Buddhist Mythology

As Buddhism spread, it divided into many different sects. Each sect developed it
s own traditions and mythology, often based on a combination of local beliefs an
d deities with Buddhist teaching.
India. Early Buddhism in India was influenced by Brahmanism, a form of the Hindu
religion. Both religions shared the idea of the cycle of birth and reincarnatio
n, and both included Devas, traditional Indian gods, and Asuras, powerful demons
.
A principal figure in Indian Buddhism was Amitabha, who was a bodhisattvaa person
who had become enlightened but postponed entering nirvana in order to help othe
rs gain enlightenment. According to legend, Amitabha was born from a lotus flowe
r and came to the aid of Buddhists who worshiped him and pronounced his sacred n
ame.

China. Arriving in China in about A . D . 65, Buddhism developed into one of tha
t country's three most important religions, alongside Taoism and Confucianism. B
uddhist gods came to be worshiped in Taoist temples and vice versa, and in some
temples, the three religions were practiced side by side.
The Mahayana Buddhism practiced in China was an elaborate form of the religion,
with more gods and myths than Theravada Buddhism. In the A . D . 600S, questions
arose about certain Buddhist teachings, so a monk named Xuan Zang (also called
Tripitaka) went to India to obtain copies of official scriptures. An account of
his legendary trip was published in the 1500s as Journey to the West. In the sto
ry, the monkey god Sun Wukong and the pig god Zhu Bajie joined Xuan Zang on his
journey. During the 14-year expedition, the three travelers had to endure many o
rdeals and tests of their sincerity, including fighting demons and monsters with
the help of a magic stick.
Chinese Buddhists established a complex hierarchy of gods and goddesses. One of
the more important deities was Shang Di, whose main assistant, Dongyue Dadi, was

known as Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak. Under him were various departments
where the souls of virtuous people worked to manage every aspect of human and an
imal life.
Some of the other important Buddhist gods were the Four Kings of Heaven, the Fou
r Kings of Hell, and the kitchen god, the most important deity of the home. Anot
her major deity was the bodhisattva Mi-le (known in India as Maitreya), consider
ed to be the future Buddha. Portrayed as a fat, cheerful man, Mi-Le was sometime
s called the Laughing Buddha. Worshipers prayed to join him in paradise. Each di
strict in China had its own local deity, as did all activities and ways of makin
g a living. Even the smallest details of life were controlled by various minor g
ods and goddesses.

From God to Goddess

In Chinese Buddhism, the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara evolved from a male figure o
f sympathy into Kuanyin, the goddess of mercy. Tibetans gave Avalokitesvara's wi
fe, Tara, the title Pandaravasin, meaning "dressed in white." The Chinese transl
ation of that title is Pai-i-Kuanyin.
Chinese Buddhists apparently combined the figure of Tara with the characteristic
s of Avalokitesvara to create a mother goddess figure. As the one who blesses co
uples with children, Kuanyin appealed to the Chinese belief in ancestor worship,
and she became one of the most popular and important Buddhist deities. In Japan
, Avalokitesvara is worshiped in both male and female forms as the deity Kannon.
Japan. Buddhism came to Japan in about A . D . 550 and spread quickly because of
support from the Japanese royal family. Although
supporters of Shinto, the native religion of Japan, at first opposed Buddhism, t
he two religions eventually became closely linked. Buddhist temples contained Sh
into shrines, and Shinto gods (known collectively as kamt) became Buddhist guard
ians. This mix of Shintoism and Buddhism continued until 1868, when the emperor
declared Shinto a state religion and banned Buddhist priests and images from Shi
nto temples. Yet Buddhism remained popular and still has a larger following in J
apan than does Shinto.
Although the various forms of Japanese Buddhism include religious ideas from Ind
ia and China, they have their own mythologies and pantheons. One of the main dei
ties is Amida (known in other Buddhist regions as Amitabha), ruler of a paradise
called the Pure Land. He is worshiped by some Japanese sects as the savior of h
umankind. Kannona bodhisattva known elsewhere as Kuanyin and Avalokitesvarais the
protector of children, women in childbirth, and dead souls. Another popular deit
y, the bodhisattva Jiz, protects humans and rescues souls from hell. He is often
described as a gentle monk who wanders through the land of the dead bringing lig
ht and comfort to the souls imprisoned there.
Tibet. Buddhism reached Tibet from India in the A . D . 600S and gradually absor
bed native religious practices, creating a unique form of Buddhism. Tibetan Budd
hists worship many groups of Buddhas, gods, and bodhisattvas. They also believe
in the existence of numerous demons and evil spirits.
According to Tibetan Buddhists, the world goes through an endless cycle of creat
ion and decay, and a new Buddha appears in each world age to teach Buddhist prin
ciples. Legend says that one of these Buddhas, Amitabha, ordered a bodhisattva n

amed Avalokitesvara to bring Buddhism to Tibet. At the time, only animals and og
res lived there. Avalokitesvara thus produced a monkey and sent it to meditate i
n Tibet. The monkey was approached by a female ogre in the form of a beautiful w
oman, who offered to be his wife. The two had children, but they were covered wi
th hair and had tails. Avalokitesvara sent the children to a forest to mate with
other monkeys. He returned a year later and discovered many offspring. When Ava
lokitesvara gave these creatures food they turned into human beings, and he was
then able to convert them to Buddhism.

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