Manjushri Bodhisattva

Introduction

When exam season arrives, photocopies of admission tickets pile up like small mountains on the altars of temples that honor Manjushri Bodhisattva. Manjushri, also known as Wenshu Shili or Manjushri of Great Wisdom, is the great bodhisattva who is 'foremost in wisdom' in Buddhism. With Samantabhadra Bodhisattva he attends Shakyamuni Buddha, the three together called the 'Shakyamuni Triad'; when the central figure is Vairocana Buddha instead, they are called the 'Three Sages of the Avatamsaka.' His image is unforgettable: his right hand raises the sword of wisdom, which cuts through afflictions rather than enemies; his left holds a Prajna sutra; and he rides a blue-green lion, symbol of wisdom's fierce power. In Taiwan he is the guardian of students and test-takers, and visiting Manjushri before a big exam to ask for wisdom and a place on the list of successful candidates is a fixed routine for many families. But Manjushri is about more than exams. What he gives is the ability to think things through, so you can bring life's hard questions to him too.

Legend & Origin

Manjushri holds an astonishingly high place in the sutras. In the Avatamsaka Sutra he is the first teacher of the youth Sudhana and his fifty-three visits, the one whose words send the boy on a quest to seek out wise teachers. The Vimalakirti Sutra is even more vivid. The layman Vimalakirti fell ill, and the Buddha asked his disciples to visit him, but one after another they declined, because Vimalakirti's eloquence was so sharp that anyone who went would be left speechless. In the end only Manjushri accepted the task, and the meeting of these two supreme minds produced the most brilliant exchange on the Dharma in all the sutras.

The scriptures also record a secret: Manjushri actually became a Buddha long ago. In the past he was the Buddha called Supreme King of the Dragon Lineage, and in the future he will be the Tathagata Universal Vision. He took the form of a bodhisattva again only in order to help living beings. Mount Wutai in China is revered as Manjushri's sacred site, and eminent monks through the ages have made pilgrimages there. This faith in wisdom came to Taiwan with Buddhism and became the firmest support of Taiwan's test-takers.

Worship Guide

Offerings to Manjushri have one special feature: besides fresh flowers and fruit, you can offer stationery, pens and books alike. What test-takers do most often is bring a copy of their admission ticket or the pen they will use in the exam to the altar to be blessed, praying for a clear mind in the exam room and a place on the list of successful candidates. Those who practice Manjushri's teachings recite his heart mantra, 'Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih,' or chant the Prajnaparamita Sutra Spoken by Manjushri. On his birthday, the 4th day of the fourth lunar month, temples hold wisdom services, and around exam season many temples also offer wisdom lamps you can light. One reminder: Manjushri gives wisdom, not answers. You still have to study; his blessing is that what you study sinks in.

Festivals

The 4th day of the fourth lunar month is Manjushri Bodhisattva's birthday, when major Buddhist temples hold wisdom services and prayer events. Many temples near schools also hold 'Wisdom Lamp services' timed to exam season, so students can light lamps and pray for blessings.

Famous Temples

⛩️ Jinshan Ciyin Temple Details →

Jinshan District, New Taipei City

Dedicated to Manjushri Bodhisattva, the temple often sees students bringing photocopies of their exam admission tickets to pray. According to the temple, it is the largest Manjushri place of practice in northern Taiwan.