. astrology and the worship of the planets 239
on the Tang texts. Ennin reports on the Sudṛsti cult in his celebrated ̣
Nittō guhō junrei gyōki (Record of A Trip to Tang
in Search of the Law) from the year 838, which indicates that the cult
was still flourishing during the late Tang.^39
Mañjuśrī and the Worship of the Constellations
Like Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva personifying wisdom,
is a many-faceted divinity who also makes his presence known in the
worship of the constellations. One work especially places Mañjuśrī
centrally among the astral divinities: the Wenshushili pusa ji zhu xian
suo shuo ji xing shiri shan e suyao jing
(Scripture on Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva and all the
Ṛsī Discourses on the Auspicious and Inauspicious Days [Caused by ̣
Influence from] the Constellations and Luminaries),^40 the translation
of which has been attributed to Amoghavajra. A central part of the
text consists of the Qiyao zhan (Seven Planets Divination).^41
Both the structure, style, and overall appearance of this text, together
with the fact that no similar work exists in either Sanskrit or Tibetan,
strongly suggests that this text is in fact not a translation from an
Indian original but an original composition that may have come
from Amoghavajra’s own hand. As such, this work of cause reflects
Amoghavjara’s personal interest in the cult of Mañjuśrī.^42
The Cult of Tejaprabha
Tejaprabha, the Lord of the Constellations, is undoubtedly the single
most important Esoteric Buddhist divinity in the context of plane-
tary worship designed to avert cosmic calamities. A latecomer to the
Esoteric Buddhist pantheon, Tejaprabha first makes an appearance
in China during the middle of the Tang. He occurs in a number of
scriptures, such as the the Beidou qixing humo fa
(Method of Performing the Homa [Ritual] for the Seven Stars of the
Great Dipper),^43 the compilation of which is attributed to Yixing^
(^39) Cf. Li Dingxia, et. al. 1992, 80, 83, 86, 126, etc. Ennin’s observations include both
worship of Sudr 40 ̣sti as well as votive paintings depicting the astral bodhisattva.̣
T. 1299.
(^41) T. 1299.21:398c–399b.
(^42) See Orzech 1998, 200–201.
(^43) T. 1310.21:457b–9a.