Even the most basic traits of Benzaiten are removed once Bishamonten awakens. Bishamonten has purple eyes and her hair remains long and is of different shades of green. It is kept in a ponytail, her fringe is normally seen above her eyes and her bangs are thick and caress her face. Her attire is a white bodysuit that is open in the middle, exposing her stomach and underside of her breasts.

In Taoist belief, he is conflated with the god Li Jing, whose iconography incorporates many of VaiÅ›ravaṇa's characteristics, such as carrying a pagoda. Sometimes shown holding a mongoose, representing victory over the Naga . Kangiten is regarded as protector of temples and worshipped generally by gamblers, actors, geishas and people in the business of “pleasure“.

Try researching each one and see which deity you connect with the most. You can even meditate over their images to see which one speaks to you. Bishamonten is considered to be a protective warrior God, believed to be able to protect you from evil. Mantras are not used as a special meditative device in Japan in Zen temples/monasteries. First group are mantras of different dieties, like Mahakala, Vaishravana-Bishamonten, Idaten etc. and those are protection dieties with their corresponding mantras. The other group belongs to buddhas/bodhisattvas with which given monastery or temple has some connection.

Her sleeves are detached and are white and black in the entirety. Her gauntlets are longer than the other CPUs with it covering the majority of her forearms with ease. Especially in the Shingon tradition that gives some place and worth to this hybrid character of Bishamon although most Mahayana temples have Bishamon and her counterpart as guardians at the entrance gate. The Sanmayagyo symbol is a treasure club as well as a pagoda.

This, strangely enough, reminds me of contemporary football teams – either high school or college – praying for divine intervention. The winning side convinces itself that it has been shown celestial favoritism. The detail shown below is from a Meiji period painting of Bishamon. It was purchased by Patdem and posted by him at commons.wikimedia.org. Let’s start with this gorgeous Edo period, polychromed, wooden sculpture of Bishamon standing on top of a blue demon.

Later, they built a statue of the Ushi-oni near the fountain in the temple compound. There is 毘沙門天 a particular figure of statue which is called Tobatsu Bishamonten. It wears armor knitted from chains (Kinsako (金鎖甲), and protective gear called Ebigote (海老籠手) over the arms, as well as a coronet on the head.

The temple was founded by Gyōgi Bosatsu and originally called Dōjōji. It was later rebuilt by Kōbō Daishi and yet again by St. Ippen in the 13th century. When St. Ippen rebuilt it, he also converted it to the Jishū sect of Pure Land Buddhism and changed the name to its present name.

Kōbō Daishi is said to have come here frequently from the time he was seven until he was thirteen, at which time he started to wander farther from home. There is a cave above the hondō called the Shishi no Gankutsu (Lion's Cave) where he came to meditate. Be sure to look down on Ariake beach from the lookout on the road above the temple and see the coin-shaped circle made of sand and originally built in 1633 in imitation of a coin of the Kanei period.

Nearly always dressed in armor (yoroi 鎧), looking ferocious (funnusō 忿怒相), and carrying weapons or objects (jimotsu 持物) said to eliminate evil influences and suppress the enemies of Buddhism. Also typically shown standing atop evil spirits , symbolizing the power to repel and defeat evil. This legend has been made famous the Noh drama called Ama. This temple was built by the son and by Gyōgi Bosatsu in the 694 as a memorial to her and remains dedicated to the spirits of the dead . However, the original temple dates from much earlier and the honzon dates from the time of Empress Suiko in the 6th century.