C III
e hinese uddhist antheon
e Buddhist Pantheon has a vast number of Deities in the
seemingly endless variation of forms so that it is quite impossible
to portray them in any one illustration. Most of these Deities fall
into the category of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arahants and other
Heavenly Beings. e illustration of the Chinese Pantheon only
depicts the most popular Deities whom the Chinese adore and
there is another popular illustration which includes the Eighteen
Lohans that can be found in many temples and homes of the
Buddhists.
escription of the hinese antheon
e Trinity of the Buddhas on the top row of the illustration
consists of the historical S B who is seated
in the centre and is attended by his two foremost disciples. e
older monk standing on his left is M, who later be-
came the First Patriarch of Buddhism after the Buddha’s death.
e young monk on his right is A, his personal attendant,
who was well known for his great memory power and ability to
repeat accurately all the teachings that had been spoken by the
Buddha. He later became the Second Patriarch of Buddhism.