Hārītī

Hārītī ( Sanskrit), also known as , ja, text=鬼子母神, translit=Kishimojin, is both a revered goddess and demon, depending on the Buddhist tradition. She is one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities of Mahayana Buddhism.

In her positive aspects, she is regarded for the protection of children, easy delivery and happy child rearing, while her negative aspects include the belief of her terror towards irresponsible parents and unruly children.

In both Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, she is venerated as a protector deity, but in many folk traditions is often recognized as a female demon of misery and unhappiness towards children and parents.

Iconography

The iconography of Hārītī shows similarities to the Greek goddess Tyche and may have been transmitted to east Asia through the influence of Greco-Buddhism. In Greek art, Tyche was depicted in the presence of children, carrying a cornucopia (horn of plenty), an emblematic gubernaculum (ship's rudder), and the wheel of fortune; she may stand on the wheel, presiding over the entire circle of fate.

In Chinese Buddhism, Hārītī is also known as Hēlìdì (訶利帝) or Hēlìdìmǔ (訶梨帝母). In Chinese tradition, she is one of the Twenty-Four Protective Devas (二十四諸天 Èrshísì zhūtiān), a group of Dharmapalas who are venerated as protectors of Buddhists and the Dharma. Statues of this group (and Hārītī) are often enshrined within the Mahavira Hall in Chinese temples and monasteries.
Hārītī is a figure of the 26th chapter of the '' Lotus Sutra'', and is especially important to Nichiren Buddhism. In Shingon Buddhism, she is named or . Her iconography is based mostly on the ..

In Japanese tradition, Kishimojin is an aspect of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, and she bears the epithets and .

In the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, she is known as Hārītī Mā "Mother Hārītī", and her main temple is part of Kathmandu's Swayambhunath stupa complex. She is perceived as the consort of Pañcika and as protector of children, and is a patron of the Newar people of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur District. The Newars call her ''Ajima'', meaning "grandmother" in the Newar language.

Narrative

According to a Thervadin oral story in southeast Asia, Hariti was a yakka woman who lived in Rajgir. She was steadfast in ethics, mindfulness, and wisdom. Her husband was the counselor of the kubera of Gandhara or sometimes king of yakkas. She had no children. In search of experience of motherhood, she started kidnapping new born babies from Rajgir where the Buddha Shakyamuni was staying. Thus, victim mothers from Rajgir pleaded to the Buddha. Buddha went to the cave of Hariti during his alms round and hid one of her kidnapped new born babies in his begging bowl. Hariti was devastated when she found out. After futilely searching for that infant, she finally appealed to the Buddha. The Buddha revealed how she was suffering from the loss of one child whereas hundreds of other mothers and families were still suffering from the loss of their beloved children. Hariti acknowledged that their suffering was greater than her. She returned all the kidnapped babies to their mothers and again became steadfast in the Dhamma. The Buddha taught her Dhamma rituals associated with the upbringing of a child. Hariti started experiencing universal friendship and compassion to all beings. Hariti declared that she is no longer a woman with no children, she is now the mother of all beings. Hariti promised the Buddha that she would protect and love children of all realms of existence. She practiced and taught the four Brahma viharas to all worldly beings. The Buddha called her the Jagatmata or mother of all realms, the mother of all humans who eliminate or destroy (hari)(-ti) obstacles from their life.

According to another Mahayanist Sthavirvadin myth, Hārītī was originally a rākṣasī of Rajgir at the same time that Gautama Buddha also lived there. She had hundreds of children of her own, whom she loved and doted upon, but to feed them, she abducted and killed the children of others. The bereaved mothers of her victims pleaded to the Buddha to save them. So, the Buddha stole the youngest of her sons, Piṅgala (in a variant version, the youngest daughter), and hid him under his rice bowl. After having desperately searched for her missing son throughout the universe, Hārītī finally appealed to the Buddha for help.

The Buddha pointed out that she was suffering because she lost one of hundreds of children, and asked if she could imagine the suffering of parents whose only child had been devoured. She replied contritely that their suffering must be many times greater than hers. She then vowed to protect all children, and in lieu of children's flesh, she would henceforth only eat pomegranates. Henceforth Hārītī became the protector of children and women in childbirth. In exchange, the Buddha gave her bodhi, which enabled her to withstand black magic and evil powers, and gave her the facility to cure the sick..

In the Japanese version of the tale, Kishimojin enlisted the aid of the to abduct and murder the children of other families. In some variants of the myth, the Ten Rākṣasī Women are themselves daughters (or daughters' daughters) of Kishimojin.. When Kishimojin accepted the Buddha's teachings, the Ten Demon Daughters did likewise.

References

Bibliography

* Langenberg, Amy Paris (2013)
Pregnant Words: South Asian Buddhist Tales of Fertility and Child protection
History of Religions 52 (4), 340-369
* Lesbre, E. (2000)
La conversion de Hārītī au Buddha: origine du thème iconographique et interprétations picturales chinoises
Arts asiatiques 55 (1), 98-119

External links

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Buddhist goddesses
Yakshas
Fertility goddesses
Childhood goddesses
Chinese goddesses
Japanese goddesses
Buddhism and children
Twenty-Four Protective Deities
Rakshasa