shiyakujin no hokora
A Book of Little Traditions
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ToCCharacteristicsInfluencesbutsuBuddhist DeitiesRanking

Ranking of Buddhist Deities – 06 / 12 / 2014
There is fair amount of overlap in these terms, but they are listed below, roughly in order of importance, from top to bottom.
butsu ぶつ
butsu (Skt: Buddha)

❖ A Buddha – one who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment
❖ Or the BuddhaSakyamuni
nyorai にょらい 如来
nyo (likeness, like, such as, better, best)
rai (next, cause, become)
nyorai (Skt: Tathagata)

❖ (Perfected one / suffix of high-ranking Buddhist deities)
bosatsu ぼさつ 菩薩
bo (sacred tree)
satsu (Skt: Buddha)
bosatsu (Skt: Bodhisattva)

❖ Anyone motivated by great compassion and has a mind that strives toward awakening, who remains incarnated to help all sentient beings achieve Buddahood
myô-hi みょうひ 明妃
myô (wisdom, bright, light)
hi (queen, princess)
myô-ô (wisdom queen)

❖ Queen of occult know-how, enlightened one / suffix of Buddhist deities
myô-ô みょうおう 妙王
明王
myô (exquisite, strange, queer, mystery, miracle, excellent, delicate, charming)
ô (king, ruler)
myô-ô (Skt: Vidya-raja)

myô (wisdom, bright, light)
ô (king, ruler)
myô-ô (wisdom king)

❖ King of occult know-how, enlightened one / suffix of Buddhist deities
tenbu てんぶ 天部
ten (heavens, sky)
bu (group, section, bureau, dept, club)
tenbu (deva group)

❖ Hindu divine beings who became protectors of Buddhism)
chisha ちしゃ 智者
知者
chi (wisdom, intellect, reason)
sha(someone, person)
chisha (sage, wise man, wise person, man of wisdom, butsu, bosatsu; enlightened priest)

chi (know, wisdom)
sha(someone, person)
chisha (sage, wise man, wise person, man of wisdom, butsu, bosatsu; enlightened priest)

❖ A Buddhist sage, saint, or enlightened person

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