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Skanda

Introduction

Skanda, also called "Wei Tuo" in Chinese, was originally a deity of Brahmanism, and later became one of the twenty heaven celestials in Buddhism. Some people couldn’t distinguish Wei Tuo  from another Dharmapala called "Wei Tian". Wei Tian (it is  believed he wasoriginally called Wei Kun) is one of the eight subordinates of Virudhaka (Guardian of the South) and at the same time the chief of another thirty-one subordinates of Four Heavenly Kings. 

In  Chinese temples, the statue of Skanda is always placed next to the one of Maitreya, facing the statue of Gautama Buddha. It is said that after Gautama had achieved Nirvana (Nirvana literally means  “to extinguish” in Bhddhism), his heaven celestials and other heaven kings were discussing about the cremation of Gautama and shrining the Buddha’s relic in a pagoda, while Indra showed up in the crematorium with an Aquarius and said Gautama had promised to give him a Buddha Tooth Relic. And when he was going to bring the Tooth Relic to his pagoda, Rakshasa, who had been hiding behind Indra, robbed the Tooth and ran away. Upon this situation, Skanda at once caught up and captured Rakshasa then retrieved the relic. Skanda had won the praise of the others and been considered with an ability to repel devils and protect Buddha; thus bestowed him the twelve Heaven Celestial. Thereafter people have entitled him Skanda Bodhisattva and presented him as a child,  clad in armor  and a vajra in his hand. 

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Skanda

Skanda, also called "Wei Tuo" in Chinese, was originally a deity of Brahmanism, and later became one of the twenty heaven celestials in Buddhism. Some people couldn’t distinguish Wei Tuo  from another Dharmapala called "Wei Tian". Wei Tian (it is  believed he wasoriginally called Wei Kun) is one of the eight subordinates of Virudhaka (Guardian of the South) and at the same time the chief of another thirty-one subordinates of Four Heavenly Kings. 

In  Chinese temples, the statue of Skanda is always placed next to the one of Maitreya, facing the statue of Gautama Buddha. It is said that after Gautama had achieved Nirvana (Nirvana literally means  “to extinguish” in Bhddhism), his heaven celestials and other heaven kings were discussing about the cremation of Gautama and shrining the Buddha’s relic in a pagoda, while Indra showed up in the crematorium with an Aquarius and said Gautama had promised to give him a Buddha Tooth Relic. And when he was going to bring the Tooth Relic to his pagoda, Rakshasa, who had been hiding behind Indra, robbed the Tooth and ran away. Upon this situation, Skanda at once caught up and captured Rakshasa then retrieved the relic. Skanda had won the praise of the others and been considered with an ability to repel devils and protect Buddha; thus bestowed him the twelve Heaven Celestial. Thereafter people have entitled him Skanda Bodhisattva and presented him as a child,  clad in armor  and a vajra in his hand. 

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