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Showing posts from August, 2024

Gozu-Tenno, Ox-headed King

Gozu-Tenno, Ox-headed King 牛頭天王 Gozu-Tenno, literally "Ox-headed King," is an object of worship that is a god with a head of ox in Japanese folk beliefs once common before Meiji Restoration happened in the late 19th century. He has two different personalities; as a guardian king in an India's Buddhist monastery Jetavana (祇園精舎 Gion-Shoja in Japanese); and as a god of pestilence who brings infectious diseases. Though his origin is shrouded in mystery in fact, he is believed to have come from outside of Japan and equated with 武塔神 Muto-no-kami appeared in 蘇民将来 Somin Shorai Folklore , a Japanese mythological god 素戔嗚 Susanoo , or Bhaisajyaguru (薬師如来 Yakushi-Nyorai in Japanese), Medicine Buddha. Despite its alien-like looking, Gozu-Tenno cannot be found in other region's Buddhism. It is a figure unique to Japan developed with influences from different kinds of religions such as esoteric Buddhism, Taoism, The Way of Yin and Yang, and Japanese indigenous religion. In Go