Aizen Myo-o
Encyclopedia
Rāgarāja is a Mahayana Buddhist
deity from the Esoteric and Vajrayana
traditions. He is especially venerated in the Japanese Buddhist schools of Shingon and Tendai
, and the general Chinese Esoteric schools of Tángmì and Mìzōng.
deity, he was adapted into Mahayana Buddhism
. When scriptures related to him reached China
during the Tang Dynasty
, his Sanskrit name was translated into Àirǎn Míngwáng (roughly translated in English as the Lustful Tinted Wisdom King). In Japanese, it is written the same way in Kanji but pronounced as Aizen Myō'ō.
natha and is among the group of The Eight Wisdom Kings. There are four different mandala
s associated with Rāgarāja. The first posits him with thirty-seven assistant devas
, the second with seventeen. The other two are special arrangements, one made by Chisho Daishi, fourth patriarch of the Tendai
sect, the other a Shiki mandala which represents deities using their mantra
seed syllables drawn in bonji.
He is portrayed as a red-skinned man with a fearsome appearance and flaming wild hair that represents suppressed lust and passion. There is usually a lion's
head on top of his head in his hair. There are two, four or six armed incarnations of him but the six-armed one is the most common. Those six arms bear a bell
, a vajra
, an unopened lotus flower
, a bow
, arrows
, and one holding something that we cannot see (only advanced esoteric practitioners know what that thing is.)
According to the "Pavilion of Vajra Peak and all its Yogas and Yogins Sutra" with the abbreviated name of the "Yogins Sutra", possibly an apocryphal work attributed to the great Buddhist patriarch Vajrabodhi
, Rāgarāja represents the state at which sexual excitement or agitation can be channeled towards enlightenment and passionate love can become compassion for all living things.
Rāgarāja is similar to the dakini
Kurukulle in Tibetan Buddhism
.
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
deity from the Esoteric and Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
traditions. He is especially venerated in the Japanese Buddhist schools of Shingon and Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
, and the general Chinese Esoteric schools of Tángmì and Mìzōng.
Nomenclature
Rāgarāja is known to transform worldly lust into spiritual awakening. Originally a HinduHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
deity, he was adapted into Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
. When scriptures related to him reached China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
during the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, his Sanskrit name was translated into Àirǎn Míngwáng (roughly translated in English as the Lustful Tinted Wisdom King). In Japanese, it is written the same way in Kanji but pronounced as Aizen Myō'ō.
Depiction
Rāgarāja is a vidyaraja or "Wisdom King" like AcalaAcala
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Ācala is the best known of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm. He is also known as Ācalanātha, Āryācalanātha, Ācala-vidyā-rāja and . The Sanskrit term ācala means "immovable"; Ācala is also the name of the eighth of the ten completion stages of the Bodhisattva path...
natha and is among the group of The Eight Wisdom Kings. There are four different mandala
Mandala
Maṇḍala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point...
s associated with Rāgarāja. The first posits him with thirty-seven assistant devas
Deva (Buddhism)
A deva in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful, longer-lived, and, in general, living more contentedly than the average human being....
, the second with seventeen. The other two are special arrangements, one made by Chisho Daishi, fourth patriarch of the Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
sect, the other a Shiki mandala which represents deities using their mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
seed syllables drawn in bonji.
He is portrayed as a red-skinned man with a fearsome appearance and flaming wild hair that represents suppressed lust and passion. There is usually a lion's
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
head on top of his head in his hair. There are two, four or six armed incarnations of him but the six-armed one is the most common. Those six arms bear a bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
, a vajra
Vajra
Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond...
, an unopened lotus flower
Nelumbo nucifera
Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae...
, a bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
, arrows
Arrows
Arrows Grand Prix International was a British Formula One team active from to . For a period of time, it was also known as Footwork.-Origins :...
, and one holding something that we cannot see (only advanced esoteric practitioners know what that thing is.)
According to the "Pavilion of Vajra Peak and all its Yogas and Yogins Sutra" with the abbreviated name of the "Yogins Sutra", possibly an apocryphal work attributed to the great Buddhist patriarch Vajrabodhi
Vajrabodhi
Vajrabodhi was an Indian buddhist monk and Esoteric Buddhist teacher in Tang China. He is one the eight patriarchs in Shingon Buddhism....
, Rāgarāja represents the state at which sexual excitement or agitation can be channeled towards enlightenment and passionate love can become compassion for all living things.
Rāgarāja is similar to the dakini
Dakini
A dakini is a tantric deity described as a female embodiment of enlightened energy. In the Tibetan language, dakini is rendered khandroma which means 'she who traverses the sky' or 'she who moves in space'. Sometimes the term is translated poetically as 'sky dancer' or 'sky walker'. The dakini, in...
Kurukulle in Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
.