Page 112 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

faith in the Bodhisattva. However they should bear in mind that

those who make this arduous trips are generally not mere sight-

seers but seekers of wisdom who are keen meditators and there-

fore possessing calm and not easily excitable minds that are likely

to be affected by the aforementioned factors.

Temples dedicated to Wen-shu P’usa are a rarity but a statue

honouring this Bodhisattva can be found in most Chinese

temples. Generally Wen-shu either appears in a triad with the

Buddha Sakyamuni and Pu H’sien P’usa or, with Kuan Shih Yin

P’usa and Pu H’sien P’usa, as shown in the Pantheon of Deities.

ese ree Great Bodhisattvas, when appearing in a Trinity,

are in their feminine forms showing Wen-shu riding the Green

Lion and Pu H’sien astride the White Elephant. Wen-shu, as

usual, represents the Buddha’s Wisdom aspect, Pu H’sien, the

Perfect Activity of Love, and Kuan Yin, the Perfect Compassion

— these three aspects when combined together make up the

Buddha’s perfection. In the Miao Shan legend, the Green Lion

of Wen-shu was described to be the transformation of the God

of Fire and the White Elephant being the Spirit of the Water:

two evil spirits who captured the parents of the Princess when

they set out to visit Hsiang Shan where Miao Shan was then

residing, but were later subdued by heavenly forces. Upon Miao

Shan’s canonization into a Bodhisattva and earning the title as

‘e Very Compassionate Saviour of the Afflicted, Miraculous

and Helpful Protectress of Mortals’, her two elder sisters too

earned great spiritual elevations. Miao Ching became Wen-shu

P’usa and bears the title of ‘e Very Virtuous P’usa, the Com-

pletely Beautiful, Rider of the Green Lion’.

