Page 109 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

tices. ey should first of all conjure in their minds a shining

blue sky. From it a youthful prince of about sixteen years old

with flowing hair, appears and is seen seated on a pale blue lotus

with a body made of golden light. He is smiling gently and on

his forehead is a wreath of blue lotuses surrounded by a crown

of five jewels. Aksobya, a meditational Buddha, is seen seated

on top of his head. His right hand brandishes a double-edged

sword with a vajra-handle, the point of which is wreathed in

flames. His left hand has a book, his second symbol, which he

presses close to his heart. is is the Treatise on the Perfection

of Wisdom known to all as the Prajnaparamita. He wears silk of

five colours of a great being and the six ornaments of the Bodhi-

sattva. Surrounding him is a great aura of light which is radiated

from his great pure body, a very special kind of light that can

purify the minds of those who are seeking wisdom….

us is Manjugosha seen, the ‘Gentle Voiced Lord’ who is relat-

ed to creative communication. His wisdom is nothing less than

Prajna, perfect wisdom, which is symbolised by the volume of

the Prajnaparamita.

Legends of Manjusri abound, each with its own beautiful

significance so that only those who have great faith and affin-

ity with him will be able to realise their inner revelations. A

popular legend has it that Manjusri once left Mount Panca-

sirsha (Wu-tai Mountain in China) to visit the shrine of the

Primordial Buddha which was located on a high mountain and

accessible only by way of Lake Kalihrada. However, the lake

was infested with all kinds of watermonsters and spirits so that

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