![]() ![]() Two main, regular arms, and then twenty little bitty arms on either side, often holding sacred objects or making mudras, hand gestures. If you find a statue or image of Senju Kannon and you decide you want to count arms, I’ll save you some trouble. It’s also said she has a thousand eyes, inside her hands. ![]() She’s the statue you see with all the arms fanning out at her sides, obviously. Were you born in the year 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, or 2020? Congratulations you’re guardian Buddha is Senju Kannon Bosatsu / 千手観音菩薩 or the 1,000-armed Kannon. Year of the Rat people, raise your hands. So let’s go through the animal zodiac on at a time and let me introduce you to your god. They’re protectors of Buddhism and look fierce, have weapons, and over all just wicked cool.īut for all intents and purposes, it doesn’t matter if you have a bosatsu, nyorai or myo-o as your patron Buddhist saint. You can more easily see the Hindu influence in their image. Myo-o aren’t manifestations of the Buddha at all but minor gods who live in heaven. In general, a bosatsu will be more fancifully dressed (see attachments) and a nyorai is usually more austere, dressed in simple robes. Which is a being who is a version of a Buddha after attaining enlightenment. Kannon or Kwan Yin in Chinese is a bosatsu.Ī second is a nyorai. The reason they aren’t enlightened is because they chose to keep a single or a couple attachments, so they don’t go full enlightenment and can remain nearby and help as many people as possible to reach their own nirvana. You might know bosatsu as Bodhisattva if you’re studying Buddhism. In general, there’s a bosatsu and a nyorai. ![]() Something to note is that there are different kinds of Buddhist deities and statues. Types of Buddhas – Bosatsu and Nyorai (and Myō ō) I’ll run through the years before each one, in case you forgot. Do you remember what animal you are? That’s okay. So instead of names, they match up with our eto or animal zodiac. Which is very nice.Īnd lucky for us the deity isn’t assigned by name. And everyone one of us is born and are assigned one to guide, protect, and help us out throughout our lives. But there are also quite a few different other types of, well, for lack of a better word, gods. Well, there is that ONE Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama), the one you’re thinking about. Let me start by telling you a saying: “Umare tsuki hotoke sama to go en ga musubareteimasu.” We are all born with a connection to the Buddha.īut there isn’t just ONE Buddha. I’m not saying there isn’t another one out there, just I didn’t find it. So I think I can safely say it’s the most common. The method I’m using of finding your protecting god is the one I’ve seen used everywhere. I’m going to tell you who is protecting on the Buddhist side of things, a little about that diety’s character, and how to identify it if let’s say you come across a statue at at temple or want to buy a small effigy or if it, I don’t know, shows up in your dreams or something. As well as can be expected? Yeah, me, too. We all have one and it doesn’t matter what kind of name you have at all. So today let’s find out who your protecting Buddhist deity is. “Terrie, let’s find out who your protecting god is.” Voila, your patron saint.īut what about Japan? Is there a patron Buddha?Ībout 25 years ago I was sitting at the dinner table with my in-laws and my mother-in-law pulled out a very complicated-looking diagram. ![]() Because every day of the year is the feast of at least one saint. Or I just learned if you happen to have a name or names that don’t have a saint ascribed to them, your birthday. A saint that’s been assigned to you because of your name. Have you ever wondered who protects you? What otherworldly or godly spirit follows you through life, keeps you safe, watches you sleep? Hey hey, this is Thersa Matsuura and you’re listening to Uncanny Japan. ![]()
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