god, for example, may have been derived from Hindu god and given characteristics of a local spirit.
The main reason is there is no test to prove that there is a god expect by the experience of the person viewing Reality> God >for himself. This is through Mystic Intuition, i.e. Faith alone. In Buddhism this is a gift to all freely given to be interpreted by the student alone.
Aug 20, 2024 · Many Buddhist deities were syncretized with Shinto kami (spirits or gods). For example, Hachiman, originally a Shinto war god, became a protector of Buddhism and was enshrined in many Buddhist temples. The figure of Daikokuten, a god of wealth and the household, is another example of this syncretism.
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4 days ago · Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that developed from the doctrines of the Buddha, a teacher who lived in northern India between the mid-6th and mid-4th centuries bce. Buddhism has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural, and social life of Asia, and, beginning in the 20th century, it spread to the West.
