Kisshōten

Greaterwell-documentedMahāyāna BuddhismJapanese BuddhismEast AsiaJapan

Kisshōten is the Japanese veneration of the female devi Śrīmahādevī—identified with the Indic goddess Lakṣmī—appearing in Mahāyāna Buddhist contexts. In East Asian Buddhist reception she is treated as a protective deity whose mantra and vows in the Golden Light Sūtra promise safeguarding to ordained practitioners who uphold and teach that sutra.

Origin

In the context cited by East Asian Buddhist sources, Śrīmahādevī (identified with Lakṣmī) appears in the Golden Light Sūtra where she introduces her mantra and makes vows to protect bhikṣu who uphold and teach that sutra. Her importance in East Asian Buddhist traditions is grounded in this scriptural episode: her protective role and her transmission of a mantra are framed as responses to support for the sutra and its preservers.

Appearance

The provided sources do not supply a physical description of Kisshōten/Śrīmahādevī. No canonical iconographic details, attire, or physical attributes are given in the cited material; therefore descriptions of appearance are not asserted here from the available excerpts.

Abilities

The sources describe her primarily as a protector deity. In the Golden Light Sūtra she transmits a mantra and makes vows to protect any bhikṣu who will uphold and teach the sutra. Her agency is consequential and scripturally conditioned: protection is promised to ordained practitioners engaged in preserving and teaching the text. Beyond mantra transmission and protective vows tied to the sutra, the excerpts do not ascribe other specific powers or feats.

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Community Record

Sources
  1. [1]
    Śrīmahādevī (Wikipedia: Kisshōten). "Śrīmahādevī, also known as Lakshmi, is a devi in Mahayana Buddhism. She is particularly respected in East Asian Buddhist traditions as a protector deity due to her appearance in the Golden Light Sutra where she introduced her mantra and made vows to protect any bhikṣu who will uphold and teach the sutra."wiki
  2. [2]
    Kisshōten (Wikidata entry Q2646981). Wikidata entry describing the subject as a Japanese female deity (Q2646981).wiki
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