RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 56 Yin in the other temple, the Pi-yun Ssu, depicts her with only two arms sitting cross-legged on a recumbent blue lion. Her assistants are an unnamed dark-faced elderly minister who appears to be South Asian, standing holding a tablet before his chest and dressed in a long blue robe. Her other attendant is the Red Youth, Hung Hai-eh, standing on her left hand with his hands held together before his chest, and dressed in a red robe over green trousers with a flowing scarf-like halo. Taking the three groups, the twenty Deva listed in Soothill, and the two groups in the Ta Pei Ssu and the Pi-yun Ssu, we have twenty deities common to all three. These are: Brahma, Indra, Pancika, Sarasvati, Laksmi, Skanda [Wei T'o], Prthivi, Hariti, Marici, Surya, Candra, Siva, Yamaraja, Bodhidhruma, Guyapati, Kinnara and the four T'ien-wang guardians Vaisravana, Dhrtarastra, Virudhaka and Virupaksa. In the Ta Pei Ssu we also have five additional Deva not present in the Pi-yun Ssu, the Asura, Vimalakirti, Nanda Upananda and Mahoraga. A further two Deva images are seen only in the Pi-yun Ssu. These are Lei Kung and Sagara. Taking each of the deities in turn, we shall examine their background and in particular their Brahmanist [or Vedic] origins, their role in the Chinese pantheon and any ambiguities or contradictions we encounter. The important three Brahmanist deities are known in Sanskrit as the Trimurti: the creator Brahma the preserver Vishnu the destroyer Siva Brahma and Siva are indeed included in the two temples whilst Vishnu is not3. Though a major Hindu deity today Vishnu was not so during the Vedic era of the second millennium BC. His particular task ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 58 seen in a comparatively modern temple near Taipei. A lengthy tunnel connects the main part of the Kuan Tu temple complex, to the North-west of Taipei, with the front entrance overlooking the Tamshui River. Some twenty-eight images stand in glass-fronted niches carved into the rock down the sides of the tunnel. These large individual images are of the Early Buddhas, the Ku Fo; the Buddhas of pre-history, the Buddhas who came before Sakyamuni, The Buddha. They have no altars and as there is an altar dedicated to the Thousand-arm and Thousand-Eye Kuan Yin P'u-sa at the river end of the tunnel they are not offered incense individually. Several aspects of the hagiography of the images in the cave/tunnel are intriguing. First of all, those holding weapons have them in their left hand. They are mostly dressed in gilded armour, and finally, their titles in Chinese, though Sinicised Sanskrit, have proved impossible to translate into the original Sanskrit and are therefore unidentified. Several of these unidentified deities have been depicted in Taiwanese religious literature but without any explanation apart from being listed under a general title of Supportive Incantations to Buddha, Ta Pei Chou Fo 大悲咒佛. The following Vedic deities who have been noted in one or both of the temples in the Western Hills would seem not to be present in the cave/tunnel: Marici, Pancika, Hariti, Pippala [Bodhidruma], Laksmi, Prthivi, Surya, Candra, Vimalakirti, Nanda Upananda and Skanda/Veda. Of the scores of books, both the popular illustrated and monastic academic, produced over the last half century in Taiwan describing the Buddhas, bodhisattvas and the hundreds of minor deities of Buddhism, one at least has listed what they have called The Celestial Guardians Division. This list includes not only the Four Diamond Kings, the T'ien Wang, [Vaisravana, Dhrtarastra, Virudhaka and Virupaksa] but nine of the Deva seen in the Western Hills. These are Indra [Sakra-devanam], Brahma [Maha-Brahman], Marici, Laksmi [Sri-maha-devi], Sarasvati, Yamaraja, Guhyapati, Skanda [Wei T'o] and Gandharva. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 69 the fingers of his right hand and the palm of his left. 11] Surya known in Chinese as Jih Tien-tzu EX F Surya, one of the more important deities, personifies the sun and is the Vedic sun-god. He is regarded as a Yaksha and as the ruler of the sun. He is the source of all knowledge; and also within agricultural communities he controls the seasons. In India his main characteristics are lotuses, one held at shoulder height in each hand. An image of Surya is present in both the Pi-yun Ssu and the Ta Pei Ssu. In the Ta Pei Ssu he is portrayed as a standard Chinese minister, standing in colourful robes, highly decorated with a floral pattern. He is wearing a Ming dynasty leather bonnet of an official and is holding a tablet between both hands before his chest. He has a black moustache and beard but no unique characteristics. In the Pi-yun Ssu the deity would appear to be female. She is dressed in multi-coloured robes and crown, but this time holding a very long-stemmed flower between her right and left hands. [2] Candra known in Chinese as the ruler of the moon 7. He is male and referred to also as Yüeh T’ien and as Soma Deva or Candra Deva. An image of Candra is present in both the Pi-yun Ssu and the Ta Pei Ssu. In the latter he is depicted as a youthful emperor or chief minister with an ornate official leather bonnet and highly colourful, decorated robes. He holds a tablet in both hands before his chest but has no unique identifying characteristic. In the Pi-yun Ssu he is again dressed in multi-coloured robes. This time, however, he is wearing an ornate and colourful crown and his hands are held in what perhaps is a symbolic sign, with the right hand held at shoulder height, fingers poised as if to pluck something out of the air and the left hand outstretched. 13] Yama Known in Chinese as Yen-mo-lo In the Vedas Yama is the god of the dead with whom the spirits of the departed dwell. He would appear to have several forms and identities, ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 90 Chun-t'i P'u-sa Marici Jih T'ien-tzu Surya Yüeh-kung T'ien-tzu Candra Lung Wang Sagara Yen-mo-lo Yamaraja Ah Su-lo Asura Kan Ta-po Wei Mo-chi Nan-t'o Ma-hu-lo Tzu-wei Ta-ti Chin na-lo Gandharva Vimalakirti Nanda Mahoraga a Chinese deity Kinnara Tung Yueh Ta-ti A Chinese deity ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 91 Appendix C THE TWENTY-SEVEN SO-CALLED DEVA WHOSE IMAGES STAND IN THE TA PEI TIEN, ONE OF THE BA DA CHU [THE EIGHT GREAT SITES] IN PEKING'S WESTERN HILLS Asura Candra Dhrtarastra Gandharva Guhyapati raja Hariti Kinnara Ksitigarbha Laksmi devi Maha Isvara Mahabrahman - Brahma Marici Nanda Upar Nanda Pancika Pippala ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 96 Appendix E THE LIST OF TWENTY DEVA 十天 +* IN SOOTHILL'S DICTIONARY OF CHINESE BUDDHIST TERMS Maha Brahman - Brahma Sakra devanam - Indra Vaisravana Dhrtarastra Virudhaka The Four Diamond Kings - Temple Guardians of the Four Directions Virupaksa Guhyapati Mahesvara Pancika Sarasvati Laksmi Skanda Prthivi Bodhidruma or Bodhivrksa Hariti Marici Surya Candra Sagara Yama-raja ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 Devas in the Deva Hall of the Pi-yun Ssu left to right:Sarasvati, Skanda, Bodhidruma, Maritci, Candra 103 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1998 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/1g05n0794 104 Devas in the Deva Hall of the Pi-yun Ssu right to left:Siva,Ziwei Dadi [Venus], Yama,Candra,Maritci and Bodhidruma ================================================================================