Second Storey

Coming up to the second floor, you will discover the Aranya Hall, which is a spacious room used for Buddhism and Meditation classes. These activities will provide much Buddhist knowledge and enrichment for devotees and visitors alike. On the second floor, one can also explore the various Buddhist artifacts and figurines which are part of Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum's showcase.

Also situated towards the end of the hall is the Aranya Sutra Chamber, where the 600 fascicles of the Maha Prajna Paramita Sutra are kept. Here you will see a splendid Bodhisattva Manjusuri inspiring wisdom to those seeking this, as well as the 16 Prajna Guardians.

The Bodhisattva Manjusri is in the Sattvaparyanka (noble tailor) posture with each foot lying on the lotus pedestal, above the lion throne. He holds a priest's sceptre in his right hand and a sutra scroll in his left hand. His hair is tied in a high chignon with a lotus and a book of wisdom on top. A double lotus aureole radiates behind his body and head. He has a general's armour and a monk's robes over it.

Mañjuśrī or Manjushri (Skt: मञ्जुश्री; Chinese: Wen shu shi li, 文殊師利; Japanese: Monju Bosatsu; Tibet: 'Jam-dpal, Korean: Moosoo Posal; ) is a Bodhisattva associated with transcendent wisdom (Skt. prajñā) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Sanskrit name Mañjuśrī can be translated as 'Gentle Glory', 'Wonderfully Auspicious', 'Sweetly Glorious', 'The Beautiful, Virtuous Lord'. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller Sanskrit name of Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.

Manjusri means 'wonderful virtues', that is he has many unbelievable merits; it also means 'wonderful first' as his merits is first amongst all the Bodhisattvas; and it also means 'wonderful and auspicious' as his merits are the most auspicious. Besides these, there are many other meanings to his name.

In Esoteric Buddhism he is also taken as a meditational deity.

Manjushri is a Bodhisattva associated with Vairochana (Tibetan: nangpar nangdze,) the Buddha Resplendent. He is the patron Bodhisattva of the Kadampa (ie. Gelugpa) denomination.

Scholars have identified Mañjuśrī as the oldest and most significant bodhisattva in Mahāyāna literature. He appears in many sutras and is often regarded as the leader, parent and friend of the Bodhisattvas and spiritual son of the Buddha.

According to Chinese Buddhist legends, he was created by Buddha Sakyamuni to transmit His Teachings to the Chinese. Sakyamuni caused a golden ray to burst from his forehead and pierce a magical tree on Wutai Shan. A lotus grew out of the tree and from inside the lotus appeared Manjusri.

According to the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, chapter 29,

The Lotus Sūtra assigns him a pure land called Vimala Paradise. According to the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, he lives on Mount Clear and Cool, in the East. His pure land is predicted to be one of the two best pure lands in all of existence in all the past, present and future. When he attains buddhahood his name will be 'Universal Sight'.

He is the chief Bodhisattva in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra.

Manjusri is well known for his wisdom. He is able to understand thoroughly everything that happens, as well as fond of teaching and leading others. He was the master of seven Buddhas, including Shakyamuni. His knowledge is every wide and without limits, hence he was also called 'great knowledge'.

He is the chief assistant to Shakyamuni Buddha, and was called Manjusri, Prince of Dharma. In Mahayana Buddhism, Manjusri is not restrained by the traditional ways of Buddhist teachings, but he would use his own ways in Buddhist teachings, whenever possible. He concentrated on the Supreme Truth and he awakens all the sentient beings.

In the Lotus Sūtra, Mañjuśrī is the leading questioner in the audience and in chapter 12, Devadatta, also leads the Dragon King's daughter to Enlightenment.

He also figures in the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra in a debate with Vimalakīrti.

In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, final chapter called Gandavyuha, Manjusri is the first of the 54 teachers whom young Sudhana visits in search of Enlightenment.

A mantra commonly associated with Mañjuśrī is the following:

Tibetan pronunciation is slightly different and so the Tibetan characters read:

This mantra is believed to enhance wisdom and improve one's skills in debating, memory, writing, and other literary abilities. "Dhīḥ" is the seed syllable of the mantra and is chanted with greater emphasis and also repeated a number of times as a Decrescendo.

Certain texts placed him on a five-peaked mountain in the Himalayas, near Lake Anavatapa.

In China, his festive date is the fourth day of the lunar fourth month and the pilgrimage site is Mount Wutai (5 Peaks), Shanxi, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism in China. Mount Wutai is located in Shanxi Province, Wutai County, 240 miles from the provincial capital Taiyuan.With a circumference of 250 kms, the mountain is actually a cluster of 5 peaks, with flat tops like terraces. Its cool and pleasant summer climate gives its other name of Qingliang (Cool and Pleasant) Mountain.

Manjusri receives special veneration in Nepal. According to Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu Valley was once a lake, called Nagarasa. It is believed that Mañjuśrī saw a lotus flower in the center of the lake and cut a gorge at Chovar to allow the lake to drain. The place where the lotus flower settled became Swayambhunath Stupa and the valley thus became habitable.

He has 4 Messengers (Sudhana, King Udayana, Vimalakirti, Yamataka) and 8 youth acolytes attending on him.

Mañjuśrī is depicted as a male bodhisattva wielding a flaming sword in his right hand, representing the realization of transcendent wisdom which cuts down ignorance and duality. The scripture supported by the lotus held in his left hand is a Prajñāpāramitā sūtra, representing his attainment of ultimate realization from the blossoming of wisdom.

Some images show five tufts of hair on his head, to symbolize the mantra A-RA-PA-CA-NA.The tufts also allude to the five peaks of Mount Wutai.

Mañjuśrī is often depicted as riding on a blue lion, or sitting on the skin of a lion. This represents the use of wisdom to tame the mind, which is compared to riding or subduing a ferocious lion.

1. Manjusri - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. Avatamsaka Sutra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3. Avatamsaka Sutra
4. Manjushri
5. Sutra of Maha-Prajna-Paramita Pronounced by Manjushri Bodhisattva, 文殊師利所說摩訶般若波羅蜜經