| Manjushri | |
|---|---|
%2c_India%2c_Pala_dynesty%2c_9th_century%2c_stone%2c_Honolulu_Academy_of_Arts.jpg) Mañjuśrī,Pala Dynasty, EasternIndia, 9th century CE | |
| Sanskrit | मञ्जुश्री / 𑀫𑀜𑁆𑀚𑀼𑀰𑁆𑀭𑀻 Mañjuśrī |
| Bikol | Mangushli |
| Burmese | မဥ္ဇူသီရိ |
| Cebuano | Mangushli |
| Chinese | 文殊菩薩 Jyutping:Man4 syu4 pou4 saat3 Pinyin:Wénshū Púsà 文殊師利菩薩 Jyutping:Man4 syu4 si1 lei6 pou4 saat3 Pinyin:Wénshūshīlì Púsà 曼殊室利菩薩 Jyutping:Maan6 syu4 sat1 lei6 pou4 saat3 Pinyin:Mànshūshìlì Púsà 妙吉祥菩薩 Jyutping:Miu6 gat1 coeng4 pou4 saat3 Pinyin:Miàojíxiáng Púsà 妙德菩薩 Jyutping:Miu6 dak1 pou4 saat3 PinyinMiàodé Púsà 妙音菩薩 Pinyin:Miu6 jam1 pou4 saat3 Pinyin:Miàoyīn Púsà |
| Japanese | 文殊菩薩 (romaji:Monju Bosatsu) 文殊師利菩薩 (romaji:Monjushiri Bosatsu) 妙吉祥菩薩 (romaji:Myōkisshō Bosatsu) |
| Khmer | មញ្ចុស្រី (manh-cho-srei) |
| Korean | 문수보살 (RR:Munsu Bosal) 만수보살 (RR:Mansu Bosal) 묘길상보살 (RR:Myokilsang Bosal) |
| Mongolian | ᠵᠦᠭᠡᠯᠡᠨ ᠡᠭᠰᠢᠭᠲᠦ Зөөлөн эгшигт Манзушир |
| Tagalog | Mangushli |
| Thai | พระมัญชุศรีโพธิสัตว์ (RTGS: phra manchusi phothisat) พระมัญชุศรี (RTGS: phra manchusi) |
| Tibetan | འཇམ་དཔལ་དབྱངས་ Wylie: 'jam dpel dbyang THL: Jampelyang འཇམ་དཔལ་ Wylie: 'jam dpel THL: jampel |
| Vietnamese | Văn Thù Sư Lợi Bồ Tát Văn-thù Diệu Đức Diệu Cát Tường Diệu Âm |
| Information | |
| Venerated by | Mahayana,Vajrayana |
.svg) Buddhism portal | |
Manjushri (Sanskrit:मञ्जुश्री,romanized: Mañjuśrī) is abodhisattva who representsprajñā (transcendent wisdom) of the Buddhas inMahāyāna Buddhism. The name "Mañjuśrī" is a combination of Sanskrit word "mañju" and an honorific "śrī"; it can be literally translated as "Beautiful One with Glory" or "Beautiful One with Auspiciousness". Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta (मञ्जुश्रीकुमारभूत),[1] literally "Mañjuśrī, Still a Youth" or, less literally, "Prince Mañjuśrī". Another name of Mañjuśrī is Mañjughoṣa.
_18th_century_Rubin_Museum_of_Art.jpg)
%2c_Kamakura_period%2c_Japan.jpg)
Scholars have identified Mañjuśrī as the oldest and most significant bodhisattva in Mahāyāna literature.[2] Notable traits of Mañjuśrī include:
According toMahayana Sutras, Mañjuśrī is always a Buddha with the highest Awakenment all the time, including in the past, present, and future, but just appears as a Bodhisattva in our world.[3]
InŚūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra, the Buddha revealed that countless eons ago, Mañjuśrī had achieved Buddhahood with the name Dragon SuperiorTathāgata.[4][5][6]
InTathagata's Unimaginable State Sutra, it is written that whenSakyamuni Buddha attained the highest Awakenment, countless Buddhas from other worlds, appearing as Bodhisattvas, came to our world to congratulate him and assist his Dharma-teaching work, and Mañjuśrī was one of those Buddhas who appeared as Bodhisattvas.[7][8]
Another Sutra,Bodhisattva in the Womb Sutra reveals that Mañjuśrī is actually a Buddha, but in order to assistSakyamuni Buddha's Dharma-teaching work, he appears as a disciple of the Buddha.[9][10] In the Sutra Mañjuśrī says:
My bodies are as many as the atoms of the universe, appearing as Buddhas in countless Buddha-Worlds elsewhere.
I was previously the teacher ofSakyamuni Buddha, and now I appear as his disciple.
I would like to manifest my Buddha body, but this world should have only one main Buddha at this moment.
Therefore I appear as a disciple in this world, and appear as Buddhas in other Buddha-Worlds.
InAṅgulimālīya Sūtra it is written that Mañjuśrī is a present Buddha whose Buddha-world is in the north:[11][12]
To the north, passing worlds as numerous as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, there is a world called Constant Joy, where the Buddha is called Joy Store Mani Jewel Accumulation Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-Saṁbuddha ...... Is that Tathāgata anyone else ? Mañjuśrī is actually that Buddha.
Mañjuśrī will also become a Buddha in the future. According toMahāratnakūṭa Sūtra, when Mañjuśrī becomes a Buddha (again) in the future, he will be called Universally Seen, and his Buddha-World will be extremely vast and sublime.[13][3]
According toMahayana Sutras, Mañjuśrī is the one who guides all living beings of the past, present and future towards Buddhahood, therefore he is honored as theMother of all Buddhas of the past, present and future (三世佛母妙吉祥).
As it is written inMahayana Sutra on Contemplating the Ground-Like Heart Concerning the Legend of the Buddha (大乘本生心地觀經) :[14][15]
Manjusri the Great Holy Lord
is the Mother of all Buddhas of the past, present and future.
All Buddhas of the ten directions,
when they first arouse their hearts to seek Bodhi,
they do so because of Manjusri's teaching and guidance.
Mahayana Sutra on Contemplating the Ground-Like Heart Concerning the Legend of the Buddha also says :[16]
The Buddha said to Manjusri: "You are indeed the Mother of all Buddhas of the past, present and future. All Tathagatas, when they first arouse their hearts, or carry out their practice for Bodhi, they do those things because of your guidance. "
Placing the Bowl Sutra says :[17][18]
The Buddha said : "... I achieved Buddhahood all because of Manjusri's benevolence. Furthermore, all the countless Buddhas in the past were disciples of Manjusri, and all those who will become Buddhas in the future, they will achieve Buddhahood because of Manjusri's mightiness, benevolence, and divine power."
In theLotus Sūtra, Mañjuśrī also leads theNagaraja's daughter to enlightenment. He also figures in theVimalakīrti Sūtra in a debate withVimalakīrti where he is presented as a Bodhisattva who discusses non-duality with him.
Although Mañjuśrī, in the previous innumerable eons, had helped countless living beings achieve Buddhahood, the great mentor himself remains a youth forever. In Mahayana Sutras, Mañjuśrī is frequently calledManjusri the Youth (Manjusri Kumara-bhuta).
As a symbol ofPrajñāpāramitā, Mañjuśrī is often depicted as a youth holding the Sword of Wisdom in one hand, and a PrajñāpāramitāSūtra in another hand. InMahayana Buddhism he is often honored asMañjuśrī the Great Wisdom (大智文殊師利).
An example of a wisdom teaching of Mañjuśrī can be found in theSaptaśatikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Taishō Tripiṭaka 232).[19] Thissūtra contains a dialogue between Mañjuśrī and the Buddha on the OneSamādhi (Skt.Ekavyūha Samādhi).Sheng-yen renders the following teaching of Mañjuśrī, for enteringsamādhi naturally through transcendent wisdom:
Contemplate the fiveskandhas as originally empty and quiescent, non-arising, non-perishing, equal, without differentiation. Constantly thus practicing, day or night, whether sitting, walking, standing or lying down, finally one reaches an inconceivable state without any obstruction or form. This is the Samadhi of One Act (一行三昧;Yīxíng sānmèi).[20]
WithinVajrayāna Buddhism, Mañjuśrī is a meditational deity and also considered a fully enlightened Buddha. InShingon Buddhism, he is one of theThirteen Buddhas to whom disciples devote themselves. He figures extensively in many esoteric texts such as theMañjuśrīmūlakalpa[1] and theMañjuśrīnāmasamgīti. His consort in some traditions isSaraswati.
TheMañjuśrīmūlakalpa, which later came to be classified underKriyātantra, states thatmantras taught in theŚaiva, Garuḍa, andVaiṣṇavatantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Mañjuśrī.[21]
 Youth Manjusri | Youth Manjusri (孺童文殊) is a typical form of Manjusri, one head, two arms, right hand holding a Wisdom Sword that can cut off ignorance, left hand holding a flower with a Prajna-paramita Sutra upon it. |
 Lion-riding Manjusri | Lion-riding Manjusri is another typical form of Manjusri frequently seen inBuddhist art across different Buddhist traditions. Manjusri is depicted as sitting on a lion, Wisdom Sword in one hand, and Prajna-paramita Sutra in another hand. |
 Four-Armed Manjusri | Four-Armed Manjusri is one of the five major forms of Manjusri. One head, four arms, holding four objects: sword, bow, arrow, and Prajna-paramita Sutra. |
 Undefiled Manjusri | Undefiled Manjusri, one of the five major forms of Manjusri, symbolizes the ever-pure nature of Prajna-paramita. One head, two arms, making Dharma-chakraMudra, with Wisdom Sword and Prajna-paramita Sutra floating above his shoulders. |
 White Manjusri | White Manjusri is one of the five major forms of Manjusri. One head, two arms, making Wish-bestowing Mudra (Varada-mudra). The Wisdom Sword and Prajna-paramita Sutra are floating above his shoulders. |
 Six-Armed Manjusri | Six-Armed Manjusri is a powerful manifestation that liberates living beings from repetitive reincarnations among theSix realms of existence. This form of Manjusri has three heads and six arms, making Mudra with one or two hands, while the other hands holding different objects including Wisdom Sword, Prajna-paramita Sutra, bow, arrow, and flower. |
 Thousand Arms Thousand Bowls and Thousand Sakyamunis Manjusri | AVajrayana manifestation of Manjusri that has thousands of hands, each holding a bowl, from which aSakyamuni Buddha manifests and then multiplies, becoming trillions of Sakyamuni Buddhas.[22] Those countless Sakyamuni Buddhas, who are emanations fromVairocana Buddha, teach Dharma in countless worlds based onManjusri the Great Wisdom, namelyPrajñāpāramitā. |
 Black Manjusri | Black Manjusri is a wrathful manifestation of Manjusri, usually depicted as holding a Wisdom Sword in his right hand and a flower in his left hand with Prajnaparamita Sutra upon the flower. |
 Manjusri's Buddha form | Manjusri appears as a Buddha, with a Wisdom Sword in his hand, and Prajnaparamita Sutra floating above his shoulder. According toMahayana Sutras, Manjusri is always a Buddha all the time, but just appears as a Bodhisattva in our world. Presently, he is a Buddha called Joy Store Mani Jewel AccumulationTathāgata, whose Buddha-World is called Constant Joy.[11][12] |
 Dharma-Realm Speech Self-existent Manjusri | Dharma-Realm Speech Self-existent Manjusri (Sanskrit: Dharmadhātu-vāgīśvara Mañjuśrī) is a supreme manifestation of Manjusri. Four heads, eight arms, two hands making Dharma-chakra Mudra, while the others holding different objects: Wisdom Sword, Vajra Pestle, bow, arrow, and Prajna-paramita Sutra. This manifestation represents theUltimate Reality, namely theDharma-Body of all Buddhas. |
 Namasangiti Manjusri | A form of Manjusri based onMañjuśrī-Nāma-Saṃgīti. One head, twelve arms, sitting, two hands in Dhyana Mudra, two hands above the head making Uttara-bodhi Mudra, two hands before chest making Dharma-chakra Mudra, two hands in Tarpana Mudra, four other hands holding four objects: Wisdom Sword, bow, arrow, and Prajna-paramita Sutra. This manifestation of Manjusri is the embodiment ofPrajñāpāramitā, the Wisdom of all Buddhas. |
Mañjuśrī is usually depicted as a male bodhisattva wielding a flaming sword in his right hand, representing the realization of transcendent wisdom which cuts down ignorance and duality. The scripture supported by thepadma (lotus) held in his left hand is aPrajñāpāramitā sūtra, representing his attainment of ultimate realization from the blossoming of wisdom.
Mañjuśrī is often depicted as riding or seated on a bluelion, or sitting on the skin of a lion. This represents the use of wisdom to tame the mind, which is compared to riding or subduing a ferocious lion.In Chinese and Japanese Buddhist art, Mañjuśrī's sword is sometimes replaced with aruyi scepter, especially in representations of hisVimalakirti Sutra discussion with the laymanVimalakirti.[23] According toBerthold Laufer, the first Chinese representation of aruyi was in an 8th-century Mañjuśrī painting byWu Daozi, showing it held in his right hand taking the place of the usual sword. In subsequent Chinese and Japanese paintings of Buddhas, aruyi was occasionally represented as a Padma with a long stem curved like aruyi.[24]
Another manifestation of Mañjuśrī that is venerated inChinese Buddhist tradition is the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Bowl Mañjuśrī[zh] (千臂千缽文殊菩薩;QiānbìQiānbō Wénshū Púsà).[25][26][27][28][29] The canonical source for this iconographic form is the "Mahāyana Yoga of the Adamantine Ocean, Mañjusrī with a Thousand Arms and Thousand Bowls: Great King of Tantras"[zh] (大乘瑜伽金剛性海曼殊室利千臂千鉢大教王經;Dàchéng yújiā jīngāngxìng hǎi mànshūshìlì qiānbì qiānbō dàjiào wáng jīng),[30][27] usually known simply as the "Sutra of Mañjusrī with a Thousand Arms and Thousand Bowls" (千臂千鉢曼殊室利經;Qiānbì qiānbō mànshūshìlì jīng). In this manifestation, Mañjuśrī is depicted with a thousand arms, each holding an alms bowl, with each bowl containing a figure ofŚākyamuni Buddha.[25][26][27][28][29]
He is one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas ofChinese Buddhism, the other three beingKṣitigarbha,Avalokiteśvara, andSamantabhadra. In China, he is often paired with Samantabhadra[citation needed].
InTibetan Buddhism, Mañjuśrī is sometimes depicted in a trinity with Avalokiteśvara andVajrapāṇi[citation needed].
Amantra commonly associated with Mañjuśrī is the following:[31]
The Arapacana is asyllabary consisting of forty-two letters, and is named after the first five letters:a, ra, pa, ca, na.[32] This syllabary was most widely used for theGāndhārī language with theKharoṣṭhī script but also appears in some Sanskrit texts. The syllabary features in Mahāyāna texts such as the longerPrajñāpāramitā texts, theGaṇḍavyūha Sūtra, theLalitavistara Sūtra, theAvataṃsaka Sūtra, theDharmaguptakaVinaya, and theMūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya.[32] In some of these texts, the Arapacana syllabary serves as amnemonic for important Mahāyāna concepts.[32] Due to its association with him,Arapacana may even serve as an alternate name for Mañjuśrī.[31]
TheSutra on Perfect Wisdom (Conze 1975) defines the significance of each syllable thus:[33]
Tibetan pronunciation is slightly different and so the Tibetan characters read:oṃ a ra pa tsa na dhīḥ (Tibetan:ༀ་ཨ་ར་པ་ཙ་ན་དྷཱི༔,Wylie:om a ra pa tsa na d+hIH).[34] In Tibetan tradition, this mantra is believed to enhance wisdom and improve one's skills in debating, memory, writing, and other literary abilities. "Dhīḥ" is the seed syllable of the mantra and is chanted with greater emphasis and also repeated a number of times as adecrescendo.
According to theMañjuśrīmūlakalpa, "the ultimate heart essence of Mañjuśrī, which accomplishes all endeavors" is the following mantra:[35]
Namaḥ sarvabuddhānām oṁ maṁ
TheSādhanamālā also contains a popular mantra which refers to Mañjuśrī as the "lord of speech" (Vāgīśvara):[36]
Oṃ Vāgīśvara Mūḥ
This mantra is very popular inNepal, where Vāgīśvara Mañjuśrī is a popular deity.[36]Another Mañjuśrī mantra is the mantra for Mañjuvajra, a tantric form of Mañjuśrī associated with theGuhyasamaja tradition, it is:[37]
Oṃ Mañjuvajra Hūṃ
.jpg)
Mañjuśrī is known in China as Wenshu (Chinese:文殊;pinyin:Wénshū).Mount Wutai inShanxi, one of the fourSacred Mountains of China, is considered by Chinese Buddhists to be hisbodhimaṇḍa. He was said to bestow spectacular visionary experiences to those on selected mountain peaks and caves there. In Mount Wutai'sFoguang Temple, the Wenshu Hall to the right of its main hall was recognized to have been built in 1137 during theJin dynasty. The hall was thoroughly studied, mapped and first photographed by early twentieth-century Chinese architectsLiang Sicheng andLin Huiyin.[38] These made it a popular place of pilgrimage, but patriarchs includingLinji Yixuan andYunmen Wenyan declared the mountain off limits.[39]
Mount Wutai was also associated with theEast Mountain Teaching.[40] Mañjuśrī has been associated with Mount Wutai since ancient times. Paul Williams writes:[41]
Apparently the association of Mañjuśrī with Wutai (Wu-t'ai) Shan in north China was known in classical times in India itself, identified by Chinese scholars with the mountain in the 'north-east' (when seen from India orCentral Asia) referred to as the abode of Mañjuśrī in theAvataṃsaka Sūtra. There are said to have been pilgrimages from India and other Asian countries to Wutai Shan by the seventh century.
According to official histories from theQing dynasty,Nurhaci, a military leader of theJurchens ofNortheast China and founder of what became the Qing dynasty, named his tribe after Mañjuśrī as theManchus.[42] The true origin of the name Manchu is disputed.[43]
MonkHanshan (寒山) is widely considered to be a metaphorical manifestation of Wenshu. He is known for having co-written the following famous poem about reincarnation with monkShide:[44][45]
Drumming your grandpa in the shrine,
Cooking your aunts in the pot,
Marrying your grandma in the past,
Should I laugh or not?
堂上打鼓打公皮，
鍋內煎煮是姑娘，
三世祖母娶為婦，
我今不笑等何時。
InTibetan Buddhism, Mañjuśrī manifests in a number of differentTantric forms.Yamāntaka (meaning 'terminator ofYama i.e. Death') is thewrathful manifestation of Mañjuśrī, popular within theGelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Other variations upon his traditional form as Mañjuśrī includeNamasangiti, Arapacana Manjushri, etc. In Tibetan Buddhism, Mañjuśrī is also anyidam. TheEmperor Manjushri as a honorific title was also given to Qing emperors such as theQianlong Emperor.
In the Taoist pantheon, Mañjuśrī is adopted as a Taoist deity known asWenshu Guangfa Tianzun. This deity appears in the Ming Dynasty novelFengshen Yanyi as a senior disciple ofYuanshi Tianzun, the highest deity in Taoism. However, the booksQunxian Xianpo Tianmen andWestern Tang Dynasty Biography state that Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva are not the same person.[46][47]
In Korea, Mañjuśrī is known as Munsu Bosal (문수보살). A prominent legend recounts how the monk Jajang-yulsa traveled to China and encountered Munsu Bosal on Mount Wutai, a sacred site traditionally associated with Mañjuśrī. According to the story, Munsu Bosal instructed Jajang to find a similar five-peaked mountain in Korea and to establish a temple there. Jajang later identified such a place in the Korean Peninsula, which becameOdaesan, now one of the most revered sacred mountains inKorean Buddhism.[48]
Another well-known legend involvesKing Sejo ofJoseon, who, in his later years, suffered from a painful and incurable skin disease that even the royal physicians could not treat. Believing the illness to be karmic retribution for his usurpation of the throne from his nephew, King Danjong, Sejo undertook pilgrimages to major Buddhist temples to seek healing. While visiting Sangwonsa Temple near Odaesan, Sejo is said to have been bathing in a nearby stream when a young boy (dongja) appeared and offered to scrub his back. As the boy washed him, the king’s pain began to subside. Sejo confided that his illness was a closely guarded secret, to which the boy replied, "You must also promise never to tell anyone that you have seen Munsu Bosal." The boy then vanished without a trace. That evening, the king's skin disease was miraculously cured. In gratitude for what he believed to be divine intervention, King Sejo commissioned the creation of theWooden Seated Child Manjusri, a statue depicting Mañjuśrī in the form of the young boy who had healed him. The statue, now enshrined atSangwonsa Temple, was later designated as the 221st National Treasure of South Korea.[49][50]
According toSwayambhu Purana, theKathmandu Valley was once a lake. It is believed that Mañjuśrī came on a pilgrimage from his earthly abode-Wutaishan (five-peaked mountain) in China. He saw a lotus flower in the center of the lake, which emitted brilliant radiance. He cut a gorge at Chovar with his flaming sword to allow the lake to drain. The place where the lotus flower settled became the greatSwayambhunath Stupa, and the valley thus became habitable.
In eighth centuryJava during theMataram kingdom, Mañjuśrī was a prominent deity revered by theSailendra dynasty, patrons of Mahayana Buddhism. TheKelurak inscription (782) andManjusrigrha inscription (792) mentioned about the construction of a grand Prasada namedVajrāsana Mañjuśrīgṛha (Vajra House of Mañjuśrī) identified today asSewu temple, located just 800 meters north of thePrambanan. Sewu is the second largest Buddhist temple in Central Java afterBorobudur. The depiction of Mañjuśrī in Sailendra art is similar to those of thePala Empire style ofNalanda,Bihar. Mañjuśrī was portrayed as a youthful handsome man with the palm of his hands tattooed with the image of a flower. His right hand is facing down with an open palm while his left-hand holds anutpala (blue lotus). He also uses the necklace made of tigercanine teeth.
In Hinduism especially in Tantras like Kkuteshvara Tantra and Bhairava Tantra Lord Manjughosha is seen as a manifestation of god Shiva. He has 5 jewels on his head . He is considered as youth in appearance. He holds a sword in one hand and a book on other.[52] He is worshipped for gaining knowledge , wealth and his mantra practice may help in conquering devas and daitya ganas.
... 文殊广法天尊,就是文殊,至于观音,改名叫作慈航道人,自称"贫道乃灵鹫山元觉洞燃灯道人"者,前身就是燃灯佛,西方极乐世界的孔雀明王,成了准提道人。
... 文殊广法天尊" ,这与三教中的大师法号习惯带"子" ,如"广成子" "云中子" "赤精子"也大异其趣。却不可认为这位"文殊"便真是佛家那位"文殊菩萨" [Translation:... Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun," this differs significantly from the usual naming conventions for masters in the Three Religions, where they typically include "Zi" (子) in their titles, such as "Guangcheng Zi," "Yunzhong Zi," "Chijing Zi," and others. However, it should not be assumed that this "Wenshu" is indeed the same as the Buddhist figure "Manjushri Bodhisattva."]
Harrison, Paul M. (2000).Mañjuśrī and the Cult of the Celestial Bodhisattvas, Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal 13, 157-193
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
