| Translations of Asura | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit | असुर |
| Pali | असुर |
| Assamese | অসুৰ (Oxur) |
| Bengali | অসুর |
| Burmese | အသုရာနတ် |
| Chinese | 阿修羅 (Pinyin:Āxiūluó) |
| Japanese | 阿修羅 (Rōmaji:ashura) |
| Khmer | អសុរ (UNGEGN:Asorak) |
| Korean | 아수라 (RR:asura) |
| Tibetan | ལྷ་མ་ཡིན་ (lha.ma.yin) |
| Tamil | அசுரன் |
| Thai | อสูร |
| Vietnamese | A Tu La (Chữ Nôm:阿修羅) |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
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Anasura (Sanskrit andPali: असुर) inBuddhism is ademigod ortitan[1] of theKāmadhātu.[2] They are said to live more pleasurable lives than humans, but are also in thrall to qualities such as wrath, pride, envy, and insincerity.
The Buddhistasuras have a few myths distinctive from theasuras of Hinduism, which are only found in Buddhist texts. They are thought to originate from the earlier Hindu origin asuras.
In its Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated "titan", "demigod", or "antigod".[3]
Buddhaghosa explains that their name derives from the myth of their defeat at the hands of the godŚakra. According to the story, the asuras were dispossessed of their state inTrāyastriṃśa because they became drunk and were thrown downMount Sumeru. After this incident, they vowed never to drinksura again.
While all the gods of the Kāmadhātu are subject to passions to some degree, the asuras above all are addicted to them, especially wrath, pride, envy, insincerity, falseness, boasting, and bellicosity.
The Great Calm-Observation byZhiyi says:
Always desiring to be superior to others, having no patience for inferiors and belittling strangers; like a hawk, flying high above and looking down on others, and yet outwardly displaying justice, worship, wisdom, and faith — this is raising up the lowest order of good and walking the way of the Asuras.
The asuras are said to experience a much more pleasurable life than humans, but they are plagued by envy for thedevas, whom they can see just as animals perceive humans.[citation needed] The asuras of some inferior realms however, are malevolent (such as the corruptor Mara) and can be referred to as demons.[citation needed] They are alternatively calledrakshasas. They are described as having three heads with three faces each and either four or six arms.[4]
They are sometimes referred to aspūrvadeva (Pāli:pubbadeva), meaning "ancient gods."[5]
The Asuras formerly lived in theTrāyastriṃśa world on the peak ofSumeru with the other gods of that world. WhenŚakra became the ruler of that world, the asuras celebrated by drinking much Gandapāna wine, a liquor so strong that Śakra forbade the other gods to drink it. Weakened by their drunkenness, the asuras could not resist when Śakra had the whole lot of them thrown over the edge of Trāyastriṃśa into what would become the Asura-world at the base of Sumeru. A tree grows there called Cittapātali; when the asuras saw it blossom, they saw that it was different from the Pāricchattaka (Sanskrit: Pāriyātra) tree which had grown in their old home, and they knew that they were dispossessed.
They now meditated on war. In armor and weapons, they climbed up the steep slopes of Sumeru "like ants." Śakra set out to meet them, but was forced to retreat because of their numbers. Passing through the forest where thegaruḍas live on his flying chariot, Śakra saw that his passage was destroying the nests of the garuḍas and ordered his charioteer Mātali to turn back. When the pursuing asuras saw Śakra turn about, they felt certain that he must be coming back with an even larger army, and they fled, ceding all the ground they had gained.[6]
Despite their many wars, there was eventually a partial concord between the Trāyastriṃśa gods and the asuras. This came about because Śakra fell in love with Sujā (also known asShachi), daughter of the Asura chiefVemacitrin. Vemacitrin had given Sujā the right to choose her own husband at an assembly of the Asuras, and she chose Śakra, who had attended disguised as an aged Asura. Vemacitrin thus became Śakra's father-in-law.[citation needed]
The asura realm is one of the realms one can be reborn into within thesix realms. Rebirth here is a result of experiencing thefruits of wholesome karma while engaging in unwholesome karma.
The placement of the asura realm inBuddhist cosmology varies among traditions. Sometimes the asura realm is recognized as one of happiness, existing beneath the worlds of the devas and humans. In other schemes, it is viewed as a fourth addition to the usual three evil paths that make up the animal realm, ghost realm and hell realm.
In schools that recognize thedesire realm as consisting of five realms, the asura realm tends to be included among the deva realm. InTibetan Buddhism, the addition of the asuras in the six-worldbhavacakra was created in Tibet at the authority ofJe Tsongkhapa.
TheEkottara Āgama and theSaddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra explain that asuras are divided among the realms of ghosts and animals. In the former case, they are powerful, high-ranking asuras reminiscent of gods such asMāra. In the latter case, they are like fearsome beasts that live 84000 yojanas beneath the ocean floor.[note 1]
The leaders of the asuras are calledasurendra (Pāli:Asurinda,Chinese: 阿修羅王;Pinyin:Āxiūluó-wáng;Romaji:Ashura-ō), literally meaning "Asura-lord". There are several of these, as the Asuras are broken into different tribes or factions. Among them are the bow-wieldingDānaveghasa Asuras, and the terrible-facedKālakañjakas.
In Pali texts, names that are found includeVepacitti,Rāhu (believed to be synonymous withVerocana),Pahārāda,Sambara,Bali,Sucitti, andNamucī. According toBuddhaghosa, the three primary leaders were Vepacitti, Rāhu and Pahārāda.[7]
Mahayana literature tends to recognize four primary leaders, whose biographies are explained in detail in both theSaddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra and theDaśabhūmika Sūtra. According to this tradition, these asuras live 84,000yojanas beneath the ocean floor on the northern side ofMount Sumeru, which are divided into four layers.
According to theLotus Sutra, the four leaders of the asuras took refuge in the Buddha after hearing his sermon.
The asuras were said to be in possession of awar drum calledĀlambara, which sounded like the peal of thunder. It was created from the claw of a giant crab named Kulīradaha. It has since been repurposed by Śakra.[8]
Mahayana texts also mention a stringed instrument belonging to the asuras rendered in Chinese asĀxiūluó Qín (Chinese: 阿修羅琴;Pinyin:Āxiūluó Qín), literally meaning "asura harp".[9]
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