Lokapalas
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Lokapalas
(, ), Sanskrit, Pāli, and Tibetan for "guardian of the world", has different uses depending on whether it is found in a Hindu or Buddhist context. In Hinduism, ''lokapāla'' refers to the Guardians of the Directions associated with the eight, nine and ten cardinal directions. In Buddhism, ''lokapāla'' refers to the Four Heavenly Kings, and to other protector spirits, whereas the Guardians of the Directions are referred to as ''dikpāla''. In Hinduism In Hinduism, the guardians of the cardinal directions are called ''dikapāla''. The four principal guardians are: # Kubera (North) # Yama (South) # Indra (East) # (West) In Buddhism In Buddhism, ''lokapāla'' are one of two broad categories of '' dharmapāla'' (protectors of the Buddhist religion) -the other category being Wisdom Protectors. In China, "each is additionally associated with a specific direction and the Four Heraldic Animals of Chinese astronomy/astrology, as well as playing a more secular role in rural com ...
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Lokapala 01A
(, ), Sanskrit, Pāli, and Lhasa_Tibetan, Tibetan for "guardian of the world", has different uses depending on whether it is found in a Hinduism, Hindu or Buddhism, Buddhist context. In Hinduism, ''lokapāla'' refers to the Guardians of the directions#Lokapālas, Guardians of the Directions associated with the eight, nine and ten cardinal directions. In Buddhism, ''lokapāla'' refers to the Four Heavenly Kings, and to other protector spirits, whereas the Guardians of the directions#Lokapālas, Guardians of the Directions are referred to as ''dikpāla''. In Hinduism In Hinduism, the guardians of the cardinal directions are called ''dikapāla''. The four principal guardians are: # Kubera (North) # Yama (Hinduism), Yama (South) # Indra (East) # Varuna, (West) In Buddhism In Buddhism, ''lokapāla'' are one of two broad categories of ''dharmapāla'' (protectors of the Buddhist religion) -the other category being Wisdom Protectors. In China, "each is additionally associated wi ...
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Kubera
Kubera (, ) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as Guardians of the directions, the regent of the north (''Dikpala''), and a protector of the world (''Lokapala''). His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species, and the owner of the treasures of the world. Kubera is often depicted with a plump body, adorned with jewels, and carrying a money-pot and a club. Originally described as the chief of evil spirits in Veda, Vedic-era texts, Kubera acquired the status of a ''Deva (Hinduism), deva'' (god) only in the Puranas, ''Purana''s and the Hindu epics. The scriptures describe that Kubera once ruled Lanka, but was overthrown by his half-brother Ravana, later settling in the city of Alaka in the Himalayas. Descriptions of the "glory" and "splendour" of Kubera's city are found in many scriptures. Kubera has also been assimilated into the Buddhist and Jain pa ...
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Varuna
Varuna (; , ) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky and embodying divine authority. He is also mentioned as the king of asuras, who gained the status of a deva, serving as the chief of the Adityas, a group of celestial deities. He maintains truth and ''ṛta'', the cosmic and moral order, and was invoked as an omniscient ethical judge, with the stars symbolizing his watchful eyes or spies. Frequently paired with Mitra, Varuna represents the magical and speculative aspects of sovereignty, overseeing the relationship between gods and humans. The transition from the Vedic to later periods saw Varuna's domain begin to shift from the firmament to waters. He became associated with celestial waters, marking the initial phase of his transformation. By the time of the '' Itihasa-Purana'', Varuna ha ...
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Guardians Of The Directions
The Guardians of the Directions (, ) are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to Hinduism, Jainism and ''Vajrayana, '' Buddhism—especially Kalachakra, . As a group of eight deities, they are called (अष्ट-दिक्पाल), literally meaning guardians of eight directions. They are often augmented with two extra deities for the ten directions (the two extra directions being zenith and nadir), when they are known as the . In Hinduism it is traditional to represent their images on the walls and ceilings of Hindu temples. They are also often portrayed in Jain temples, with the exception that Nāga usually takes the place of Vishnu in the nadir. Ancient Java and Bali Hinduism recognize , literally meaning guardians of nine directions, that consist of eight directions with one addition in the center. The nine guardian gods of directions is called ''Dewata Nawa Sanga'' (Nine guardian devata). The diagram of these guardian gods of directions is feat ...
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Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ('Born from a Lotus'), also known as Guru Rinpoche ('Precious Guru'), was a legendary tantric Buddhist Vajracharya, Vajra master from Oddiyana. who fully revealed the Vajrayana in Tibet, circa 8th – 9th centuries... He is considered an emanation or Nirmāṇakāya of Gautama Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha as foretold by the Buddha himself. According to early Tibetan sources including the ''Testament of Ba'', he came to Tibet in the 8th century and designed Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet during the reign of King Trisong Detsen. He, the king, and Khenpo Shantarakshita are also responsible for creating the Tibetan canon, Tibetan Canon through translating all of the Buddha's teachings and their commentaries into the Tibetan language. According to Lewis Doney, while his historical authenticity was questioned by earlier Tibetology, Tibetologists, it is now "cautiously accepted.” Padmasambhava himself was recorded as saying he was an historical per ...
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Refuge (Buddhism)
In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Its object is typically the Three Jewels (also known as the Triple Gem or Three Refuges, Pali: ''ti-ratana'' or ''ratana-ttaya''; Sanskrit: ''tri-ratna'' or ''ratna-traya''), which are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Taking refuge is a form of aspiration to lead a life with the Triple Gem at its core. In early Buddhist scriptures, taking refuge is an expression of determination to follow the Buddha's path, but not a relinquishing of responsibility. Refuge is common to all major schools of Buddhism. Since the period of Early Buddhism, all Theravada and mainstream Mahayana schools only take refuge in the Triple Gem. However, the Vajrayana school includes an expanded refuge formula known as the Three Jewels and Three Roots. Overview Since the period of Early Buddhism, devotees expressed the ...
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Tripitaka
There are several Buddhist canons, which refers to the various scriptural collections of Buddhist sacred scriptures or the various Buddhist scriptural canons. Tipitaka
Encyclopædia Britannica (2015)
Some of these collections are also called ''Tipiṭaka'' () or ''Tripiṭaka'' () , meaning "Triple Basket", a traditional term for the three main divisions of some ancient canons. In ancient India, there were several Buddhist scriptural canons that were organized into three main textual divisions: Vinaya (monastic rule), (which contains teachings of the Buddha) and
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Hsuan Hua
Hsuan Hua (; April 26, 1918 – June 7, 1995), also known as An Tzu, Tu Lun and Master Hua by his Western disciples, was a Chinese monk of Chan Buddhism and a contributing figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States in the late 20th century. Hsuan Hua founded several institutions in the US. The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA) is a Buddhist organization with chapters in North America, Australia and Asia. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in Ukiah, California, is one of the first Chan Buddhist monasteries in America. Hsuan Hua founded Dharma Realm Buddhist University at CTTB. The Buddhist Text Translation Society works on the phonetics and translation of Buddhist scriptures from Chinese into English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and many other languages. Early life Hsuan Hua, born on the sixteenth day of the third lunar month in the year of Wuwu (Horse), April 26, 1918. Named Bai Yushu or Bai Yuxi in Shuangcheng County of Jilin (now Wuchang, Harbin, ...
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Virūḍhaka (Heavenly King)
Virūḍhaka is a major deity in Buddhism. He is one of the Four Heavenly Kings and a dharmapala. Names The name ''Virūḍhaka'' comes from the identical Sanskrit term, which refers to sprouting grain. As such, his name means "increase" or "growth.". Other names include: *Traditional Chinese: 增長天; simplified Chinese: 増長天; pinyin: ''Zēngzhǎng Tiānwáng''; Japanese: ''Zōjōten'' or ''Zōchōten''; Korean: 증장천왕 ''Jeungjang Cheonwang''; Tagalog: Birudhaka; Vietnamese: Tăng Trưởng Thiên, a calque of Sanskrit Virūḍhaka *Traditional Chinese: 毘楼勒叉; pinyin: ''Bí lóu lè chā''; Japanese: ''Birurokusha''; Korean: 비루늑차''Biluneugcha''; Vietnamese: ''Tì Lâu Lặc Xoa.'' This is a transliteration of the original Sanskrit name. *Tibetan: འཕགས་སྐྱེས་པོ, Wylie: 'phags skyes po, THL: Pak Kyepo, "Noble Birth" *Thai: ท้าววิรุฬหก Thao Virunhok is an honorific plus the modern pronunciation of Pal ...
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