Shiva in Buddhism
{{Short description|Figure in Buddhist Mythology}}
{{refimprove|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox Buddha
|image=Daijizaiten.jpg
|image_size=200px
|sanskrit_name=Maheśvara
|pali_name=Mahissara
|chinese_name=大自在天
(Pinyin: Dàzìzàitiān)
|japanese_name=大自在天
(romaji: Daijizaiten)
|tagalog_name=Mahesbala
|name=Mahesvara
|caption=
}}
Maheśvara (Sanskrit: महेश्वर; Pali: Mahissara; traditional Chinese/Japanese: 大自在天; Pinyin: Dàzìzàitiān, Rōmaji: Daijizaiten) is a deva in Buddhist mythology. He is also sometimes referred to as Sabbalokādhipatī Devā in Pali literature. His main duty is to give spiritual knowledge. Maheśvara is sometimes revered as a bodhisattva. This deity is closely associated with the god Shiva in Hinduism.
Etymology
File:Nepal, uma-mahesvara, xiv secolo.jpg
The Sanskrit name Maheśvara is composed of two "Mahā" and "Īśvara". The "ā" of mahā and the "ī" of īśvara combine to form a sandhi, which becomes "e", forming the word "Maheśvara". Mahā means "Great" and Īśvara means "lord", hence the name Maheśvara means "the great lord".
Contemporary Maheśvara
File:60523bb7ly1goo37whi2rj20u0140125.jpg Guanyin Dharma Realm in Zhejiang, China]]
Present Maheśvara is Buddhist by religion, and was reborn as a Deva, because of his merit of donating a cup of honey to Kassapa Buddha in one of his previous lives. According to Karandavyuha Sutra, Maheśvara was born from the brow of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.Studholme, Alexander (2002). The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum: A Study of the Karandavyuha Sutra. State University of New York Press. p. 39-40. According to Buddhist traditions, he helps good people, mostly who follow the Buddhist precepts and eat a vegetarian diet, and also punishes bad people for their evil deeds. He helps yogis doing Kundalini Meditation.{{Cite web|title=Who are Gods & Goddesses|url=https://nofearmanju.weebly.com/who-are-gods--goddesses.html|access-date=2021-02-28|website=Why Do I Meditate?|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Sri Lanka Web Portal on Astrology and Spiritual Development|url=https://lankawisdom.com/|access-date=2021-02-28|website=lankawisdom.com|language=en}} He is bodhisattva of Tenth Bhumi.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} He is one of the important deity venerated in Sri Lankan Buddhism. He is one of the twenty four protective deities of Chinese Buddhism and of the sixteen dharmapalas of Tibetan Buddhism.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
Maheśvara and Vajrapāni
{{See also|Vajrapani}}
A popular story tells how Vajrapāni kills one Maheśvara, because of his evil deeds. The story occurs in several scriptures, most notably the Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṅgraha and the Vajrāpanyābhiṣeka Mahātantra. The story begins with the transformation of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra into Vajrapāni by Vairocana, the cosmic Buddha, receiving a vajra and the name "Vajrāpani". Vairocana then requests Vajrapāni to generate his adamantine family in order to establish a mandala. Vajrapāni refuses because Maheśvara "is deluding beings with his deceitful religious doctrines and engaging in all kinds of violent criminal conduct". Maheśvara and his entourage are dragged to Mount Meru, and all but Maheśvara, who is too proud as ruler of the Three Worlds, submit. Vajrapāni and Maheśvara engage in a magical combat, which is won by Vajrapāni. Maheśvara's retinue become part of Vairocana's mandala, except for Maheśvara, who is killed, and his life transferred to another realm where he becomes a Buddha named Bhasmeśvaranirghoṣa, the "Soundless Lord of Ashes".{{sfnp|Davidson|2012|p=151}}
Mantra
- Chinese:
: {{lang|zh|那嘛 薩曼達 布達喃 嗡 伊hi耶hi 嘛嘿思瓦啦雅 斯哇哈}}
: {{lang|zh-Latn|Nàma sàmàndá bùdánán wēng yīhiyéhi mahēisīwǎlayǎ sīwahā}} {{small|(romanisation)}}
: {{lang|sa-Latn|Namaḥ samanta buddhānām oṃ ehyehi maheśvaraya svāhā}} {{small|(Sanskrit)}}
- Japanese:
: {{lang|ja|オン・マケイシバラヤ・ソワカ}}
: {{lang|ja-Latn|On makeishibaraya sowaka}} {{small|(romanisation)}}
: {{lang|sa-Latn|Oṃ maheśvaraya svāhā}} {{small|(Sanskrit)}}
Both the Chinese and Japanese mantras are phonetic transcriptions of verses originally composed in Sanskrit.
See also
- Mahakala - Deity related to Shiva venerated in Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism
- Śakra - Ruler of Tavatimsa heaven
- Mahabrahma - Ruler of Brahma world
- God in Buddhism
- Tenjin (kami)
- Guanyin
References
{{reflist}}
=Works cited=
- {{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Ronald M. |title=Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nwyeIyWTlEMC |year=2012 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-50102-6}}
{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Chinese Buddhist Pantheon}}
Category:Twenty-Four Protective Deities