C XIV
ei-o ’usa
Wei-To is an important Deva or God in the Chinese Pantheon as
his image is always present in all temples as the ‘Entry Guardian’.
He is the General-in-Chief of the thirty-two heavenly generals
who come under the Four Heavenly Kings and has earned such
titles as the ‘Protector of the Buddhist Faith’, the ‘Protector of
Monasteries’ and the ‘Protector of Dharma Books’. In all temples
where his image is found, he is always placed with his back to
the statue of Maitreya Buddha (Mi-Lo Fwo) so that he faces the
Main or Grand Hall known as the ‘Tai Hung Pao Tien’ where
the main images of the temple are installed.According to the teaching, Wei-To was a son of a heavenly king
who was so virtuous that when Sakyamuni Buddha was entering
Nirvana, he instructed the prince to guard the Buddhadharma.
us it became his duty to protect the members of the Sangha
whenever they are disturbed in their cultivation by the retinue
of Mara, the Tempter. And whenever a conflict arises among
religious Orders, General Wei-to will discharge his duty to help
bring about a peaceful settlement. His Sanskrit name is Skanda.Quite often his images are also found in small shrines located
at turning points of roads so as to afford protection against evil.
It is very easy for people to be impressed with his looks which
has a military bearing. He is always portrayed as a young and