Temple of the Immovable (Dampa Zangpo)

Composite Deities, Incarnations, and Personifications In Indo-European base faiths, be it European Ethnic or Dharmic faiths, it is common for an attribute or aspect of a deity to be focused upon and personified. Often it will take on a form of its own and lore, stories, interactions, prayers rituals, and depictions of it will be singularly expressed. To an outside, or often Abrahamic, perspective this may seem like a separate deity in its own right, which in some way it is, and the result is the intepretation of hundred of Gods (which is not the case). This is not saying all Gods are one, but no one who truly understands these religions, and/or is initiated into their traditions, sees these Gods as wholly separate from their originating deity. Instead the general core deities may manifest themselves as many others via specified aspects being admired and revered. Sometimes these aspect may even be that deity during a certain emanation, incarnation, or time period. Krishna as a Child, Avatars of Vishnu, the incarnations of the Buddha, wrathful variants of Bodhisattvas, as well as composite deities like Durga or Avalokiteśvara, and the disguises and/shape shifting of Odin or Zeus are all great examples. 2/2

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I mediated for a bit before quoting this. I am very much against the iconoclastic, hyper minimalism, and sometimes atheism that will be promoted from the extreme wabi-sabi (侘び寂び) approach to emptiness (Sunyata) that accompanies ideas of Zen (especially in Western academic influenced Buddhism) However, when you are without shelter, without temple, without sutra, without imagery, all you have is mantra and names. The names of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Gods. Invoking the names alone brings the attributes, inner presence, and external organization of Order from Chaos of the world around you and its connection to Dharmakāya via interdependence, non-inherent existence, and ultimate emptiness. This is how one should use mantra. This is how one should view true Zen / Chan, Pureland, Vaishnavism Krishan chants, Vajrayana Mantra and seed symbolism, and even Odinic Runic Galdr.

Saitō Musashibō Benkei (西塔武蔵坊弁慶) A sōhei / warrior monk who lived in the Heian period. His birth was said to have been divine according to folklore. Some say he his father was a God. He was called Oniwaka (鬼若 "demon/ogre child" and grew up to being 6 ft 6 inch. He fought alongside Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and to defend Koromogawa no tate castle, he was said to have defested 300 men on his own on a bridge. Benkei is, though, by some in Esoteric Buddhism to he an Dharmapala (protector of the dharma) even after his death, as he was on his life, and thereby a Saint. Personally, he is a figure I have always looked up to as a Buddhist and as one who practices martial arts.

The gates of Hell are open night and day; smooth the descent and easy is the way.

Captain Charles James William Pfoundes 1905, Japan. "Pfoundes, early Irish Japanologist, was born near Waterford in 1840. He emigrated to Australia in 1854. He arrived in Japan in 1863 as a naval officer, and worked around Japan. From 1870, he accompanied Japanese delegations to Europe (including the Pope) and the USA. Returning to Japan, he spent time in Buddhist temples. He travelled Europe in 1877, visited Ireland, and married in the UK in 1878. In 1889, he led the first Buddhist mission to the West, starting a London branch of the Japanese Buddhist Propagation Society. In 1893, he returned to Japan, was ordained by the Shugendou. He died at Kobe in 1907."

A breakdown of Zao Gongen and his connection to the Supreme Mahavairocana and the Indo-European Sky Father.🙏🏼 🔥 📿In Shugendou, we believe that En no Gyoujya received transmission directly from the Gods and the Buddhas himself.In particular, Mahāmāyūrī whose sutra, mantra, and Dharani, as well as the divine teachings of Mahavairocana Buddha were said to have been given to him by Mahāmāyūrī herself.With this, En no Gyoujya composed the Unlimited Life of the Threefold Body sutra, which praises Vairocana Buddha.Thereby, via Mahavairocana Tantra, one arrives at the Womb Realm or Taizoukai.A Gongen is an avatar and usually a triple composite deity. These deities are often a Kami brought into Buddhism via comparative absorption, but also maybe reflect Vedic Devas at the same time. They usually correlate to. Buddha and/or Bodhisattva. This singular composite is usually a Holy wrathful version or Vajra version.Zao Gongen was, is one of the most popular ones aside from Acala.He is said to represent the totality of Mahavairocana's via the Womb Realm. He is also thought to be a composite of Past, Present, and Future via Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, and Maitreya.His popularity and rise to prominence seem to be among the primary Shugendou regions.His mantra is "Om Bakiryu Svāhā"His seed Sanskrit character is the Om itself 🕉.Note: Zao Gongen is said by some sources to be Vajragarbhalokeśvara a totality of the 108 names of Avalokiteshvara.This also can be said to correlate to the 108-names theme regarding Rudra-Shiva.Being that the closest and often most direct enlightened version of Rudra-Shiva would be Avalokiteshvara. In the same way the 5 Wisdom Kings Vidyārāja that have Acala as their center and core primary deity being worshiped currently also represent aspects of Rudra-Shiva with the primary of Acala / Acalanātha directly representing Mahavairocana which brings us round circle to how Acala is almost a succession of Zao Gongen or one in the same.Long story short, and a bit of personal belief, in many forms of Vajrayana, especially Japanese, Mahavairocana is seen as the supreme Buddha who correlated directly to Dharmakaya and possibly above that of Shakyamuni in reverence. His is practically equivalent to Brahman, Monad, or Big G God for the Vajrayana understanding (though Western Abrahamic concepts of deity don't apply). With Avalokiteshvara and Rudra-Shiva being his Bodhisattva and Mundane Deva forms respectively, and Rudra directly being seen to equal Dyauspitr / Dyesu Patr he is also the Indo-European equivalent of the Sky Father.

Zao Gongen / Vajragarbhalokeśvara.

"Arhat Nakasaina Sonja Seated On a Rock, with a Dragon Emerging From His Bowl," by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

天上天下唯我独尊 (Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one​) - Bhagavat upon his Birth.

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