Across Cultures — Bishamonten, Duowen Tianwang, and Vaiśravaṇa
This same deity traveled across the Buddhist world, revered in each land under remarkably different names and forms — from Bishamonten the warrior of Japan, to Duowen Tianwang guarding the temple gates of China, to Vaiśravaṇa riding the snow lion of Tibet — yet all share one essence.
Imagine a journey across the Buddhist world.
Setting out from Thailand, heading north into China, crossing the sea to Japan, then turning up onto the Tibetan plateau — in each land, should we step into a temple, we would meet a guardian deity who looks strangely familiar. For in truth, he is the very same Tao Wessuwan whom we venerate, only clothed in the form and name of each culture.
This is the proof of his greatness: that he has crossed the borders of lands and ages to dwell in the hearts of peoples of many races.
Bishamonten — the Warrior of Japan
In the Land of the Rising Sun, Tao Wessuwan is known by the name Bishamonten (Bishamonten / 毘沙門天), or simply Bishamon for short.
The Japanese see him as a god of war and a warrior, clad in armor, bearing weapons, and punishing the wicked. His image is therefore fierce and valiant in the manner of a samurai warrior. In one hand he holds a spear, and in the other a miniature pagoda, the symbol of the sacred treasure-house that he both guards and bestows upon the faithful.
A Remarkable Note
In Japan, Bishamonten is also revered as one of the Seven Gods of Fortune (Shichifukujin), whom the Japanese venerate for good luck and auspiciousness. Many samurai generals of old held him as their personal deity, to ask for victory on the field of battle.
Another of his names in Japan is Tamonten (Tamonten / 多聞天), which means "He Who Hears Much," conveying how he keeps watch and listens to the Dhamma that the Buddha expounds.
Duowen Tianwang — the Gate-Guardian of China's Temples
In the land of China, he is Duowen Tianwang (Duōwén Tiānwáng / 多聞天王), whose meaning corresponds to the Japanese Tamonten: "the Tianwang (Heavenly King) Who Hears Much," referring to the guardian of the place where the Buddha expounds the Dhamma.
In Chinese temples we often find his image enshrined in the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings (Tianwang Dian), together with the other three Great Kings, keeping watch over the entrance to the sacred precinct. In Chinese tradition, he often holds a pagoda in one hand and a trident (a three-pronged spear) in the other.
Did You Know?
Among the Four Heavenly Kings in Chinese tradition, Tao Wessuwan (Duowen Tianwang) is often honored as the chief, or leader, of all four — which accords with his prominence in Thai tradition and the others we have recounted throughout. It is a remarkable thing that many cultures alike single him out for special honor.
Beyond this, in Chinese folk belief and Daoism, his characteristics have also been merged with the god Li Jing, who likewise holds a pagoda, until the image became a familiar one in Chinese culture.
Vaiśravaṇa — the Snow-Lion Rider of Tibet
Up on the Tibetan plateau, he is Vaiśravaṇa, or in the Tibetan language called Namtöse (Namtöse), which means "He Who Hears All," matching the meaning in China and Japan.
In Tibetan tradition, he is revered as a Dharma-protector, a guardian of the Dhamma; and what is interesting is that he is often linked with, or held to be an aspect of, Jambhala, the god of wealth in Vajrayāna Buddhism.
In Tibetan thangka paintings, Vaiśravaṇa often appears in a magnificent form, seated upon a snow lion, holding the banner of victory and a mongoose spitting forth a jewel, a symbol of treasure flowing without end.
A Connection to His Roots
This symbol of the mongoose spitting out a jewel is most striking, for it is the very same symbol that has clung to Kubera since ancient Hindu belief, as we told in Chapter 3. This shows that even as the outward form changes from culture to culture, the deep root of being the god of wealth follows him everywhere he goes.
One Essence Beneath Many Forms
When we look at the whole picture of Tao Wessuwan across the Buddhist world, we find something wonderful.
Whether it be Bishamonten the warrior of Japan, Duowen Tianwang the gate-guardian of China, Vaiśravaṇa the lion-rider of Tibet, or Tao Wessuwan the great yaksha of Thailand — all of them share three things in common, unchanging.
The first is being the guardian of the North, the second is being the god of wealth, and the third is being the protector of Buddhism. These three essentials travel across borders with him everywhere, even as the outer shell changes according to the imagination of each land.
A Reflection
This teaches us that what is truly and greatly sacred inevitably transcends the borders of race and culture. People of different languages and different beliefs each find a refuge for the heart in one and the same deity. This is the proof of the vast and far-reaching majesty of Tao Wessuwan.
Before We Go On
We have journeyed across the Buddhist world, met Tao Wessuwan in many forms, and brought to a close the part that speaks of his form and symbols.
By now we understand fully his identity, his station in the cosmos, his relationship with the Buddha, and his form. The next question, then, is the one closest of all to the faithful — how, then, shall we venerate him rightly and to good effect?
In the next part, we will enter the matter of veneration, beginning with the most essential heart of it: the kaatha of worship and the offerings, in the chapter that follows.