The Buddhist goddess Marishiten : : a study of the evolution and impact of her cult on the Japanese warrior / / by David A. Hall.

• Author: Hall, David A.
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, Netherlands : : Global Oriental,, 2014.; ©2014
• Year of Publication: 2014
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (367 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

In The Buddhist Goddess Marishiten , David A. Hall provides an in-depth exploration of the Buddhist cult of the warrior goddess Mārīcī; its evolution in India, China, and Japan; its texts and their audience; its rituals; and, finally, its efficacy as experienced by the Japanese warrior class—the bushi or samurai. In examining the psychological effects of these rituals on the Japanese warrior this volume moves beyond a narrowly focused examination of a religious cult. David A. Hall convincingly explains how these rituals aimed at preparing the warrior for combat and acted as an antidote for the toxicity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when the warrior returned from the battlefield.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Introduction: The Buddhist Warrior Goddess -- Mārīcī—The Warrior Goddess in India -- Molizhitian—The Warrior Goddess in China (Sixth Century) Discourse on the Incantation of the Goddess-Spell Mārīcī -- Molizhitian—The Warrior Goddess in China (Seventh Century) The Collected Dhāranī-sūtras -- Molizhitian—The Warrior Goddess in China (Eighth–Tenth Centuries) -- Marishiten—The Warrior Goddess in Japan -- Marishiten and the Japanese Warrior -- Reflections on Mārīcī’s Significance -- Selected Bibliography -- Indices and Character Glossaries.