Midterm Flashcards
Pṛṭhivi:
1. Main myth
Maravijaya/Victory Over Mara
- Helped in some capacity (disputed) to defeat Mara and bring the buddha to the diamond throne
One of the many goddesses in The Flower Ornament Scriptures
Pṛṭhivi:
2. Role/function
Goddess of the Earth
Witness to Buddha’s enlightenment
Dispelled Mara’s army with quakes (Aparajita ?)
Provided the throne where Shakyamuni attained enlightenment, located at the symbolic center of the world, “navel of the earth”
Predicted Sudhana’s enlightenment
Linked with divine law and truth.
Pṛṭhivi:
3. Iconography
Typically the head and upper torso are emerging from the earth, underneath the base of the Bodhi throne
Aparājitā
1. Main myth
A part of later depictions of the Maravjiya/Victory Over Mara
Second goddess who appears to help Shakyamuni (one bared witness to Shakyamuni’s enlightenment, the other warded off Mara’s army)
Both understood as the earth goddess
Aparājitā
2. Role/function
Goddess of the Earth (?)
Dispelled Mara’s army
“Unconquerable Lady”/ “She who cannot be conquered”
Aparājitā
3. Iconography
In a lunging pose
Stands atop a elephant-headed creature
Right hand is upraised in a “slapping motion,” left hand over her breast
Avalokiteśvara/Guanyin
1. Main myth
Princess Miaoshan: The Story of the Princess “Wonderful Goodness”
Avalokiteśvara/Guanyin
2. Role/function
Princess Miao-shan is Guanyin
Has 33 forms (7 female) she takes in order to best fit saving different types of people
Avalokiteśvara/Guanyin
3. Iconography
In recent culture, portrayed in helping sentient being
In current epidemic, reminder to wash hands, wear masks, etc
Thousand-handed/eyed Guanyin
Multi-headed form
The statue is bronze
The face was designed to convey the concept “ecumenic” - without any distinctive ethnicity
Embodies love, mercy, and compassion
Princess Miao-shan
1. Main myth
Princess Miaoshan: The Story of the Princess “Wonderful Goodness”
King wanted a son but had three daughters, wanted one of them to give birth to a grandson
Youngest daughter denied marriage, which resulted in her father giving her tasks of increasing difficulty to stray her away from religion, eventually leading to him killing 500 nuns, burning down a nunnery, and executing Miao-shan
Her soul drifted in hell, saving beings by preaching to them
Returned nine years later as a bodhisattva, where the king was very ill with a sickness that resisted all cures
Miao-shan disguised as a monk and told the king he needed the eyes and arms of one who has never felt anger
She gave the king her own eyes and arms
The king realized it was her daughter and out of remorse converted his entire family to Buddhism
Miao-shan gained her true form, thousand-eyed and arm Miao-shan, and passed away afterwards
Princess Miao-shan
2. Role/function
Her true form is a thousand-eyed and thousand armed kuan-yin
Kuan-yin became Miao-shan (a living woman) so that she can be worshiped as a Chinese goddess.
Kuan-yin has a form called Ta-pei (great compassionate one)
Princess Miao-shan
3. Iconography
Thousand-eyed/handed form shows up at the end of the story
Burning Face
1. Main myth
Sutra on the Ritual Directions Summarizing the Yoga Dharanis for Saving Ananda from the Burning Mouth (slides)
Burning face is the wrathful manifestation of Guanyin who tells Ananda he will die in 3 days and be reborn into a wrathful ghost
Ananda goes to the Buddha to learn how to feed hungry ghosts
Burning Face
2. Role/function
Feeding ghost ritual for the benefit of one’s relatives and sentient beings
Picture of burning face used for the feeding of ghost ritual
Longnü/Dragon Princess
1. Main myth
Princess Miao-shan story (Main)
Various other stories with Sudhana
The dragon king, in the form of a fish, was captured by fisherman
Miao-shan sent her acolyte (servant) san sai to purchase and release the fish
As thanks, the dragon king sent her the night brilliance pearl, gift was carried by Lognu
Dedicated her life to Bodhisattvahood afterwards
Entered Miao-shan’s accompaniment and has ever since always been with her
Longnü/Dragon Princess
2. Role/function
Granddaughter of the dragon king
She was the one sent with the night brilliance pearl to give to Miao-shan
One of Guanyin’s servants
Sudhana/Red Boy
- Main myth
- Iconography
The Flower Ornament Scriptures
Various tales with Longnu
Gandavyuha reveals that Sudhana lived in a world full of divine females.
12 of his teachers were goddesses
Sudhana has a meeting with the god Mahadeva, who appeared without attendants.
Sudhana/Red Boy
2. Role/function
Brother to Longnu
The Filial Parrot
1. Main myth
The precious scroll of the parrot
Small parrot looking for mother’s favorite food gets captured by poachers
Parrot escapes but discovers that his mother had died
Parrot creates a funeral for its mother and sets off to become a disciple of Guanyin