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TENBU (DEVA) GROUP - TOP PAGE
Last Update Feb. 6, 2006 = Added five new Tenbu
TENBU (Japanese) DEVA (Sanskrit)
Literally "Celestial Beings," Protectors of Buddhist Law
Grouping of Hindu deities who converted to Buddhism.
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TENBU (Deva, Divine Beings)
Hindu deities who converted to Buddhism after learning the teachings of the Historical Buddha. Like the Myou-ou (Kings of Light), the Tenbu stand guard over the Nyorai (Buddha) and Bosatsu (Bodhisattva). The Sanskrit term "DEVA" is translated as "TEN" in Japan, meaning "Celestial Beings." The term "BU" means "grouping." Thus TENBU literally means "Group of Celestial Beings."
The TENBU group includes the Deva and many other divine beings, including creatures like the Dragon, the bird-man Karura, plus Celestial Nymphs & Heavenly Musicians. Most originated in ancient Indian myths, but once incorporated into Buddhism, they became protectors of Buddhist Law (Dharma in Sanskrit). The TENBU appear in great number in Japanese mandalas. Among the TENBU, Bonten and Taishakuten are highest in rank. TENBU artwork becomes very prominent by the Heian Period (late 10th century AD). Please visit the specific links at left (and in below table) for details on these deities.
The TENBU live for countless ages, but even they grow old and die, for they are still trapped in the Six States of Existence, the cycle of suffering, the cycle of rebirth and redeath (i.e., Sanskrit samsara). The Tenbu are hindered by their great bliss and thus they fail to recognize the truth of suffering. They ultimately "use up" their good karma after countless years in paradise and once again fall down into a lower state. The road from Hell to Buddhahood actually covers Ten States (the Ten Worlds). Thus, there are four more states of existence above the TENBU, who occupy the sixth highest state in ten. Click here for details on the Ten Worlds.
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TENBU MENU
4 Devas (Shitenno)
8 Legions (Hachi-bushu)
12 Devas (Juni-ten)
12 Generals (Juni-shinsho)
28 Legions (Nijuhachibushu)
Benzaiten
Bishamonten (Tamonten)
Bonten
Daikokuten
Dragon (8 Legions)
Gigeiten
Idaten
Kankiten (Shouten)
Kariteimo (Kishimojin)
Karyoubinga
Karura (28 Legions)
Kichijouten
Marishiten
Nio Protectors
Suiten (Suijin)
Tamonten (Bishamon)
Taishakuten
Tennin & Tennyo
See below table
for 80 Tenbu listings
Bonten
Heian Era Mask
Kyoto Nat'l Museum
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TENBU GROUPS & GROUP DEITIES
Index to nearly 80 Tenbu Deities
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 There are some 80 TENBU deities covered at this site. They are listed alphabetically below in their main TENBU categories. Click the maroon links to learn about each group and each deity in that group.
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IMPORTANT GROUPINGS
Hachibushu (Eight Legions)
Ashura (Asura)
Karura (Garuda)
Kendabba (Gandharva)
Kinnara (Kimnara)
Magoraka (Mahoraga)
Ryu (Naga; dragons)
Ten (Deva)
Yasha (Yaksa)
Juni-Shinsho (12 Generals
of Yakushi Nyorai)
Anira (Anila)
Anchira (Andira)
Basara (Vajra)
Bikara (Vikarala)
Haira (Pajra)
Indara (Indra)
Kubira (Khumbhira, Kuvera))
Makora (Mahoraga)
Mekira (Mihira)
Sanchira (Sandilya)
Shindara (Sindura)
Shotora (Catura)
Juni-Ten (12 Devas)
Bonten (Heaven; Brahman)
Enmaten (South; Yama)
Futen (NW; Vayu)
Gatten (Moon; Candra)
Ishanaten (NE; Isana)
Jiten (Earth; Prthivi)
Katen (SE; Agri)
Nitten (Sun; Surya, Aditya)
Rasetsuten (SW; Rakasasa)
Suiten (West; Varuna)
Tamonten (North; Vaisravana)
Taishakuten (East; Indra)
Nijuhachi-Bushu
28 Legions of the
1000-Armed Kannon Bosatsu
Click above link for
listing of the 28 legions.
Nio Protectors (Gate Guardians)
Sanskrit = Vajradhara
Kongo Rikishi and Shukongoshin
Kongo Misshaku
OTHER TENBU
Daijizaiten (Protector of Dharma)
Enma-ou (Judge of Hell)
Gigeiten (Goddess of the Arts)
Ikomasyouten
Jinjya Daishou
Marishiten (Goddess of Wealth, War)
Rakan Kousou
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IMPORTANT GROUPINGS
Seven Lucky Gods
Benzaiten (India)
Bishamonten (India)
Daikokuten (India)
Ebisu (Japan)
Fukurokuju (China)
Hotei (China)
Jurojin (China)
Shitenno (4 Devas)
Guard the 4 Directions & Center
Jikokuten (E; Dhrtarasta)
Komokuten (W;Virupaksa)
Taishakuten (C; Indra)
Tamonten (N; Vaisravana)
Zochoten (S; Virudhaka)
INDEPENDENT DEVA
Some Tenbu are worshipped independently, not as part of a group.
Benzaiten (Sarasvati)
Governs music and arts; one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods.
Bishamonten (Tamonten)
God of warriors, and one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods.
Daikokuten (Mahakala)
One of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods; god of wealth and farmers.
Idaten (Skanda)
Kitchen God, Protector of Monasteries and Monks.
Kankiten (Ganesh)
God of Conjugal Harmony, Child-Giving, & Long Life. Also known as Shouten, Shoten, Kangiten.
Kariteimo (Hariti)
Easy delivery & child-rearing. Also known as Kishimojin.
Kichijoten (Sri Laksmi)
Wife of Vishnu in Hindu myth; wife or sister of Bishamonten in Buddhism. Also read Kisshouten or
Kudokuten.
Suiten (Varuna). Suiten's Shinto counterpart is Suijin, who is worshipped independently. Suiten is not an object of central devotion.
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 TENBU, JAPANESE SPELLINGS
See individual pages for Japanese spellings of all group-related deities. There is another grouping of 20 Celestials (see below), but this latter grouping is not well known in Japan and rarely represented as a group in Japanese artwork.
二十天 Nijyuten = Twenty Celestials
ANOTHER GROUPING OF THE TENBU
More widely known in mainland Asia; little known in Japan.
Below list courtesy of the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism.
Login is required at above site. Sign in with user name "guest."
Below list gives Japanese kanji, followed by Sanskrit, followed by the English equivalent in Japan (shown in parenthesis).
- 大梵天王 Mahabrahman (Bonten)
- 帝釋尊天 Sakra Devanam Indra (Taishakuten)
- 多聞天王 Vaisravana or 毘沙門 Dhanada (Tamonten)
- 持國天王 Dhrtarastra (Jikokuten)
- 增長天王 Virudhaka (Zouchoten)
- 廣目天王 Virupaksa (Koumokuten)
- 金剛密迹 Guhyapati (Kongo Misshaku, Vajrapani, Nio)
- 摩醯首羅 Mahesvara (Daijizaiten)
- 散脂迦 Pancika (Kubera/Tamonten; husband of Kariteimo)
- 大辯才天 Sarasvati (Benzaiten)
- 大功德天 Laksmi (Kichijouten)
- 韋驛天神 Skanda (Idaten)
- 堅牢地神 Prthivi (Jiten)
- 菩提樹神 Bodhidruma or Bodhi-vrksa (Bodaijujin; an Arhat);
Also the goddess-guardian of the Bo-tree (bodhi tree)
- 鬼子母神 Hariti (Kariteimo)
- 摩利支天 Marici (Marishiten)
- 日宮天子 Surya (Nitten, Nikko, Sun Deva)
- 月嬀天子 Candra (Gatten, Gakko, Moon Deva)
- 裟竭龍王 Sagara (Shakara, Shakatsura-ryuo, Sha-gara-ryuo)
One of the eight great dragon kings assembled at the ceremony of the Lotus Sutra. In the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the dragon king Sagara is described as the father of a dragon girl who attained enlightenment at age eight. The Sanskrit word sagara means the ocean. According to the Long Agama Sutra, he lives in the dragon palace on the bed of the ocean. The Flower Garland Sutra describes Sagara as the dragon who causes rain to fall throughout the world. < text courtesy Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism >
- 閻摩羅王 Yama-raja (Enmaten; King of Underworld)
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The Deva (TENBU) represent the highest state of existence prior to the last four states leading to Buddahood. There are six states (see Six States) referred to as the Wheel of Life by Tibetans. These six are followed by four more, the final four steps to Buddhahood. The lowest three states are called the three evil paths, or three bad states. They are (1) people in hells; (2) hungry ghosts; (3) animals. The next three states are (4) Asuras; (5) Humans; (6) Devas. All beings in these six states are doomed to death and rebirth in a recurring cycle over countless ages -- unless they can break free from desire and attain enlightenment. Even the lives of the powerful Deva come to an end, for they are not yet free from the cycle of birth and death. Only those who attain enlightenment (the Bosatsu, Rakan, and Nyorai) are free from the cycle of birth and death, the cycle of suffering (samsara in Sanskrit). To escape from the cycle, one must either (1) achieve Buddhahood in one's life, or (2) be reborn in Amida Nyorai's Western Pure Land, practice there, and achive enlightenment there. Those reborn in the Pure Land are no longer trapped in the cycle of birth and death (samsara), and can thus devote all their efforts to attaining enlightenment. Above the TENBU (the sixth state) are the final four states, yielding a total of Ten States (the Ten Worlds) that must be achieved prior to Buddhahood.
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Below Text Courtesy of:
www.jinjapan.org/museum/bud/tenbu/about_te.html
In India's ancient religious traditions, which heavily influenced Buddhism, certain auxiliary deities are called DEVA, translated in Japanese as TEN (or collectivity as TENBU). There are various types of TEN (Deva), which are differentiated from Japan's own indigenous Shinto deities, the latter referred to as SHIN (or Myoujin, or Gongen). The TEN deities usually first appeared in ancient Indian myths, and from the time of Siddhartha Gautama (the Historical Buddha) they developed a deep interrelationship with Buddhism. Once incorporated into the Buddhist tradition, they became objects of faith and came to be worshiped as protectors of the Buddhist Law (dharma in Sanskrit). With the development of Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyo) in Japan, the number of these auxiliary tenbu deities increased even further. They became particularly important for the design of mandalas, where they appear in great number.
Iconographically, they wear "deva clothing," which almost always includes a skirt or wrap-around tunic, and often leaves the upper part of the torso exposed. They often wear elaborate crown-like headdresses and other decorative accessories. Many Tenbu deities are also garbed in warrior dress with weapons in their hands. In accordance with Buddhist cosmology, each Deva has an assigned quarter of heaven to fulfill its specific mission.
Many of the artistic representations of devas are revered as "attendants," usually placed at the sides of larger Buddhist images which serve as the main focus of devotion. Certain devas, however, like Kichijoten, Benzaiten, and Suiten, receive independent status as main objects of devotion, attracting the faith of wide segments of the Japanese people.
The Historical Buddha is believed to live in Shumisen, or Mt. Shumi. There is an ocean and a gigantic lotus growing there. Numerous smaller lotuses are blooming there. These lotuses contain oceans, which contain four large islands, and Shumisen is in the middle of the islands. These four islands are protected by the Shitenno. Human beings and other animals are thought to live on the southern island.
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