Manjusri Bodhisattva

Manjushri Bodhisattva, fully named Manjushri, means 'Wonderful Virtue' or 'Wondrous Auspiciousness.' He is the personification of prajna wisdom in Buddhism and is often revered as 'Teacher of all Buddhas' and 'Mother of the Seven Buddhas.' In Chinese Buddhism, he and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva serve as the left and right attendants of Shakyamuni Buddha, collectively known as the 'Three Saints of Huayan.' In Tibetan Buddhism, he, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Vajrapani Bodhisattva are called the 'Three Protectors,' representing wisdom, compassion, and power, respectively. Manjushri Bodhisattva is usually depicted with a topknot of five hair buns (symbolizing the Five Wisdoms of Vairocana), holding a wisdom sword in his right hand that cuts through all ignorance and afflictions, and a lotus in his left hand at chest level, on which rests the Prajnaparamita sutra representing the universal truth. He rides a mighty blue lion, using the sword of wisdom to subdue various demons. His core teaching is that 'prajna is not knowledge but an intuition that transcends duality.' The famous case of 'Manjushri wielding a sword to confront the Buddha' demonstrates the principle of 'emptiness of all dharmas' through extreme means.