Bodhisattvas are partly enlightened and they can also help others to be enlightened. Arhats refer to the ones who have ceased their own desires, but they are not able to teach others the truth of human’s life and rescue them from their sufferings. Following are the common images of Bodhisattvas and Arhats.
Maitreya Bodhisattva
According to the Buddhist Sutra, Maitreya Bodhisattva will succeed Sakyamuni as the Master Buddha in the future. He is also known as the Future Buddha. Maitreya is giving teachings to the heavenly being in Tusita. Buddhists hold that there are six pure lands in heaven. Tusita is one of the six pure lands where a day equals 400 years in length on earth. Before Sakyamuni descended to the world, he also resided in the Tusita. Maitreya Bodhisattva will be born in the world 400 Tusita years later(5.67 million years on earth). He will achieve the complete enlightenment under the Naga-Paspa Tree and redeem all beings with his new Darma lectures.
A Chinese monk whose name was Shi-Ts was commonly believed to be an incarnation of Maitreya. Shi-Ts lived in the Five Dynasties Period. He was from Yuelin Monastery, Zhejiang Province. The monk had a big belly, a kind and smiling face. He always carried a cloth bag when he went out for begging alms. He often behaved in a strange way as if he had a serious mental illness. He slept wherever he was and made some speeches that no one could understand. It is said that he once fell asleep on a snowfield. He waked up on the next day morning, but there was no snow on his clothes. One of this followers was an official in Ningbo Prefecture whose name was Jiang Zongba. He once spent days traveling with the monk. He saw that the monk had four eyes on his back. The monk put all the things given by people into his cloth bag, but no one saw that he took anything out of the bag and the bag was always empty. Before the monk passed away, he left his last word. It goes that he was Maitreya who many reincarnations, and he had shown his existence to people many times, but nobody recognized. The belief of Maitreya is quite popular among Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. His image is often placed in the Heavenly Kings Hall for worship. The world famous Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest stone sculpture of Maitreya Buddha in the world.
The Top Four Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism
The top four Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism are Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha. They each have their own holy lands for preaching the words of Buddha. Their holy lands are well-known in the world as China’s Top Four Mountains of Buddhist Culture, namely Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province, Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province, Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang Province and Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui Province.
Manjusri Bodhisattva
The Sanskrit word Manju means charming, beautiful and pleasing, Sri means glory and brilliance. The image of Manjusri represents the supreme wisdom of Buddhas. He used to be the instructor of the Seven Master Buddhas in the Saha World. Manjusri is the one who can best explain Buddhist teachings, and extinguish afflictions of all sentient beings. He revealed himself in Wutai Mountain for preaching the word of Buddha. His residence in the Saha World is the Bodhisattva Summit Monastery(or the Grand Manjusri Monastery) of Wutai Mountain. Manjusri Bodhisattva often wears five topknots, is always riding a lion, holding a double-edged sword in his right hand and a lotus flower in his left hand. The five topknots symbolize the five forms of wisdom that Tathagata(or Vairocana) Buddha has attained. The lion is the king of all animals. It represents the power of wisdom. The sword indicates that the sharpness of wisdom helps all the living creatures to cut through illusions. The lotus flower means that the wisdom is as pure as the lotus. Manjusri is one of Vairocana Buddha’s assistants when the Buddha preaches a sermon. His full name is Manjusri Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom. He stands on the right side of Vairocana Buddha. Another assistant of the Buddha is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They are called the Three Saints of Avatamasaka(or Hua-yen).
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
The Sanskrit word Samanta means “universally extending” and Bhadra means “great virtue” in English. Samantabhadra is also one of Vairocana Buddha’s retinues. He stands on the left side of the Buddha when they are teaching Buddhist Sutra. His image represents the boundless virtue of Buddha. Samantabhadra usually rides a white elephant which has six tusks. The tusks symbolize the elimination of six senses and the six forms of perfection. The six senses are hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch and emotion. The six forms of perfection are also known as the six ways through which a Bodhisattva can achieve the complete enlightenment, which include charity, morality, patience, diligence, contemplation and wisdom. According to the historical records, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva emerged in Emei Mountain of Sichuan Province during the reign of Emperor Han-Ming(58-75). In the year of 399, a monk whose name was Hui-Chi went to Emei Mountain and built a monastery devoted to Samantabhadra. Since then, Emei Mountain has become the holy land of Samantabhadra.
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara is probably the most popular deity among Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, beloved by all the followers. His name is derived from three Sanskrit words, Ava, Lokita and Isvara. The first one means “downwards”, the second one means “observe”, “hear” and “watch”, and the third one means “lord”, “master” and “ruler” in English. Avalokitesvara is the master who gazes down at all the sentient being in the world. He is compassion personified. One of the vows he made was that he would always listen to the supplications from those who were in danger or in adversity, and immediately go to help them. He also vowed that he would postpone attaining his own Buddhahood until he would have helped all living thing to achieve the enlightenment.
Avalokitesvara is one of the Three Saints of the Western Pure Land. His image is often depicted in thirty-three forms, such as the one holding a fish-basket, the water-moon Avalokitesvara, and the one grasping a lotus flower. The common images in the Mahayana monasteries are the Thousand-Hand and Thousand-Eye Avalokitesvara and the Children-Sending Avalokitesvara. In ancient times, Chinese people often prayed to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva for having a son. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is a male deity. However, his image has been changed to have feminine features by Chinese Buddhists since the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period(420-589). He usually rides a dog-like animal which is called Kong. It has a great strength, roars like a tiger, and often fights against dragons. According to the tradition of Lamaism, Dalai Lama is considered as the reincarnation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
The birthday of Avalokitesvara is the 19th day of the second month according to the lunar calender. He got enlightened on the 19th day of the 6th month, and passed way on the 19th day of the 9th month. His residence in the Saha World is Putuo Mountain, Zhejiang Province.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
The Sanskrit word “Ksitigarbha” means the womb of earth or the store on earth in English. The image of Ksitigarbha represents the common personalities that Bodhisattvas have, namely the patience, the persistence, the stillness, the magnanimity and the generosity. The Bodhisattvas have a generous mind and profound insights which are as broad and deep as the earth. Ksitigarbha is the only Bodhisattva whose image has been depicted as a monk in the Mahayana Monasteries. He is hold a long staff in his right hand which has six rings at the top.
According to the historical records, the monk was called Jin Qiaojue in Chinese or Kin Kiaokak in Korean. He was a prince from the Silla Kingdom(57-935, Korea). Jin Qiaojue came to China in the Tang Dynasty(618-907). He became a monk and practiced his Buddhism in Jiuhua Mountain, Anhui Province. The monk passed away when he reached the age of 99. Three years later, people found that his body had not decayed. The monk is regarded as one of Ksitigarbha’s reincarnations. His name was Master Dizang in Chinese. Since then, Jiuhua Mountain has become the holy land of Ksitigarbha.
Another reincarnation of Ksitigarbha was the so-called Sacred Girl. According to the Sutra of Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the girl was from a Brahmin family. Her mother’s soul was suffering in the hell, because she often slandered the Triple Jewels(the Buddha, the Darma and the Monastic order) when she was alive. The Sacred Girl prayed a lot to the Buddha for her mother. The Buddha was moved by her strong attachment to her mother and allowed her to pay a visit to the hell. When the girl arrived at the hell, she was told that her mother’s soul had been released and ascended to heaven, owing to her filial duty and piety. She would have attained her Buddhahood. However, the girl still felt sad, because she saw that there were still many sentient being suffering in the hell. She vowed that she herself would never be a Buddha until all the sentient beings in the hell were rescued and the hell became empty. Therefore, Ksitigarbha is also known as the Savior of all the Sufferers in the Hell and his image has become the symbol of filial duty.
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva
The Sanskrit word “Mahasthamaprapta” means great power the one who has obtained great power. His image is depicted sometimes as a male, and sometimes as a female. According to the Amitayur-dhyana Sutra, Mahasthamaprapta uses the light of wisdom to illuminate the ways to the West Pure Land for all the living things in the hell, the hungry ghost’s realm and the animal’s realm. He is one of Amitabha Buddha’s retinues, who often stands on the right side of the Buddha, holding a lotus flower in one of his hands, wearing a crown on which there is a small pagoda.
Veda(or Skanda) Bodhisattva
Veda is one of the eight generals under the leadership of the South Heavenly King. According to the Buddhist Sutra, after Gautama Siddhartha achieved his Nirvana, his Sarira was stolen by demons. Veda caught the demons and returned the Buddha’s Sarira. Therefore, He became the chief guardian of Buddhas and the custodian of Darma(or the Law). Veda is also regarded as the protector of monks and nuns in monasteries. He has his origins in the ancient Brahman. In the Mahayana monasteries, he is often dressed in a suit of armour, holding a cudgel in one of his hands, looking like a Chinese warrior in ancient times. His image is usually placed behind Maitreya Bodhisattva or the Seven Buddhas, facing the Mahavira Hall(the Great Buddha Hall). It has different meaning how Veda holds his cudgel. In a monastery, when his image is depicted in the way that he holds the cudgel with the tip upwards, leaning on his shoulder, it means that the monastery is quite big in size and is able to offer the monks free accommodations for three days who are on their trips for pilgrimage. In some medium-sized monasteries which can only provide the monks on trip a one-day free accommodations, the cudgel is horizontally put at Veda’s belly. In some small monasteries without free accommodations provided, Veda grasps his cudgel with the tip downwards.
The Four Heavenly Kings
The Four Heavenly Kings are the guardians in the four parts of heaven, the South of King Virudhaka, the East of King Dhrtarastra, the West of King Vaisravana and the North of King Virupakkha. Their images are usually placed in the Heavenly Kings’ Hall together with Maitreya Bodhisattva. According to the Mahayana tradition, their weapons collectively represent a good climate and harvest. A Chinese proverb, Feng-Tiao-Yu-Shun, has the meaning. Feng means wind in English. Therefore, the South Heavenly King’s weapon is a sword. The word for the sharp edge of blade in Chinese is pronounce in the same way with the word for wind. Yu means rain in English, hence the West Heavenly King takes a umbrella. The meaning of both Tiao and Shun is to come timely. Therefore, the East Heavenly King holds a traditional Chinese musical instrument which is called Pipa and the North Heavenly King often grasps a serpent or a rope.
The Top Four Disciples of Gautama Siddhartha
Siddhartha had many disciples when he was alive. Among them, the most outstanding ones were Maha-kasyapa, Ananda, Maudgalya-yana, and Sariputra. They are known as the Top Four Disciples of Gautama Siddhartha.
In the Mahavira Hall, the image of Sakyamuni Buddha is usually placed together with two retinues, Maha-kasyapa and Ananda. The Master Buddha stands in the middle with Maha-kasyapa on his left side and Ananda on his right. There is a clear difference of age between the tow retinues. Maha-kasyapa was older than Ananda. The older one convened the first meeting for monks in Cakravala(, after Siddhartha passed away. He was well-known as the No.1 Dhuta(ascetic). Ananda was the younger cousin of Siddhartha. He accompanied Siddhartha for 25 years. He had a good memory and recited the Sutra in the first meeting. After Siddhartha achieved Nirvana, Maha-kasyapa and Ananda became the leader of monks.
Sometimes, monks also put the image of Sakyamuni together with other two disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalya-yana. The middle one is Sakyamuni. The one on the left side of Sakyamuni is Sariputra who was known as the No.1 Buddhist Scholar. He was a quick-witted, wise and erudite person. He strictly adhered to the precepts. The right one is Maudgalya-yana who had supernatural power and the capability to fly to the Tusita Heaven. A legend goes that he tried his best to rescue his mother who was suffering in the Hungry Ghost Realm. Both Sariputra and Maudgalya-yana passed away before Sakyamuni achieved his Nirvana. Maudgalya-yana was killed by Brahmans who treated Buddhism as a heretical belief.
The Eighteen Arhats
Arhats are people who have ceased their own craving and sorrows. They are able to avoid their souls falling in the endless cycle of reincarnation. But they are still on the way to attain their Buddhahood. All the disciples of Gautama Siddhartha were supposed to have become Arhats. Therefore, the statues of Five-hundred Arhats are placed together in some monasteries. But the images of Top Eighteen Arhats are more common in the Mahayana monasteries. There were originally 16 Arhats whose images were put in the Mahavira Hall for worship. In the 10th century, the images of Pindola-Bharadvaja and Nandimitra were added to the list of Arhats by a monk who was also a famous poet and painter, Guan-Xiu(832-912). The new directory of Eighteen Arhats was accepted by some famous poets and monks and gradually became popular among Chinese people. In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi removed renamed the two of the eighteen Arhats as the Dragon Tamer and the Tiger Hunter. An Arhat is also called Luohan by Chinese people.
The Two Vajras
The images of the two Vajras are usually placed at the entrance of monasteries. They are called General Heng and General Ha by Chinese people. They serve as the guardians of the monasteries, holding cudgels in their hands.
Author: Tina Luo
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