Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) PDF
Preview Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated)
Popular Deities in Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. In early 1979 the author encountered an unusual spiritual experi- ence which changed his life and put him onto the Buddhist path. For weeks he had fervently prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Sai Baba for a miraculous cure as his younger brother was stricken with cancer and slowly withering away. Heaven responded to his cries and Kuan Yin P’usa came into his life most unexpectedly. Kuan Yin not only promised that his brother would live but would also be blessed with a son the following year… and it was so! e author was also asked to establish a place of worship so that many others could also enjoy Her bless- ings in the future. us, the Kuan Yin Contemplative Order was founded in the same year and Kuan Yin has indeed given Her blessings to a great number of people who went there to worship Her. Over the years the Kuan Yin Contemplative Order (KYCO) had been blessed with the visits of numerous world-renowned Buddhist Dharma Masters who gave teachings there. It was then that the author realised that many who called themselves Buddhists had only a very vague idea of what Buddhism is. is led him to produce this book with the sincere objective of inducing such people to spend more time in Dharma study. With a comprehensive description of each of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the popular Chinese Pantheon, the inclusion of the many colourful illustrations and the basic teachings of the Buddha which all Buddhists should know, it is hoped that this unique book will make Dharma-reading pleasurable. For the sake of avoiding undue publicity he has chosen to use his Buddhist name as the author of this book. opular eities of hinese uddhism by uan ing uan in ontemplative rder alaysia o my father and mother — the kindest persons that have ever known. v reface is elementary book on Chinese Buddhism and its more popu- larly worshipped Deities, has been written for the benefit of Buddhists amongst the Chinese community. I refer to them as Buddhists in italics because they do not have a clear idea of their faith. eir spiritual practices have been reduced to mere super- stitious beliefs and blind faith due to lack of doctrinal knowledge and opportunities to meet with Dharma teachers. It is amazing to find Buddhists who do not know what their religion stands for. Some do not even know who the Buddha is or whether He is the same Buddha who was born in India, or what is meant by “Refuge-taking”. Just by offering incense to the Heavenly Gods and to the Ancestral Tablets does not qualify them to be Buddhists as it is not a Buddhist practice at all. In or- der for them to find comfort and meaning in their religious pur- suits they must, first of all, have a clear idea of what Buddhism is and what constitutes its practice. It is also important that they are able to distinguish the differences between Buddhas, Bodhi- sattvas and Gods, otherwise the term ‘deity’ would have to be used to describe them. is explains why the title of this book has been changed from “e Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Chinese Buddhism” to the “Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism”. e picture of the popular Chinese Pantheon of Deities gave me the inspiration to write a book which offers the opportunity to v give an explanation on the meanings and differences between the various classes of divine beings that exist in Buddhism. I have the chosen the same picture for the cover design with the hope that its familarity with the average Buddhist will induce them to read it so as to gain a basic knowledge of their religion. Apart from giving a general outline of Buddhism and its entry into China, I have also attempted to provide brief accounts on the important doctrines that the Buddha has taught, prayers that one may recite to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, how to become a Buddhist, and a number of interesting articles that are related to Chinese Buddhism. is is indeed a book of love — love for the Greatly Compas- sionate Kuan Shih Yin who came so suddenly into my life in 1979 and bringing so much meaning to it. It is also written for the benefit and sustenance of our insignificant Kuan Yin Con- templative Order which has been blessed with the visits of so many wonderful Dharma teachers and friends. Finally, my very grateful thanks to my brother Nelson Wong, who is my spiritual benefactor, and my wife for her great patience with me during my nightly struggles to bring forth this book. K M vi vii ontents Preface .......................................................................................................................................................... iv An Introduction to Buddhism ......................................................................................... 11 art — eities of hinese uddhism C I A Typical Chinese Monastery ......................................................................................... 21 C II Chinese Buddhist Images ................................................................................................... 24 C III e Chinese Buddhist Pantheon .................................................................................. 27 Description of e Chinese Pantheon .................................................................. 27 C IV Chinese Buddhists Festive Days .................................................................................. 31 C V e Buddha ........................................................................................................................................... 33 Who is e Buddha? ................................................................................................................. 33 e Great Enlightenment ..................................................................................................... 36 e Great Decease ....................................................................................................................... 40 Prayers to the Buddha Sakyamuni ............................................................................. 43 C VI Amitabha Buddha — “Namo O-Mi-To Fwo” ............................................ 46 Who is Amitabha? ....................................................................................................................... 46 Method of Prayer-Recitation ........................................................................................... 48 Pure Land Buddhism ................................................................................................................ 50 Description of the Pure Land .......................................................................................... 52 Amitabha Buddha’s Festive Day ................................................................................... 58 Ta-Shih-Chi P’usa ....................................................................................................................... 60 vi vii C VII Yao Shih Fwo — Bhaisajyaguru Buddha .......................................................... 63 C VIII Kuan Shih Yin P’usa — Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva ......................... 71 e Miao Shan Legend .......................................................................................................... 88 Miao Shan Kuan Forms ........................................................................................................ 91 Kuan Yin Festivals ....................................................................................................................... 92 e Heart Sutra ............................................................................................................................... 95 e Dharani of Great Compassion .......................................................................... 97 e Mantra of Avalokitesvara ..................................................................................... 100 A Prayer to Kuan Shih Yin P’usa ............................................................................ 102 C IX Wen-Shu-Shih-Li P’usa — Manjusri Bodhisattva ............................. 106 Manjusri in China ..................................................................................................................... 110 C X Pu Hsien P’usa — Samantabhadra Bodhisattva .................................... 115 C XI Ti Tsang P’usa — Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva ............................................... 122 Description of Ti Tsang P’usa .................................................................................... 124 C XII Mi-Lo-Fwo — Maitreya Buddha .......................................................................... 132 C XIII Kuan Ti — e Protector of Buddhism ......................................................... 139 C XIV Wei-To P’usa .................................................................................................................................... 149 C XV Ta-Mo Bodhidharma Partiarch of Zen Buddhism ........................................................................................... 152 viii ix C XVI Vajrayana — Tibetan Buddhism .............................................................................. 158 Guru Padmasambhava ......................................................................................................... 159 art — uddhist eachings C XVII What e Buddha Taught ............................................................................................... 165 e Four Noble Truths ........................................................................................................ 165 e Noble Eightfold Path ................................................................................................. 169 e Law of the Twelve Causes ................................................................................... 171 e Six Realms of Existence ......................................................................................... 175 Karma — e Law of Cause and Effect ......................................................... 178 e Six Paramitas ...................................................................................................................... 182 e Discourse on Loving Kindness ...................................................................... 183 C XVIII Becoming a Buddhist ............................................................................................................ 185 e Buddha ....................................................................................................................................... 187 e Dharma ...................................................................................................................................... 189 e Sangha ........................................................................................................................................ 189 e Ways of Practice .............................................................................................................. 190 C XIX Famous Chinese Sutras ....................................................................................................... 194 e Sutra of Forty-Two Sections .............................................................................. 194 e Karma Sutra ........................................................................................................................ 209 e Diamond Sutra ( e Vajracchedika-Prajna-Paramita Sutra) ................................................ 215 C XX e Dhammapada ..................................................................................................................... 235 C XXI e Twelve Principles of Buddhism ..................................................................... 250 viii ix llustrations K L S T ......................................................................................................................... 20 B ...................................................................................................................................... 23 18 L ................................................................................................................................................. 30 T B ........................................................................................................................................... 35 T B ........................................................................................................................................... 38 A B ......................................................................................................................... 49 K S Y P’ .................................................................................................................... 55 T S C P’ ........................................................................................................................... 56 P L ............................................................................................................................................... 59 Y S F — B B ............................................................ 65 B — T D ...................................................................... 69 K S Y P’ — A B ......................... 73 C-S-C-Y — K S Y P’ ......................................... 78 C — F-A A ...................................................... 82 M S K Y .................................................................................................................. 93 K S Y P’ .................................................................................................................. 105 W-S-S-L P’ — M .......................................................................... 107 W-S-P’ ................................................................................................................................ 113 S B ...................................................................................... 117 P H P’ ................................................................................................................................. 119 P H P’ ................................................................................................................................. 121 T T P’ — K B ................................................ 125 T T P’ .................................................................................................................................. 129 M-L-F — M B ............................................................................. 135 M B ....................................................................................................................... 137 K T .................................................................................................................................................... 142 W T ....................................................................................................................................................... 150 A I W-T .................................................................................................................. 151 T — B .......................................................................................................... 155 G P ............................................................................................................ 162 T W L — 12 D O .... 174 T W L ..................................................................................................................... 179 P — K S Y P’ ................................................. 254 x
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