Wisdom King#The Five Wisdom Kings

A wisdom king (Sanskrit: विद्याराज; IAST: vidyārāja, {{cjkv|p=Míngwáng|c=明王|r=Myōō}}) is a type of wrathful deity in East Asian Buddhism.

Whereas the Sanskrit name is translated literally as "wisdom / knowledge king(s)," the term vidyā in Vajrayana Buddhism is also specifically used to denote mantras;{{cite journal |last1=Toganoo |first1=Shozui Makoto |title=The Symbol-System of Shingon Buddhism (1) |journal=Journal of Esoteric Buddhism – Mikkyō Bunka |date=1971 |pages=91, 86 |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jeb1947/1971/96/1971_96_L95/_pdf/-char/ja}} the term may thus also be rendered "mantra king(s)."{{sfnp|Haneda|2018|pp=25-27}}{{sfnp|Mack|2006|p=298}} Vidyā is translated in Chinese with the character 明 (lit. "bright, radiant", figuratively "knowledge(able), wisdom, wise"), leading to a wide array of alternative translations such as "bright king(s)" or "radiant king(s)". A similar category of fierce deities known as herukas are found in Tibetan Buddhism.

The female counterparts of wisdom kings are known as wisdom queens (Sanskrit (IAST): vidyārājñī, Chinese: 明妃, Míngfēi, Japanese: Myōhi).

Overview

=Development=

File:水陆画宝宁寺焰发德迦明王大威德明王.jpg (1368 - 1644) Shuilu ritual painting of Yamantaka (Dàwēidé Míngwáng), one out of a set depicting the Ten Wisdom Kings, at Baoning Temple in Shanxi, China. ]]

Vidyārājas, as their name suggests, are originally conceived of as the guardians and personifications of esoteric wisdom (vidyā), namely mantras and dharanis. They were seen as embodying the mystic power contained in these sacred utterances.{{sfnp|Haneda|2018|pp=25-27}}{{sfnp|Faure|2015a|p=116}}

During the early stages of esoteric (Vajrayana) Buddhism, many of the deities that would become known as vidyārājas (a term that only came into use around the late 7th-early 8th century{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|p=90}}) were mainly seen as attendants of bodhisattvas who were invoked for specific ends such as the removal of misfortune and obstacles to enlightenment. They personified certain attributes of these bodhisattvas such as their wisdom or the power of their voices and were held to perform various tasks such as gathering together sentient beings to whom the bodhisattva preaches, subjugating unruly elements, or protecting adherents of Buddhism.{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|p=13, 64-65}} Eventually, these divinities became objects of veneration in their own right; no longer necessarily paired with a bodhisattva, they became considered as the manifestations of the bodhisattvas themselves and/or of buddhas, who are believed to assume terrifying forms as a means to save sentient beings out of compassion for them.{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|p=13}} A belief prevalent in the Japanese tradition known as the sanrinjin (三輪身, "bodies of the three wheels") theory for instance posits that five Wisdom Kings are the fierce incarnations (教令輪身, kyōryōrin-shin, lit. "embodiments of the wheel of injunction") of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, who appear both as gentle bodhisattvas who teach the Dharma through compassion and as terrifying vidyārājas who teach through fear, shocking nonbelievers into faith.{{sfnp|Baroni|2002|p=100}}{{sfnp|Miyasaka|2006|p=56}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_H5p-Fqkuz8C&pg=PA120|title=昭和新纂国訳大蔵経解説部第1巻 (Shōwa shinsan Kokuyaku Daizōkyō: Kaisetsu, vol. 1)|date=1930|publisher=Tōhō Shuppan|pages=120|language=ja}}{{Cite web|title=三輪身|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%B8%89%E8%BC%AA%E8%BA%AB-71616|access-date=2020-11-28|website=コトバンク (kotobank)|language=ja}}

File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Manjusri, 10c, Kurkihar (9220688818).jpg with Yamāntaka, from Kurkihar (Bihar), currently at the Indian Museum in Kolkata. 10th century.|left]]

The evolution of the vidyārāja will be illustrated here by the deity Yamāntaka, one of the earliest Buddhist wrathful deities. In the 6th century text Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa, Yamāntaka is portrayed as the oath-bound servant of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī who assembles all beings from across the world to hear the Buddha's preaching and vanquishes (and converts) those who are hostile to Buddhism; at the same time, Yamāntaka is also the personification of Mañjuśrī's dharani, the benefits of which are identical to his abilities.{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|p=64-67}} He was also commonly depicted in statuary along with Mañjuśrī as a diminutive yaksha-like attendant figure.{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|pp=68-81}}

File:Dai Itoku Myoo Yamantaka Toji.JPG in Kyoto, Japan. Kamakura period (13th or 14th century). ]]

Later, as Yamāntaka and similar subordinates of various bodhisattvas (e.g. Hayagrīva, who was associated with Avalokiteśvara) became fully independent deities, they began to be portrayed by themselves and increasingly acquired iconographic attributes specific to each. Yamāntaka for instance is commonly shown with six heads, arms, and legs and riding or standing on a buffalo mount.{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|pp=163-175}} The status and function of these deities have shifted from being minor emissaries who gather together and intimidate recalcitrant beings to being intimately involved in the primary task of esoteric Buddhism: the transformation of passions and ignorance (avidyā) into compassion and wisdom.{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|pp=155}} As a result of this development, the relationship between Mañjuśrī and Yamāntaka was recontextualized such that Yamāntaka is now considered to be the incarnation of Mañjuśrī himself (so the Mañjuśrī-nāma-samgīti).{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|pp=163-175}} Eventually, in the sanrinjin interpretation of Japanese esoteric Buddhism, both Yamāntaka and Mañjuśrī - under the name 'Vajratīkṣṇa' (Japanese: 金剛利菩薩, Kongōri Bosatsu){{cite web |title=3. 両界曼荼羅（りょうかいまんだら） |url=https://ermjp.com/j/temple/mandara/manda/oshie/oshie7.html |website=Shingon-shū Sennyū-ji-ha Jōdo-ji Official Website |access-date=2021-09-28}}{{cite web |title=Vajratiksna |url=https://english-tibetan-dictionary.tumblr.com/post/59668575364/vajratiksna |website=English Tibetan Dictionary Online |access-date=2021-09-28}} - became classified as avatars of the buddha Amitābha.{{cite web |title=大威徳明王 |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%A4%A7%E5%A8%81%E5%BE%B3%E6%98%8E%E7%8E%8B-90795 |website=コトバンク (Kotobank) |access-date=2021-09-28}}{{cite web |title=大威徳明王 |url=http://www.ict.ne.jp/~jofukuji/daiitoku.html |website=Shingon-shū Buzan-ha Kōki-zan Jōfuku-ji Official Website |access-date=2021-09-28}}

Other Wisdom Kings followed a more or less similar development. Hayagrīva, for example, was originally the horse-headed incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu which was adopted into Buddhism as Avalokiteśvara's attendant (although unlike the Hindu Hayagrīva, the Buddhist figure was never portrayed with a horse's head, instead being depicted like Yamāntaka as a yaksha who may have a miniature horse head emerging from his hair).{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|pp=85-91}} Eventually, as Hayagrīva increasingly rose to prominence, the distinction between him and his superior became increasingly blurred so that he ultimately turned into one of Avalokiteśvara's many guises in both China and Japan.{{sfnp|Chandra|1988|pp=29-31}} One of the more famous vidyārājas, Acala (Acalanātha), was originally an acolyte or messenger of the buddha Vairocana before he was interpreted as Vairocana's fierce aspect or kyōryōrin-shin in the Japanese tradition.{{sfnp|Faure|2015a|pp=120-123}} (In Nepal and Tibet, meanwhile, he is instead identified as the incarnation of either Mañjuśrī or the buddha Akṣobhya.{{sfnp|Pal|1974|p=6}}{{Cite web|title=Acala, The Buddhist Protector|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/38011|access-date=2020-11-28|website=Metropolitan Museum of Art}}{{sfnp|Jha|1993|pp=35–36}}{{Cite web|title=Sacred Visions: Early Paintings from Central Tibet - Achala|url=https://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/svision/i22.html|access-date=2020-11-28|website=www.asianart.com}})

Iconography

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| image1 = Kongosanmaiin tahoto interior.jpg

| caption1 = Statues of the Five Wisdom Buddhas (五智如来, Gochi Nyorai) at Kongō Sanmai-in in Mount Kōya, Japan. Kamakura period (13th century). Clockwise starting from the front right: Amoghasiddhi, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, and Amitabha. Vairochana is at the center.

| image2 = The Five Wisdom Kings.jpg

| caption2 = The Five Wisdom Kings (五大明王, Godai Myōō). Clockwise starting from the top right: Vajrayakṣa, Trailokyavijaya, Kuṇḍali, and Yamāntaka. Acala is at the center.

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The iconography of Buddhist wrathful deities are usually considered to be derived from yaksha

Wisdom Kings are usually represented as fierce-looking, often with blue or black skin and multiple heads, arms, and legs. They hold various weapons in their hands and are sometimes adorned with skulls, snakes or animal skins and wreathed in flames. This fiery aura is symbolically interpreted as the fire that purifies the practitioner and transforms one's passions into awakening, the so-called "fire samadhi" (火生三昧, Japanese: kashō-zanmai).{{sfnp|Faure|2015a|p=117}}

Certain vidyārājas bear attributes that reflect the historical rivalry between Hinduism and Buddhism. For instance, the Wisdom King Trailokyavijaya is shown defeating and trampling on the deva Maheśvara (one of the Buddhist analogues to Shiva) and his consort Umā (Pārvatī).{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|pp=178-187}} A commentary on the Mahavairocana Tantra by the Tang monk Yi Xing meanwhile attributes the taming of Maheśvara to another vidyārāja, Acala.

List of Wisdom Kings

=The Five Wisdom Kings=

In Chinese and Japanese (Shingon and Tendai) esoteric Buddhism, the Five Great Wisdom Kings (五大明王, Jp. Godai Myōō; Ch. Wǔdà Míngwáng), also known as the Five Guardian Kings, are a group of vidyārājas who are considered to be both the fierce emanations of the Five Wisdom Buddhas and the guardians of Buddhist doctrine.{{sfnp|De Visser|1928|pp=143-151}}{{cite web |last1=Vilbar |first1=Sinéad |title=Kings of Brightness in Japanese Esoteric Buddhist Art |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kibr/hd_kibr.htm |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |access-date=2021-10-01 |date=October 2013}} Organized according to the five directions (the four cardinal points plus the center), the Five Kings are usually defined as follows:

Acala / Acalanātha (不動明王; Jp. Fudō Myōō; Ch. 不動明王, Bùdòng Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Mahāvairocana, associated with the center
Trailokyavijaya (降三世明王; Jp. Gōzanze Myōō; Ch. Xiángsānshì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Akṣobhya, associated with the east
Kuṇḍali / Amṛtakuṇḍalin (軍荼利明王, Jp. Gundari Myōō; Ch. Jūntúlì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Ratnasambhava, associated with the south
Yamāntaka (大威徳明王; Jp. Daiitoku Myōō; Ch. Dàwēidé Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Amitābha, associated with the west
Vajrayakṣa (金剛夜叉明王, Jp. Kongōyasha Myōō; Ch. Jīngāng Yèchā Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Amoghasiddhi, associated with the north in the Shingon school
Ucchuṣma (烏枢沙摩明王; Jp. Ususama Myōō; Ch. Wūshūshāmó Míngwáng) - Associated with the north in the Tendai school{{cite web |title=五大尊 |url=http://tobifudo.jp/butuzo/5daison/index.html |website=Flying Deity Tobifudō (Ryukō-zan Shōbō-in Official Website) |access-date=2021-10-01}}

align="center" border="0" cellspacing="5"

|align = "center"|Vajrayakṣa or Ucchuṣma

(north)

align = "center"|Yamāntaka

(west)

|align = "center"|Acala

(center)

|align = "center"|Trailokyavijaya

(east)

|align = "center"|Kuṇḍali

(south)

=The Eight Wisdom Kings=

In Chinese Buddhism, the Eight Great Wisdom Kings (八大明王; pinyin: Bādà Míngwáng) is another grouping of Wisdom Kings that is depicted in statues, mural art and paintings. The acknowledged canonical source of the grouping of eight is The Sūtra of the Blazing Uṣṇīṣa of the Wondrous Vajra Kuṇḍali and Yamāntaka (大妙金剛大甘露軍拏利焰鬘熾盛佛頂經; Dàmiào Jīngāng Dà Gānlu Jūnnálì Yànmán Chìshèng Fúdǐng Jīng).{{Cite thesis |last=Huang |first=Yongjian |title=蘇曼殊繪畫硏究 |publisher=The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library |url=https://doi.org/10.14711/thesis-b685589}} Another canonical source for the grouping of eight is the Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa (大方廣菩薩藏文殊舍利根本儀軌經; Dà Fāngguǎng Púsà Zàng Wénshūshèlì Gēnběn Yíguǐ Jīng, lit. "The Fundamental Ordinance of Mañjuśrī"), the Chinese translation of which, completed in about 980-1000 CE, is attributed to the monk Tianxizai, who is possibly the north Indian Shantideva.{{sfnp|Howard|2002|pp=92–107}} Each of the Wisdom Kings correspond to one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas ^[zh] in Chinese Buddhism as well as to a specific compass direction.

The Eight Wisdom Kings, with exceptions in certain lists, are usually defined as:{{sfnp|Howard|2002|pp=92–107}}

Acala (不動明王; Ch. 不動明王, Bùdòng Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Sarvanivāraṇaviṣkambhin, associated with the north-east
Kuṇḍali (軍荼利明王; Ch. Jūntúlì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Ākāśagarbha, associated with the north-west
Trailokyavijaya (降三世明王; Ch. Xiángsānshì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Vajrapāṇi, associated with the south-east
Yamāntaka (大威徳明王; Ch. Dàwēidé Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Mañjuśrī, associated with the east
Mahācakra (大輪明王; Ch. Dàlún Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Maitreya, associated with the south-west
Padanakṣipa (步擲明王; Ch. Bùzhì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Samantabhadra, associated with the north
Aparājita (無能勝明王; Ch. Wúnéngshèng Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Kṣitigarbha, associated with the south
Hayagrīva (馬頭明王; Ch. Mǎtóu Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin), associated with the west

align="center" border="0" cellspacing="5"

|align = "center"|Kuṇḍali

(north-west)

|align = "center"|Padanakṣipa

(north)

|align = "center"|Acala

(north-east)

align = "center"|Hayagrīva

(west)

|align = "center"|Yamāntaka

(east)

align = "center"|Mahācakra

(south-west)

|align = "center"|Aparājita

(south)

|align = "center"|Trailokyavijaya

(south-east)

= The Ten Wisdom Kings =

File:Dazu 2007 774.jpg (Wúnéngshēng Míngwáng; left), Mahācakra (Dàlún Míngwáng; center), and Padanakṣipa (Bùzhì Míngwáng; right). Part of a series of rock carvings depicting the Ten Wisdom Kings in Dazu District, Chongqing, China.]]

The more common grouping found in Chinese Buddhism is the Ten Great Wisdom Kings (十大明王; Shídà Míngwáng). Several groupings of the Ten Kings exist based on different canonical scriptural sources, each of which differ slightly in the naming of certain vidyārājas and attributing certain Kings to different Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Some examples of acknowledged canonical sources for the grouping of the Ten Wisdom Kings are The Sūtra of the Liturgy for Brilliant Contemplation of the Ten Wrathful Wisdom Kings of the Illusory Net of the Great Yoga Teachings (佛說幻化網大瑜伽教十忿怒明王大明觀想儀軌經; Fóshuō Huànhuàwǎng Dà Yújiājiào Shífènnù Míngwáng Dàmíng Guānxiǎng Yíguǐ Jīng) as well as The Sūtra with the Great Instructions that are Universal, Secret, and Unexcelled about the Contemplations of Mañjuśrī (妙吉祥平等秘密最上觀門大教王經; Miàojíxiáng Píngděng Mìmì Zuìshàng Guānmén Dàjiàowáng Jīng).{{sfnp|Howard|2002|pp=92–107}}

In contemporary Chinese Buddhist practice, the Ten Wisdom Kings are regularly invoked in ceremonies and rituals, such as the Shuilu Fahui ceremony, where they are provided offerings and entreated to expel evil from the ritual platform. In particular, ritual paintings of the Ten Wisdom Kings are arranged in a particular maṇḍala (壇; Ch. tán) during the Shuilu Fahui ceremony, with a particular direction associated with each Wisdom King.{{cite thesis |last1=Bloom |first1=Phillip Emmanual |date=2013 |title=Descent of the Deities: The Water-Land Retreat and the Transformation of the Visual Culture of Song-Dynasty (960–1279) Buddhism |id={{ProQuest|1422026705}} |oclc=864907811 }}{{pn|date=June 2023}}{{cite book |last1=Hong |first1=Tsai-Hsia |title=The Water-Land Dharma Function Platform Ritual and the Great Compassion Repentance Ritual |date=2005 |oclc=64281400 }}{{pn|date=June 2023}} The Wisdom King Ucchuṣma (穢跡金剛明王; Ch. Huìjì Jīngāng Míngwáng, lit. "Vajra Being of Impure Traces"), a manifestation of Śakyamuni, is not counted among the Ten Wisdom Kings in the ceremony, but he is still invoked separately from the grouping in the same ritual and his image is typically enshrined above the outer north direction of the maṇḍala of the Ten Wisdom Kings. The specific list of the Ten Wisdom Kings invoked during the Shuilu Fahui ceremony, along with their associated directions in the maṇḍala, is canonized in the ceremony's ritual manual (水陸儀軌會本; Shuǐlù Yíguǐ Huìběn) based on scriptural sources. They are as follows:{{sfnp|Howard|2002|pp=92–107}}{{Citation |last=上海佛学书局 |title=水陸儀軌會本卷1-卷4 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SSID-11351245_%E6%B0%B4%E9%99%B8%E5%84%80%E8%BB%8C%E6%9C%83%E6%9C%AC_%E5%8D%B71-%E5%8D%B74.pdf |access-date=2025-05-06}}

Acala (不動明王; Ch. 不動明王, Bùdòng Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Sarvanivāraṇaviṣkambhin, associated with the east
Trailokyavijaya (降三世明王; Ch. Xiángsānshì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Vajrapāṇi, associated with the outer south
Kuṇḍali (軍荼利明王; Ch. Jūntúlì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Amitābha, associated with the inner north
Yamāntaka (大威徳明王; Ch. Dàwēidé Míngwáng) - Manifestation of the Mañjuśrī, associated with the north-east
Mahācakra (大輪明王; Ch. Dàlún Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Maitreya, associated with the outer north
Padanakṣipa (步擲明王; Ch. Bùzhì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Samantabhadra, associated with the south-west
Aparājita (無能勝明王; Ch. Wúnéngshèng Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Kṣitigarbha, associated with the inner south
Hayagrīva (馬頭明王; Ch. Mǎtóu Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin), associated with the west
Vajrahāsa (大笑明王; Ch. Dàxiào Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Ākāśagarbha, associated with the south-east
Mahābala (大力明王; Ch, Dàlì Míngwáng) - Manifestation of Śakyamuni, associated with the north-west

align="center" border="0" cellspacing="5"

| align="center"|Mahācakra

(outer north)

align="center" |Mahābala

(north-west)

| align="center" |Kuṇḍali

(inner north)

| align="center" |Yamāntaka

(north-east)

align="center" |Hayagrīva

(west)

| align="center" |Acala

(east)

align="center" |Padanakṣipa

(south-west)

| align="center" |Aparājita

(inner south)

| align="center" |Vajrahāsa

(south-east)

| align="center"|Trailokyavijaya

(outer south)

File:Ming dynasty mural of Mahabala (大力明王; Dali Mingwang), one out of Ten Wisdom Kings (十大明王), in Dayun Temple (浑源大云寺), Hunyuan, Datong, Shanxi, China.jpg|Mahābala (大力明王; Dàlì Míngwáng)

File:Ming Dynasty mural of Hayagriva (馬頭觀音; 马头观音; Matou) and Acala (不動明王;不动明王; Budong), two of Ten Wisdom Kings (十大明王), in Dayun Temple (浑源大云寺), Hunyuan, Datong, Shanxi, China.jpg|Hayagrīva (Mǎtóu Guānyīn) on the left and Acala (Bùdòng Míngwáng) on the right

File:Ming Dynasty mural of Mahacakra (大輪明王; 大轮明王; Dalun Mingwang) and Yamantaka (大威德明王; Daweide Mingwang), two of Ten Wisdom Kings (十大明王), in Dayun Temple (浑源大云寺), Hunyuan, Datong, Shanxi, China.jpg|Mahācakra (Dàlún Míngwáng) on the left and Yamāntaka (Dàwēidé Míngwáng) on the right

File:Ming Dynasty mural of Aparajita (無能勝明王; 无能胜明王) and Padanaksipa (步擲明王;步掷明王), two of Ten Wisdom Kings (十大明王), in Dayun Temple (浑源大云寺), Hunyuan, Datong, Shanxi, China.jpg|Aparajita (Wúnéngshēng Míngwáng) on the left and Padanaksipa (Bùzhì Míngwáng) on the right

File:Ming Dynasty mural of Vajrahasa (大笑明王; Daxiao Mingwang) and Kundali (軍荼利明王; 军荼利明王; Juntuli Mingwang), two of Ten Wisdom Kings (十大明王), in Dayun Temple (浑源大云寺), Hunyuan, Datong, Shanxi, China.jpg|Vajrahāsa (Dàxiào Míngwáng) on the left and Kuṇḍali (Jūntúlì Míngwáng) on the right

File:Ming dynasty mural of Trailokyavijaya (降三世明王; Xiangsanshi Mingwang), one out of Ten Wisdom Kings (十大明王), in Dayun Temple (浑源大云寺), Hunyuan, Datong, Shanxi, China.jpg|Trailokyavijaya (Xiángsānshì Míngwáng)

=Others=

File:愛染明王, Rāgarāja, Kamakura period 2.jpg (Aizen Myōō), 13th century, Japan. Important Cultural Property]]

Other deities to whom the title vidyārāja is applied include:

Rāgarāja (愛染明王; Ch. Àirǎn Míngwáng; Jp. Aizen Myōō) - A vidyaraja considered to transform worldly lust and sexual passion into spiritual awakening; manifestation of the bodhisattva Vajrasattva and/or the buddha Vairochana.{{cite web |title=愛染明王 |url=http://tobifudo.jp/butuzo/myoou/aizen.html |website=Flying Deity Tobifudo (Ryūkō-zan Shōbō-in Official Website) |access-date=2021-10-16}}
Āṭavaka (大元帥明王; Ch. Dàyuánshuài Míngwáng; Jp. Daigensui Myōō or 大元明王, Daigen Myōō) - A yaksha attendant of the deva Vaishravana.
Mahāmāyūrī (孔雀明王; Ch. Kǒngquè Míngwáng; Jp. Kujaku Myōō) - A Wisdom Queen (vidyārājñī); sometimes also classified as a bodhisattva. Unlike most other vidyārājas, s/he is depicted with a benevolent expression.
Mahākrodharāja (大可畏明王; Ch. Dàkěwèi Míngwáng; Jp. Daikai Myōō) - Attendant or manifestation of Amoghapasha (不空羂索観音; Ch. Bùkōng Juànsuǒ Guānyīn; Jp. Fukū Kensaku/Kenjaku Kannon), one of Avalokiteshvara's forms.{{sfnp|Linrothe|1999|p=89}}{{cite web |title=仏像がわかる！バックナンバー４・明王部 |url=http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~houon/butu-bk04.htm |website=Kōya-san Shingon-shū Hōon-in Official Website |access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite web |title=不空大可畏明王央俱拾真言 |url=https://wisdombox.org/Mantra/15_t.pdf |website=JBox-智慧宝箧 |access-date=2021-10-02}}
Sadākṣara (六字明王; Ch. Liùzì Míngwáng; Jp. Rokuji Myōō) - A deification of the Sadākṣara (Six-Letter) Sutra Ritual (六字経法; Jp. Rokuji-kyō hō), a rite of subjugation focused on the six manifestations of Avalokiteshvara.{{cite book |last1=Fuji |first1=Tatsuhiko |title=呪法全書 (Juhō Zensho) |date=2012 |publisher=Gakken Plus |isbn=978-4-0591-1008-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gi5jCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT150}} Unlike other Wisdom Kings but like Mahamayuri, he sports a gentle bodhisattva-like countenance and is shown with four or six arms and standing on one leg.{{cite web |title=円成庵木造六字尊立像 |url=http://www.sumitomo.or.jp/html/culja/culja17/jp17029.htm |website=2017年度文化財維持・修復事業助成助成対象 |publisher=The Sumitomo Foundation|access-date=2021-10-16}}{{cite web |title=木造六字明王立像 |url=http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/kurashi/kosodate/bunka/bunkazai/shiteibunkazai/chokoku/rokujison_ritsuzo.html |website=Takamatsu City Official Website |access-date=2021-10-16}}{{cite web |title=六字明王 |url=http://tobifudo.jp/butuzo/myoou/rokuji.html |website=Flying Deity Tobifudo (Ryūkō-zan Shōbō-in Official Website) |access-date=2021-10-16}}

Examples

Examples of depictions of the Eight Wisdom Kings can be found at:

Cliff reliefs and rock carvings at Shizhongshan Grottoes^[zh] in Jianchuan, Yunnan
Statues in the Datong Guanyin Hall^[zh] in Datong, Shanxi
Frescos in the pagoda at Jueshan Temple^[zh] in Lingqiu, Shanxi

Examples of depictions of the Ten Wisdom Kings can be found at:

Rock carvings at the Dazu Rock Carving sites in Dazu, Chongqing
Statues in Shuanglin Temple near Pingyao, Shanxi
Statues in Shuilu Nunnery^[zh] in Lantian, Xi'an
Frescos in Qinglong Temple in Jishan, Shanxi
Frescos in Yong'an Temple^[zh] in Hunyuan, Shanxi
Frescos in Yunlin Temple^[zh] in Yanggao, Shanxi
Frescos in Pilu Temple^[zh] in Shijiazhuang, Hebei
Frescos in Dayun Temple^[zh] in Hunyuan, Shanxi
Shuilu ritual paintings from various temples, such as Baoning Temple^[zh] in Youyu, Shanxi (Currently kept in the Shanxi Museum)
Documents and carvings from the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang, Gansu

Gallery

File:Tang Acala Vidyaraja (9912784335).jpg|Tang dynasty statue of Acala, now kept at the Forest of Steles, Beilin Stone Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China

File:Acala at Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.JPG|Acala at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (Chinatown, Singapore)

File:Qing Head of Hayagriva (10097015083).jpg|Head of a Qing dynasty statue of Hayagrīva, now held in the Gansu Provincial Museum, Lanzhou, Gansu, China

File:102 Trailokyavijaya (35057212071).jpg|Trailokyavijaya in the Buddhist relic collection at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (Chinatown, Singapore)

File:Dazu 2007 776.jpg|Hayagrīva (left) and Trailokyavijaya (right), part of the Dazu Rock Carvings

File:KongoYashaMyoo.jpg|Vajrayakṣa

File:Ususama Myoo (Kyoto National Museum).jpg|Heian period painting of Ucchuṣma at the Kyoto National Museum

File:Daigensui Myoo (Akishinodera Nara).jpg|Statue of Āṭavaka at Akishino-dera, Nara, Japan

File:法華寺 (岐阜市)-三田洞弘法-両頭愛染明王坐像Mitahorakobo028.jpg|Statue of Two-Headed Rāgarāja, the combined form of Acala and Rāgarāja, at Hokke-ji (Mitahora Kōbō) in Gifu, Japan

File:Dazu 2007 728.jpg|The Wisdom Queen Mahāmāyūrī surrounded by various devas, part of the Dazu Rock Carvings

Wisdom King#The Five Wisdom Kings

Overview

=Development=

Iconography

List of Wisdom Kings

=The Five Wisdom Kings=

=The Eight Wisdom Kings=

= The Ten Wisdom Kings =

=Others=

Examples

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading