Table Of Buddhist Chinese Deities

Sanscrit name	Chinese	Japanese	description	iconography
Amitabha	Amituofo	Amida	Buddha of the Western Pure Land; associated with Guanyin	seated in Lotus position, hands in dhyana or abhaya mudra
Ananda	A Nan	Anan	youngest disciple of Buddha; memory; wrote down the sutras	young face; monk; holds sutras
Avalokiteshvara	Guanyin	Kannon	Bodhisattva of Compassion; associated with Amida; originally male, becoming female around Tang dynasty and later	vase and lotus; Amida in crown; many forms
Bhaisajyaguru	Yaoshi	Yakushi	"Medicine" (Healing) Buddha; Buddha of the Eastern Pure Land	in triad with Amitabha and Shakyamuni, also in directional mandalas with Vairocana in the center
Bodhidharma	Damodashi	Daruma	Patriarch who brought Buddhism to China	seated in meditation, arms and legs concealed
Bodhisattva	Pu Sa	Bosatsu	savior who postpones Buddhahood in order to help others	jewelry and crown; princely garments; many forms
Buddha	Fo	Butsu or Nyorai	enlightened being; title of Shakyamuni	curled hair with usnisha; monk's robe; many forms
Dhritarashtra	Chiguotian	Jikokuten	directional guardian (lokapala) of the east	pipa (a kind of lute)
(Maha)Kasyapa	Mohe Jiashe	Dai Kasho	oldest disciple of Buddha; first Zen patriarch	old face; monk; holds Buddha's flower, robe, bowl
Ksitigarbha	Di Zang	Jizo	rescues souls from Hell	monk; holds a staff
Lokapala or Devaraja	Tianwang	Shitenno	one of four Directional Guardians, also called Heavenly Kings, who guard the four compass points.	see: Vaisravana (north), Dhritarashtra (east), Virudhaka (south), Virupaksha (west)
Maitreya	Milefo or Budai	Miroku or Hotei	Bodhisattva, and Buddha of the Future	smiling; stupa in crown; seated upright with (1) ankle of one leg crossed over opposite knee; or (2) knees apart and ankles crossed; or (3) knees apart and feet apart; (4) fat and laughing, as Hotei
Mahasthamaprapta	Dashizhi	Seishi	Bodhisattva, associated with Guanyin and Amida	vase (water bottle) in crown
Manjusri	Wenshu	Monju	Bodhisattva of Wisdom, paired with Samantabhadra and Shakyamuni (or, sometimes, Vairocana) in a triad.	sword, book, and lion
Prabhutaratna	Duobao Rulai	Taho Nyorai	Buddha of the Past	(1) triad with Shaka and Maitreya; (2) twin Buddha image with Shaka (in China only); (3) inside a stupa, as he listens to Shaka preaching
Samantabhadra	Puxian	Fugen Bosatsu	Bodhisattva of law and compassion, paired with Manjusri	Lotus Sutra, triple-headed or six-tusked elephant
Shakyamuni	Shijiamunifo	Shaka	the historical Buddha, who lived c. 500 BC	seated or standing; bhimisparsha, abhaya, and teaching mudras
Vairocana	Loshana	Dainichi Nyorai, Rushana	the highest, cosmic, transcendental Buddha in the Kegon school	seated
Vaisravana	Duowentian	Bishamonten	directional guardian (lokapala) of the north	pagoda, umbrella
Vajrapani	Jingang	Ni-o	Bodhisattva; guardian of temples	fierce, muscular; paired on either side of entrance
Virudhaka	Zengchangtian	Zochoten	directional guardian (lokapala) of the sourth	sword or lance
Virupaksha	Guangmutian	Komokuten	directional guardian (lokapala) of the west	writing brush, sutra scroll
Skanda	Weituo	Idaten	warrior deity	stands behind Milefo, guarding his back