WEI-SHU-SHI-LI P'USA -- MANJUSRI | |||
WEI-SHU-SHI-LI P'USA -- MANJUSRI Manjusri, the personification of Transcendental Wisdom, is the first Bodhisat va mentioned in Buddhist scriptures, and one of the two most prominent and important Bodhisat vas of Maha- yana Buddhism. His wisdom is perfect and is symbolised by the sword, he holds in his right hand signifying his intel ect which pierces the deepest recesses of Buddhist thought and cut ing doubts which cannot otherwise be solved. His name frequently appears in various sutras and in the Lotus Sutra, or e Lotus of the Good Law, it was mentioned that he had trained and disci- plined many bodhisat vas. In the Mahayana, Wisdom and Compassion are regarded as equal y important, but with greater emphasis on Wisdom. Man- jusri, the Lord of Wisdom and Knowledge, is therefore con- sidered as the foremost Bodhisat va in early Mahayana. Later Mahayana laid greater stress on the practise of Compassion so that Avalokitesvara, the Lord of Compassion (Karuna), who is known to the Chinese as Kuan Shih Yin P'usa, soon emerged as the supreme Bodhisat va. Manjusri, meaning `Gentle Glory' or `Sweet Splendour', is often regarded as the `prince royal' of the Buddha's realm. He is also ¡ûBACK¡û |INDEX| ¡úNEXT¡ú |