SOTERIOLOGY AND PANTHEON OF THE MAHAYANA 107ening. Many smaller Siitras are devoted to his legend, attributes, and teach-
ings. Curiously, he is scarcely mentioned in the Prajiia-paramita Sutras, and he
is absent from the Buddhist art of all schools prior to 400 c.E. When he does
appear in art, he is shown as a bodhisattva bhik~u, with a five-pointed coiffure
or tiara, a sword (to cut ignorance) in his right hand, a book (the Prajiia-
paramita) in his left, and a lion for his mount.
The name Mafijusri means "gentle or sweet glory." He is also called
Mafijugho~a (Sweet Voice) and Vagisvara (Lord of Speech). This last epithet
also belongs to Brahma, whose roles as patron of science, custodian of mem-
ory, lord of inspiration, and most ancient of beings Mafijusri takes over in the
Mahayana pantheon. The nuclei around which this bodhisattva-figure grew
are a gandharva (youthful celestial being) named Paficasikha (Five-Crest), who
appears in the Pali Suttas; and a Brahma, Sanatkumara (Forever-a-youth), who
in one tale takes on Pancasikha's appearance because his own is too subtle for
lower gods to see. Mafijusri's connection with these two beings is revealed in
his standard epithet, kumara-bhuta, which means "in the form of a youth," or
"having become the crown prince." Mafijusri is the crown prince of Dharma
because, similar to other tenth-stage bodhisattvas, he is on the verge ofbe-
coming a King of Dharma, a Buddha.
In due course, devotees endowed Maiijusri with a legend of his own. Sev-
enty myriad aeons ago and seventy-two hundred billion Buddha-fields to the
east of this world, Manjusri was a pious king who offered worship to a
Tathagata and aroused the bodhicitta. He resolved to pursue an endless but
unhurried career toward Awakening, staying in sarpsara as long as there re-
mained even one being to be saved. Although he has now fulfilled all the
virtues of a Buddha, he has not yet considered becoming one, although even-
tually he will. This implies that there will come a time when the last living
being has been saved, a rare eschatological statement in the Buddhist tradition.
Merely hearing his name subtracts many aeons from one's time in sarpsara.
Whoever worships him is born time and again in the Buddha-family and is
protected by his power. Those who meditate on his statue will be similarly
fortunate and will reach Awakening. If a devotee recites the SuraJ?1gama-samadhi
Sutra and chants Mafijusri's name, then within seven days Mafijusri will come
to the worshiper, appearing in a dream if bad karma hinders the supplicant
from receiving direct vision. Mafijusri also takes on the form of a poor man or
an orphan to test the kindness of his devotees.
5.4.3 Avalokitesvara
(Strong EB, sec. 5.2.1)Avalokitesvara first appears as a mere name in the lists at the beginning of the
Virnalakirti, and later, the Lotus Sutra. His first significant role is in the
Sukhavati-vyuha Sutra, where he and Mahasthamaprapta are Amitabha Bud-
dha's chief attendants. They are the only bodhisattvas in Sukhavati whose light
is boundless; owing to them, that world-realm is luminous everywhere and al-
ways. Both used to be men in this world; on dying they went to Sukhavati.