Mañjuśrī

Mañjuśrī as the embodiment of wisdom. He holds a sword in his right hand; in his left hand he holds a lotus flower (by the stem) upon which rests a volume of the Prajnaparamita. (Image: © Pema Namdol Thaye, Padma Studios)

Mañjuśrī (T. 'jam dpal; C. Wenshushili 文殊師利) is a bodhisattva and meditation deity in the Mahayana who is associated with transcendent wisdom (prajnaparamita).

• As a bodhisattva, he is one of the eight great bodhisattvas that are depicted as a retinue of Buddha Shakyamuni.
• As a meditation deity, he is a buddha who embodies the wisdom of all the buddhas.

Mañjuśrī is depicted in many forms, but in his most well-known form, he is shown holding a sword in one hand and in the other he holds a lotus flower on which rests a volume of the Prajnaparamita. In this context, the sword represents the wisdom which cuts through ignorance (avidyā), and the text represents study and learning.

His name in Sanskrit means “Gentle Glory.” In China he is called Wen-shu Shih-li, in Japan Monju, and in Tibet Jampal.

Epithets for Mañjuśrī

Mañjuśrī is known by following the epithets:

• Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, literally "Youthful Mañjuśrī," also translated as "Princely Mañjuśrī," etc.
• Mañjughoṣa (T. 'jam pa'i dbyangs), “gentle voiced one”
• Vāgīśvara, "lord of speech"

Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī

Mañjuśrī is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, where he appears as a bodhisattva and disciple of the Gautama Buddha. In this context he appears often as an interlocutor of the Buddha.

According to Damien Keown, Mañjuśrī is first referred to in early Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Prajnaparamita sutras, and through this association he came to symbolize the embodiment of transcendent wisdom (prajñāparamita).

According to the Princeton Dictionary, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī first comes to prominence in the Vimalakirti Sutra, where he is the only one among the Buddha's disciples who has the courage to debate with the layman Vimalakirti. He also plays important roles in the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra.

Mañjuśrī as tantric deity

Mañjuśrī is also an important figure in tantric texts such as the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa and the Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti. In this context, Mañjuśrī appears as a deity, or buddha, who embodies wisdom (prajna). He is sometimes said to embody the wisdom of all the buddhas.

In tantric texts, Mañjuśrī sometimes appears in wrathful form as Yamāntaka ("Slayer of Yama").

Mantra of Mañjuśrī

An important mantra associated with Mañjuśrī is:

• Sankrit: oṃ a ra pa ca na dhīḥ
• Tibetan: oṃ a ra pa tsa na dhīḥ (T. om a ra pa tsa na d+hIH ༀ་ཨ་ར་པ་ཙ་ན་དྷཱི༔)

This mantra is based on the Arapacana alpha-syllabary of the Kharoṣṭhī script. This syllabary was most widely used for the Gāndhārī language but also appears in some Sanskrit texts.

In the Tibetan tradition, reciting this mantra is believed to enhance wisdom and improve one's skills in debating, memory, writing, and other literary abilities.

Further information:

• Meaning of Mañjuśrī's Mantra, Lotsawa House
• Manjusri Mantra (Om Arapacana Dhih) (audio verions), The Matheson Trust

In different traditions

A painting of Mañjuśrī from the Yulin Caves of Gansu, China.

China

In China, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī came to be associated with the sacred mountain of Wutaishan, where he is said to reside.

Buddhabhadra’s early fifth-century translation of the Avataṃsakasūtra is the first text that seemed to connect Mañjuśrī with Wutaishan (Five-Terrace Mountain) in China’s Shaanxi province. Wutaishan became an important place of pilgrimage in East Asia beginning at least by the Northern Wei dynasty (424–532), and eventually drew monks in search of a vision of Mañjuśrī from across the Asian continent, including Korea, Japan, India, and Tibet.

Tibet

Mañjuśrī is an important deity in Tibetan Buddhism. In particular, the text Chanting the Names of Manjushri (Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti) is one of the most highly revered tantric texts in this tradition. The mantra of Mañjuśrī is recited especially by those engaged in the study of Buddhist texts.

Nepal

Manjushri statue. Lhalung Gompa, Spiti Valley, India

In Nepal, Mañjuśrī is associated with the famous stupa at Swayambhunath. According to the Nepali Buddhist chronicle Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake. Mañjuśrī visited the site on a pilgrimage and saw a lotus flower in the center of the lake, which emitted brilliant radiance. In order to get closer to the lotus at the center of the lake, he used his sword to cut a gorge in one end of the lake and allow the water to drain out. The place where the lotus flower settled became the great Swayambhunath stupa, and the valley thus became habitable.

Gallery

• Manjushri#Gallery, Wikipedia

Sources

• Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University 
• Harding, Sarah (2003), Machik's Complete Explanation, Snow Lion Publications 
• Jamgön Mipham (2008), A Garland of Jewels, (trans. by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso), Woodstock: KTD Publications
• Keown, Damien (2003), A Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press 
• Lopez Jr., Donald S. (2001). The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to its History and Teachings. New York, USA: HarperSanFrancisco.

Further reading

• Manjusrhri series, Lotsawa House
• Manjushri, Wikipedia
• Media related to Mañjuśrī at Wikimedia Commons
• Manjushri at Khandro Net.
• Harrison, Paul M. (2000). Mañjuśrī and the Cult of the Celestial Bodhisattvas, Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal 13, 157-193