About Myōken

Myōken Bosatsu or Sonsei-Ō, is a bodhisattva (bosatsu), who is the deification of the North Star. It is mainly associated with the Nichiren, Shingon and Tendai temples.
Tibetan (Citipati mask depicting Mahākāla

Dharmapalas – Defenders of the Justice

A dharmapāla is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "dharma protector" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapālas are also known as the Defenders of the Justice (Dharma), or the Guardians of the Law. There are two kinds of , Worldly Guardians () and Wisdom Protectors (jnanapala). Only Wisdom Protectors are enlightened beings. In Vajrayana iconography and thangka depictions, dharmapala are fearsome beings, often with many heads, many hands, or many feet. Dharmapala .
Monks attending the 2003 Kalachakra empowerment in Bodhgaya, India.

Vajrayana – Buddhist tantric traditions

Vajrayana is Tantric Buddhism, the form of Northern Buddhism that relies primarily on the Tantras, technical manuals said to have been taught by the Buddha, and offer complete enlightenment in 1, 7 or 21 lifetimes. practices are connected to specific lineages in Buddhism, through the teachings of lineage holders. Others might generally refer to texts as the Buddhist Tantras. It includes practices that make use of mantras, dharanis, , mandalas and the visualization of .