Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated)

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4. To confess past sins and to reform.
   5. To rejoice in the virtues and happiness of others.
   6. To request Buddha to preach the Law.


5. To request Buddha to stay in the world.
   8. To study the Dharma in order to teach it.
   9. To benefit all sentient beings.


6. To transfer all merit and virtue to others.

Pu Hsien’s sacred abode in China is in the Ngo-Mei mountain

of the Szu-Chuan province.

In Japan she is often worshipped by her devotees for prosperity

as well as longevity and there are some who also revere her as the

divine patron in their meditational practices.

In the Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue

(Pu Hsien P’usa) the Buddha lavished great praises on her and

revealed that she was born in the Eastern Pure Wonder Land.

Meditators who practise this meditation will generate great

merits which will free themselves from all kinds of hindrances

as well as allowing them to see her excellent forms. e Buddha

further gave a vivid description of her as follows:

“e Bodhisattva Universal Virtue is boundless in the size of her
body, boundless in the sound of her voice, and boundless in the
form of her image. Desiring to come to this world, she makes
use of her divine transcendent powers and shrinks her stature to
the size of a human being.... She appears transformed as mount-
ed on a great white elephant which has six tasks (representing