Vilambā

According to traditional belief, Vilambā is a shapeshifting deity whose true form is that of a hen. In Chinese cosmology, hens and peacocks are symbolically linked through their association with the mythological phoenix (fenghuang), leading to her being regarded as a relative of the bodhisattva Mahamayuri—the divine peacock and godmother of the Buddha. Vilambā's son, Maori Xingguan (昴日星官), is a rooster-shaped star deity known as the "Sun Rooster" of the Hairy Head constellation. In some interpretations, she is also equated with Ākāśagarbha, the bodhisattva associated with the great element (mahābhūta) of space (ākāśa).

The Ten Rākṣasīs vary in appearance based on locale and textual tradition. One canonical text, the Law of the Ten Rākṣasīs of the Lotus (法華十羅剎法; pinyin: fǎhuá shíluóshā fǎ; Japanese: hokke-jūrasetunyo-hō) stands out with its description of the physical features of the goddesses. Alternative forms tend to stem from Japanese Buddhist art manuals or local traditions throughout Asia.

According to the Law of the Ten Rākṣasīs of the Lotus, Vilambā has a form like that of a full moon, akin to a dragon king. She is thus inclined toward the great ocean. Her garments are green (碧緑) and her face is white. She stands before a mirror. She controls the wind and clouds with her right hand and holds a mala in her left hand. Alternatively, she holds a pair of cymbals.

In Chapter 7, the "Dharani" section in the twenty-sixth chapter of the Lotus Sutra:

{{Blockquote|text=At that time, there were ten rakshasis named Lambā, Vilambā, Kūṭadantī, Puṣpadantī, Makuṭadantī, Keśinī, Acalā, Mālādhāri, Kuntī, and Sarvasattvojohārī. These ten rakshasis, along with the mother of all rakshasas, her son, and their entourage, all came to the Buddha and spoke with one voice: "World-Honored One, we also wish to protect those who read, recite, and uphold the Lotus Sutra. We will remove their misfortunes. If anyone seeks to harm these teachers, we will prevent them from succeeding."|title=Lotus Sūtra|source=Chapter 7}}

File:Fugen Ten Rasetsunyo (Nara National Museum).jpg accompanied by the Ten Rākṣasīs. Japanese depiction from the Kamakura period (1185–1333).]]

In Journey to the West, after Tang Sanzang and his disciples are defeated by the poison tea of the Hundred-Eyed Demon King, who possesses a thousand eyes that radiate brilliant golden light to confuse his enemies and victims, Sun Wukong flees from the demon and encounters Lishan Laomu.{{cite news |title=从神话鸡到污化鸡，中国鸡是如何走向"下三路"的？_洞见 |url=https://culture.ifeng.com/a/20170131/50639333_0.shtml |work=Phoenix Television|date=31 January 2017 |language=zh}}

On the instructions of Lishan Laomu, Sun Wukong requests help from Vilambā, who eventually subdues and captures the demon king. Vilambā said that she had been living low-key for over 300 years since she last attended the Yulan Festival. She had kept her name incognito, never went out, and no one knew about her. When she asked Sun Wukong how he knew about her existence, he refused to answer. According to Vilambā, the demon king's radiant golden light is so powerful that even the Buddha could not defeat it. Vilambā uses an embroidery needle to do so, which was not made of iron or steel but was extracted by her son from his own eyes. After the demon king is subdued, Vilambā sends him to guard Thousand Flowers Cave.{{cite news |title=300年不管闲事，毗蓝婆菩萨难怪收走蜈蚣精，您看破碎星是谁？_手机搜狐网 |url=https://www.sohu.com/a/320752603_245945/?pvid=000115_3w_a |work=Sohu |date=15 June 2019}}

In Chapter 73 of the commentary on Journey to the West by Taoist Chen Shibin of the Qing dynasty, it is explained that Lishan Laomu is familiar with the Hundred-Eyed Demon King, which refers to the pure yin consciousness containing poisonous flames. On the other hand, Vilambā carries the yang energy, similar to Ziyun Mountain in the Cave of Thousand Flowers, and radiates the brilliance of the sun, revealing light.{{cite book|title=《西遊真詮》|author=陳士斌|chapter=第七十三回〈情因舊恨生災毒 心主遭魔幸破光〉|chapter-url=https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E8%A5%BF%E9%81%8A%E7%9C%9F%E8%A9%AE#%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%83%E5%8D%81%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%9E_%E6%83%85%E5%9B%A0%E8%88%8A%E6%81%A8%E7%94%9F%E7%81%BD%E6%AF%92_%E5%BF%83%E4%B8%BB%E9%81%AD%E9%AD%94%E5%B9%B8%E7%A0%B4%E5%85%89|access-date=2022-02-03}}

The Yuan zaju or operatic version text of The Journey to the West styles Vilambā as the friend of the Queen Mother of the West, Princess Iron Fan and Lishan Laomu.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1=Nikaidō |first1=Yoshihiro |title=Asian Folk Religion and Cultural Interaction |date=2015 |publisher=Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht |isbn=9783847004851 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TozUCgAAQBAJ&q=Pilanpo+Bodhisattva |language=en}}
• {{cite book |title=西游记: 李卓吾批评本|date=2006 |publisher=岳麓书社 |isbn=9787806657287 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yitkAAAAIAAJ&q=毗藍婆菩薩 |language=zh}}
• {{cite book |last1=评 |first1=（明）吴承恩／ 著 李卓吾|title=西 游 记 （下） |date=2017 |publisher=海乾坤文化公司 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2IMlDwAAQBAJ&q=%E6%AF%97%E8%97%8D%E5%A9%86%E8%8F%A9%E8%96%A9&pg=PT203 |language=zh}}
• {{cite news |title=毗蓝婆菩萨和黎山老母有什么恩怨-看见历史|url=http://www.kanjianlishi.com/gushi/mingren/189105.html |work=www.kanjianlishi.com|date=20 June 2017}}
• {{cite news |title=毗蓝婆菩萨有多厉害？一绣花针破蜈蚣精金光，连黎山老母都忌惮她|url=https://m.btime.com/item/router?gid=m_95d3453a9c9311e27 |work=Beijing Time|date=7 July 2018}}
• {{cite news |title=毗蓝婆菩萨|url=https://www.zcool.com.cn/work/ZMjYyODE0Njg=.html|work=ZCOOL}}

Category:Chinese deities

Category:Chinese goddesses

Category:Chinese salvationist religions

Category:Journey to the West characters

Category:Rakshasa

{{Authority control}}