Manjushri
Template:Short description Template:Infobox Buddha Template:Mahayana Buddhism Manjushri (Template:Langx) is a bodhisattva who represents prajñā (transcendent wisdom) of the Buddhas in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The name "Mañjuśrī" is a combination of Sanskrit word "mañju" and an honorific "śrī"; it can be literally translated as "Beautiful One with Glory" or "Beautiful One with Auspiciousness". Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta (Template:Lang),<ref name="Keown, Damien 2003 p.172">Keown, Damien (editor) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Template:ISBN p.172.</ref> literally "Mañjuśrī, Still a Youth" or, less literally, "Prince Mañjuśrī". Another name of Mañjuśrī is Mañjughoṣa.
In Mahāyāna Buddhism
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According to Vajrayana Sutras, this manifestation of Manjusri has thousands of hands, each holding a bowl, from which a Sakyamuni Buddha manifests and then multiplies, becoming trillions of Sakyamuni Buddhas.
This manifestation symbolizes that the countless Sakyamuni Buddhas, who teach Dharma in countless worlds, give their teachings based on Manjusri the Great Wisdom, namely Prajñāpāramitā.
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Scholars have identified Mañjuśrī as the oldest and most significant bodhisattva in Mahāyāna literature.<ref>A View of Manjushri: Wisdom and Its Crown Prince in Pala Period India. Harrington, Laura. Doctoral Thesis, Columbia University, 2002</ref> Notable traits of Mañjuśrī include:
Buddha appearing as Bodhisattva
According to Mahayana Sutras, Mañjuśrī is always a Buddha with the highest Awakenment all the time, including in the past, present, and future, but just appears as a Bodhisattva in our world.<ref name="manju3sgw">The Great Buddhist Dictionary - Manjusri's Buddhahood in the past, present, and future 佛學大辭典【文殊三世果位】</ref>
In Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra, the Buddha revealed that countless eons ago, Mañjuśrī had achieved Buddhahood with the name Dragon Superior Tathāgata.<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/106503574/Surangama-Samadhi-Sutra
English Translation of Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra</ref><ref>English Translation of Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra</ref><ref>Chinese text of Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra (Taisho Tripitaka 0642) 佛說首楞嚴三昧經</ref>
In Tathagata's Unimaginable State Sutra, it is written that when Sakyamuni Buddha attained the highest Awakenment, countless Buddhas from other worlds, appearing as Bodhisattvas, came to our world to congratulate him and assist his Dharma-teaching work, and Mañjuśrī was one of those Buddhas who appeared as Bodhisattvas.<ref>English translation of Tathagata's Unimaginable State Sutra</ref><ref>Chinese text of Tathagata's Unimaginable State Sutra (Taisho Tripitaka 0301) 大方廣如來不思議境界經</ref>
Another Sutra, Bodhisattva in the Womb Sutra reveals that Mañjuśrī is actually a Buddha, but in order to assist Sakyamuni Buddha's Dharma-teaching work, he appears as a disciple of the Buddha.<ref>Chinese text of Bodhisattva in the Womb Sutra (Taisho Tripitaka 0384)</ref><ref>Chinese text of Bodhisattva in the Womb Sutra 菩薩處胎經</ref> In the Sutra Mañjuśrī says:
My bodies are as many as the atoms of the universe, appearing as Buddhas in countless Buddha-Worlds elsewhere.
I was previously the teacher of Sakyamuni Buddha, and now I appear as his disciple.
I would like to manifest my Buddha body, but this world should have only one main Buddha at this moment.
Therefore I appear as a disciple in this world, and appear as Buddhas in other Buddha-Worlds.
In Aṅgulimālīya Sūtra it is written that Mañjuśrī is a present Buddha whose Buddha-world is in the north:<ref name="Ang_Sutra.En">English translation of Aṅgulimālika Sūtra</ref><ref name="Ang_Sutra.Ch">Chinese text of Aṅgulimālīya Sūtra (Taisho Tripitaka 0120) 央掘魔羅經</ref>
To the north, passing worlds as numerous as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, there is a world called Constant Joy, where the Buddha is called Joy Store Mani Jewel Accumulation Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-Saṁbuddha ...... Is that Tathāgata anyone else ? Mañjuśrī is actually that Buddha.
Mañjuśrī will also become a Buddha in the future. According to Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra, when Mañjuśrī becomes a Buddha (again) in the future, he will be called Universally Seen, and his Buddha-World will be extremely vast and sublime.<ref>Chinese text of Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra (Taisho Tripitaka 0310)</ref><ref name="manju3sgw" />
Mother of all Buddhas
According to Mahayana Sutras, Mañjuśrī is the one who guides all living beings of the past, present and future towards Buddhahood, therefore he is honored as the Mother of all Buddhas of the past, present and future (三世佛母妙吉祥).
As it is written in Mahayana Sutra on Contemplating the Ground-Like Heart Concerning the Legend of the Buddha (大乘本生心地觀經) :<ref>Chinese text of Mahayana Sutra on Contemplating the Ground-Like Heart Concerning the Legend of the Buddha (Taisho Tripitaka 0159)</ref><ref>Chinese text of the Sutra (Taisho Tripitaka 0159) 大乘本生心地觀經</ref>
Manjusri the Great Holy Lord
is the Mother of all Buddhas of the past, present and future.
All Buddhas of the ten directions,
when they first arouse their hearts to seek Bodhi,
they do so because of Manjusri's teaching and guidance.
Mahayana Sutra on Contemplating the Ground-Like Heart Concerning the Legend of the Buddha also says :<ref>Chinese text of Mahayana Sutra on Contemplating the Ground-Like Heart Concerning the Legend of the Buddha (Taisho Tripitaka 0159)</ref>
The Buddha said to Manjusri: "You are indeed the Mother of all Buddhas of the past, present and future. All Tathagatas, when they first arouse their hearts, or carry out their practice for Bodhi, they do those things because of your guidance. "
Placing the Bowl Sutra says :<ref>Chinese text of Placing the Bowl Sutra (Taisho Tripitaka 0629)</ref><ref>Chinese text of Placing the Bowl Sutra (Taisho Tripitaka 0629) 佛說放鉢經</ref>
The Buddha said : "... I achieved Buddhahood all because of Manjusri's benevolence. Furthermore, all the countless Buddhas in the past were disciples of Manjusri, and all those who will become Buddhas in the future, they will achieve Buddhahood because of Manjusri's mightiness, benevolence, and divine power."
In the Lotus Sūtra, Mañjuśrī also leads the Nagaraja's daughter to enlightenment. He also figures in the Vimalakīrti Sūtra in a debate with Vimalakīrti where he is presented as a Bodhisattva who discusses non-duality with him.
Eternal Youth
Although Mañjuśrī, in the previous innumerable eons, had helped countless living beings achieve Buddhahood, the great mentor himself remains a youth forever. In Mahayana Sutras, Mañjuśrī is frequently called Manjusri the Youth (Manjusri Kumara-bhuta).
Symbolizing Prajñā the Transcendental Wisdom
As a symbol of Prajñāpāramitā, Mañjuśrī is often depicted as a youth holding the Sword of Wisdom in one hand, and a Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in another hand. In Mahayana Buddhism he is often honored as Mañjuśrī the Great Wisdom (大智文殊師利).
An example of a wisdom teaching of Mañjuśrī can be found in the Saptaśatikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Taishō Tripiṭaka 232).<ref>Template:Citation</ref> This sūtra contains a dialogue between Mañjuśrī and the Buddha on the One Samādhi (Skt. Ekavyūha Samādhi). Sheng-yen renders the following teaching of Mañjuśrī, for entering samādhi naturally through transcendent wisdom: Template:Blockquote
Vajrayāna Buddhism
Within Vajrayāna Buddhism, Mañjuśrī is a meditational deity and also considered a fully enlightened Buddha. In Shingon Buddhism, he is one of the Thirteen Buddhas to whom disciples devote themselves. He figures extensively in many esoteric texts such as the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa<ref name="Keown, Damien 2003 p.172"/> and the Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti. His consort in some traditions is Saraswati.
The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, which later came to be classified under Kriyātantra, states that mantras taught in the Śaiva, Garuḍa, and Vaiṣṇava tantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Mañjuśrī.<ref>Sanderson, Alexis. "The Śaiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early Medieval Period." In: Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo Einoo. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009. Institute of Oriental Culture Special Series, 23, pp. 129-131.</ref>
Manifestations
| File:Youth Manjusri.jpg Youth Manjusri |
Youth Manjusri (孺童文殊) is a typical form of Manjusri, one head, two arms, right hand holding a Wisdom Sword that can cut off ignorance, left hand holding a flower with a Prajna-paramita Sutra upon it. |
| File:Manjusri on Lion.jpg Lion-riding Manjusri |
Lion-riding Manjusri is another typical form of Manjusri frequently seen in Buddhist art across different Buddhist traditions. Manjusri is depicted as sitting on a lion, Wisdom Sword in one hand, and Prajna-paramita Sutra in another hand. |
| File:Four Arms Manjusri.jpg Four-Armed Manjusri |
Four-Armed Manjusri is one of the five major forms of Manjusri. One head, four arms, holding four objects: sword, bow, arrow, and Prajna-paramita Sutra. |
| File:Undefiled Manjusri.jpg Undefiled Manjusri |
Undefiled Manjusri, one of the five major forms of Manjusri, symbolizes the ever-pure nature of Prajna-paramita. One head, two arms, making Dharma-chakra Mudra, with Wisdom Sword and Prajna-paramita Sutra floating above his shoulders. |
| File:White Manjusri.jpg White Manjusri |
White Manjusri is one of the five major forms of Manjusri. One head, two arms, making Wish-bestowing Mudra (Varada-mudra). The Wisdom Sword and Prajna-paramita Sutra are floating above his shoulders. |
| File:Six-Armed Manjusri.jpg Six-Armed Manjusri |
Six-Armed Manjusri is a powerful manifestation that liberates living beings from repetitive reincarnations among the Six realms of existence. This form of Manjusri has three heads and six arms, making Mudra with one or two hands, while the other hands holding different objects including Wisdom Sword, Prajna-paramita Sutra, bow, arrow, and flower. |
| File:Thousand Arms, Thousand Bowls and Thousand Sakyamunis Manjusri.jpg Thousand Arms Thousand Bowls and Thousand Sakyamunis Manjusri |
A Vajrayana manifestation of Manjusri that has thousands of hands, each holding a bowl, from which a Sakyamuni Buddha manifests and then multiplies, becoming trillions of Sakyamuni Buddhas.<ref>Chinese text of Thousand Arms and Thousand Bowls Mañjusrī Sutra 大乘瑜伽金剛性海曼殊室利千臂千鉢大教王經</ref> Those countless Sakyamuni Buddhas, who are emanations from Vairocana Buddha, teach Dharma in countless worlds based on Manjusri the Great Wisdom, namely Prajñāpāramitā. |
| File:Black Manjusri.jpg Black Manjusri |
Black Manjusri is a wrathful manifestation of Manjusri, usually depicted as holding a Wisdom Sword in his right hand and a flower in his left hand with Prajnaparamita Sutra upon the flower. |
| File:Manjusri's Buddha form.jpg Manjusri's Buddha form |
Manjusri appears as a Buddha, with a Wisdom Sword in his hand, and Prajnaparamita Sutra floating above his shoulder. According to Mahayana Sutras, Manjusri is always a Buddha all the time, but just appears as a Bodhisattva in our world. Presently, he is a Buddha called Joy Store Mani Jewel Accumulation Tathāgata, whose Buddha-World is called Constant Joy.<ref name="Ang_Sutra.En" /><ref name="Ang_Sutra.Ch" /> |
| File:Dharmadhatu Vagishvara Manjusri.png Dharma-Realm Speech Self-existent Manjusri |
Dharma-Realm Speech Self-existent Manjusri (Sanskrit: Dharmadhātu-vāgīśvara Mañjuśrī) is a supreme manifestation of Manjusri. Four heads, eight arms, two hands making Dharma-chakra Mudra, while the others holding different objects: Wisdom Sword, Vajra Pestle, bow, arrow, and Prajna-paramita Sutra. This manifestation represents the Ultimate Reality, namely the Dharma-Body of all Buddhas. |
| File:Namasangiti Manjusri.jpg Namasangiti Manjusri |
A form of Manjusri based on Mañjuśrī-Nāma-Saṃgīti. One head, twelve arms, sitting, two hands in Dhyana Mudra, two hands above the head making Uttara-bodhi Mudra, two hands before chest making Dharma-chakra Mudra, two hands in Tarpana Mudra, four other hands holding four objects: Wisdom Sword, bow, arrow, and Prajna-paramita Sutra. This manifestation of Manjusri is the embodiment of Prajñāpāramitā, the Wisdom of all Buddhas. |
Iconography
Mañjuśrī is usually depicted as a male bodhisattva wielding a flaming sword in his right hand, representing the realization of transcendent wisdom which cuts down ignorance and duality. The scripture supported by the padma (lotus) held in his left hand is a Prajñāpāramitā sūtra, representing his attainment of ultimate realization from the blossoming of wisdom.
Mañjuśrī is often depicted as riding or seated on a blue lion, or sitting on the skin of a lion. This represents the use of wisdom to tame the mind, which is compared to riding or subduing a ferocious lion. In Chinese and Japanese Buddhist art, Mañjuśrī's sword is sometimes replaced with a ruyi scepter, especially in representations of his Vimalakirti Sutra discussion with the layman Vimalakirti.<ref>Davidson, J. LeRoy, "The Origin and Early Use of the Ju-i", Artibus Asiae 1950,13.4, 240.</ref> According to Berthold Laufer, the first Chinese representation of a ruyi was in an 8th-century Mañjuśrī painting by Wu Daozi, showing it held in his right hand taking the place of the usual sword. In subsequent Chinese and Japanese paintings of Buddhas, a ruyi was occasionally represented as a Padma with a long stem curved like a ruyi.<ref>Laufer, Berthold, Jade, a Study in Chinese Archaeology and Religion, Field Museum of Natural History, 1912, 339.</ref>
Another manifestation of Mañjuśrī that is venerated in Chinese Buddhist tradition is the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Bowl Mañjuśrī[zh] (千臂千缽文殊菩薩; Qiānbì Qiānbō Wénshū Púsà).<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":5">Roy, Dhriti (2023). “From Textual References to Iconographic Representation: The Evolutionary Journey of Bodhisattva Manjusri in the Chinese Buddhist Tradition”, Dharmadoot, 2567 B.E., Vol.89, ISSN: 2347-3428, pp. 49-65.</ref> The canonical source for this iconographic form is the "Mahāyana Yoga of the Adamantine Ocean, Mañjusrī with a Thousand Arms and Thousand Bowls: Great King of Tantras"[zh] (大乘瑜伽金剛性海曼殊室利千臂千鉢大教王經; Dàchéng yújiā jīngāngxìng hǎi mànshūshìlì qiānbì qiānbō dàjiào wáng jīng),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3" /> usually known simply as the "Sutra of Mañjusrī with a Thousand Arms and Thousand Bowls" (千臂千鉢曼殊室利經; Qiānbì qiānbō mànshūshìlì jīng). In this manifestation, Mañjuśrī is depicted with a thousand arms, each holding an alms bowl, with each bowl containing a figure of Śākyamuni Buddha.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />
He is one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Chinese Buddhism, the other three being Kṣitigarbha, Avalokiteśvara, and Samantabhadra. In China, he is often paired with SamantabhadraTemplate:Citation needed.
In Tibetan Buddhism, Mañjuśrī is sometimes depicted in a trinity with Avalokiteśvara and VajrapāṇiTemplate:Citation needed.
Mantras
Arapacana mantra
A mantra commonly associated with Mañjuśrī is the following:<ref name="Buswell, Robert 2013. p. 527">Buswell, Robert. Lopez, Donald. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. 2013. p. 527</ref>
- oṃ arapacana dhīḥ
The Arapacana is a syllabary consisting of forty-two letters, and is named after the first five letters: a, ra, pa, ca, na.<ref name="Buswell, Robert 2013. p. 61">Buswell, Robert. Lopez, Donald. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. 2013. p. 61</ref> This syllabary was most widely used for the Gāndhārī language with the Kharoṣṭhī script but also appears in some Sanskrit texts. The syllabary features in Mahāyāna texts such as the longer Prajñāpāramitā texts, the Gaṇḍavyūha Sūtra, the Lalitavistara Sūtra, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, and the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya.<ref name="Buswell, Robert 2013. p. 61"/> In some of these texts, the Arapacana syllabary serves as a mnemonic for important Mahāyāna concepts.<ref name="Buswell, Robert 2013. p. 61"/> Due to its association with him, Arapacana may even serve as an alternate name for Mañjuśrī.<ref name="Buswell, Robert 2013. p. 527"/>
The Sutra on Perfect Wisdom (Conze 1975) defines the significance of each syllable thus:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- A is a door to the insight that all dharmas are unproduced from the very beginning (ādya-anutpannatvād).
- RA is a door to the insight that all dharmas are without dirt (rajas).
- PA is a door to the insight that all dharmas have been expounded in the ultimate sense (paramārtha).
- CA is a door to the insight that the decrease (cyavana) or rebirth of any dharma cannot be apprehended, because all dharmas do not decrease, nor are they reborn.
- NA is a door to the insight that the names (i.e. nāma) of all dharmas have vanished; the essential nature behind names cannot be gained or lost.
Tibetan pronunciation is slightly different and so the Tibetan characters read: Template:IAST (Template:Bo).<ref>[1] - Visible Mantra's website</ref> In Tibetan tradition, this mantra is believed to enhance wisdom and improve one's skills in debating, memory, writing, and other literary abilities. "Template:IAST" is the seed syllable of the mantra and is chanted with greater emphasis and also repeated a number of times as a decrescendo.
Other mantras
According to the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, "the ultimate heart essence of Mañjuśrī, which accomplishes all endeavors" is the following mantra:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Namaḥ sarvabuddhānām oṁ maṁ
The Sādhanamālā also contains a popular mantra which refers to Mañjuśrī as the "lord of speech" (Vāgīśvara):<ref name=":0">Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh. The Indian Buddhist Iconography Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals (2nd Ed.), pp. 113, 116. K. L. MUKHOPADHYAY, Calcutta, 1958.</ref>
Oṃ Vāgīśvara Mūḥ
This mantra is very popular in Nepal, where Vāgīśvara Mañjuśrī is a popular deity.<ref name=":0" /> Another Mañjuśrī mantra is the mantra for Mañjuvajra, a tantric form of Mañjuśrī associated with the Guhyasamaja tradition, it is:<ref>Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh. The Indian Buddhist Iconography Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals (2nd Ed.), pp. 117. K. L. MUKHOPADHYAY, Calcutta, 1958.</ref>
Oṃ Mañjuvajra Hūṃ
In Buddhist cultures
In China
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Mañjuśrī is known in China as Wenshu (Template:Lang-zh). Mount Wutai in Shanxi, one of the four Sacred Mountains of China, is considered by Chinese Buddhists to be his bodhimaṇḍa. He was said to bestow spectacular visionary experiences to those on selected mountain peaks and caves there. In Mount Wutai's Foguang Temple, the Wenshu Hall to the right of its main hall was recognized to have been built in 1137 during the Jin dynasty. The hall was thoroughly studied, mapped and first photographed by early twentieth-century Chinese architects Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin.<ref>Liang, Ssucheng. A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture. Ed. Wilma Fairbank. Cambridge, Michigan: The MIT Press, 1984.</ref> These made it a popular place of pilgrimage, but patriarchs including Linji Yixuan and Yunmen Wenyan declared the mountain off limits.<ref>*See Robert M. Gimello, "Chang Shang-ying on Wu-t'ai Shan", in Pilgrims and Sacred Sites in China:, ed. Susan Naquin and Chün-fang Yü (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992), pp. 89–149; and Steven Heine, "Visions, Divisions, Revisions: The Encounter Between Iconoclasm and Supernaturalism in Kōan Cases about Mount Wu-t'ai", in The Kōan, pp. 137–167.</ref>
Mount Wutai was also associated with the East Mountain Teaching.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Mañjuśrī has been associated with Mount Wutai since ancient times. Paul Williams writes:<ref>Williams, Paul. Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations. 2000. p. 227</ref>
According to official histories from the Qing dynasty, Nurhaci, a military leader of the Jurchens of Northeast China and founder of what became the Qing dynasty, named his tribe after Mañjuśrī as the Manchus.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The true origin of the name Manchu is disputed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Monk Hanshan (Template:Lang) is widely considered to be a metaphorical manifestation of Wenshu. He is known for having co-written the following famous poem about reincarnation with monk Shide:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Tibetan Buddhism, Mañjuśrī manifests in a number of different Tantric forms. Yamāntaka (meaning 'terminator of Yama i.e. Death') is the wrathful manifestation of Mañjuśrī, popular within the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Other variations upon his traditional form as Mañjuśrī include Namasangiti, Arapacana Manjushri, etc. In Tibetan Buddhism, Mañjuśrī is also an yidam. The Emperor Manjushri as a honorific title was also given to Qing emperors such as the Qianlong Emperor.
In the Taoist pantheon, Mañjuśrī is adopted as a Taoist deity known as Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun. This deity appears in the Ming Dynasty novel Fengshen Yanyi as a senior disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, the highest deity in Taoism. However, the books Qunxian Xianpo Tianmen and Western Tang Dynasty Biography state that Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva are not the same person.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In Korea
In Korea, Mañjuśrī is known as Munsu Bosal (문수보살). A prominent legend recounts how the monk Jajang-yulsa traveled to China and encountered Munsu Bosal on Mount Wutai, a sacred site traditionally associated with Mañjuśrī. According to the story, Munsu Bosal instructed Jajang to find a similar five-peaked mountain in Korea and to establish a temple there. Jajang later identified such a place in the Korean Peninsula, which became Odaesan, now one of the most revered sacred mountains in Korean Buddhism.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Another well-known legend involves King Sejo of Joseon, who, in his later years, suffered from a painful and incurable skin disease that even the royal physicians could not treat. Believing the illness to be karmic retribution for his usurpation of the throne from his nephew, King Danjong, Sejo undertook pilgrimages to major Buddhist temples to seek healing. While visiting Sangwonsa Temple near Odaesan, Sejo is said to have been bathing in a nearby stream when a young boy (dongja) appeared and offered to scrub his back. As the boy washed him, the king’s pain began to subside. Sejo confided that his illness was a closely guarded secret, to which the boy replied, "You must also promise never to tell anyone that you have seen Munsu Bosal." The boy then vanished without a trace. That evening, the king's skin disease was miraculously cured. In gratitude for what he believed to be divine intervention, King Sejo commissioned the creation of the Wooden Seated Child Manjusri, a statue depicting Mañjuśrī in the form of the young boy who had healed him. The statue, now enshrined at Sangwonsa Temple, was later designated as the 221st National Treasure of South Korea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="dia">Template:Cite news</ref>
In Nepal
According to Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake. It is believed that Mañjuśrī came on a pilgrimage from his earthly abode-Wutaishan (five-peaked mountain) in China. He saw a lotus flower in the center of the lake, which emitted brilliant radiance. He cut a gorge at Chovar with his flaming sword to allow the lake to drain. The place where the lotus flower settled became the great Swayambhunath Stupa, and the valley thus became habitable.
In Indonesia
In eighth century Java during the Mataram kingdom, Mañjuśrī was a prominent deity revered by the Sailendra dynasty, patrons of Mahayana Buddhism. The Kelurak inscription (782) and Manjusrigrha inscription (792) mentioned about the construction of a grand Prasada named Vajrāsana Mañjuśrīgṛha (Vajra House of Mañjuśrī) identified today as Sewu temple, located just 800 meters north of the Prambanan. Sewu is the second largest Buddhist temple in Central Java after Borobudur. The depiction of Mañjuśrī in Sailendra art is similar to those of the Pala Empire style of Nalanda, Bihar. Mañjuśrī was portrayed as a youthful handsome man with the palm of his hands tattooed with the image of a flower. His right hand is facing down with an open palm while his left-hand holds an utpala (blue lotus). He also uses the necklace made of tiger canine teeth.
Other culture
- Manzaširi - A primeval giant in Kalmyk mythology, whose body formed the world. The name is likely a corruption of Manjushri.<ref>Lurker, Manfred. The Routledge Dictionary Of Gods Goddesses Devils And Demons. Routledge. 2004. p. 109. Template:ISBN</ref>
In Hinduism especially in Tantras like Kkuteshvara Tantra and Bhairava Tantra Lord Manjughosha is seen as a manifestation of god Shiva. He has 5 jewels on his head . He is considered as youth in appearance. He holds a sword in one hand and a book on other.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is worshipped for gaining knowledge , wealth and his mantra practice may help in conquering devas and daitya ganas.
Gallery
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Mañjuśrī figure from Candi Jago, 14th century Java, Indonesia
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Mañjuśrī figure brandishing sword of wisdom in Nepal
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Silver figure of Mañjuśrī holding a long-stemmed lotus. Central Java, Indonesia.
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Blanc de Chine figure of Mañjuśrī holding a ruyi scepter. China, 17th century.
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Bodhisattva Manjushri seated in lalitasana, from China, Jin Dynasty, 12th century CE. British Museum.
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Drawing of Mañjuśrī, Bodhisattva of Wisdom
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Tang dynasty (618-907) statues of Manjushri (Wenshu) surrounded by attendant bodhisattvas at the Wenshu Hall of Foguang Temple in Wutai, Shanxi, China
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Statue of Mañjuśrī at Bangka Lungshan Temple, Taipei
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Manjushri, seated on a blue lion at Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, Singapore
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Mural of the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Bowl Mañjuśrī in Cave 144 of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, China. Photographed by Paul Pelliot in 1908.
See also
References
Citations
Sources
Further reading
Harrison, Paul M. (2000). Mañjuśrī and the Cult of the Celestial Bodhisattvas, Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal 13, 157-193
External links
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