Xianglong Luohan (Chinese: 降龍羅漢), also known as the Taming Dragon Arhat, is an arhat and one of the Eighteen Arhats in China.[1] His Sanskrit name is Nandimitra (難提蜜多羅 Nántímìduōluó) and origins are said to derive from a Buddhist monk Mahākāśyapa.[2] The legendary Chan Buddhist monk Ji Gong, was widely recognised by people as the incarnate of the Xianglong Luohan.[citation needed]
Xianglong Luohan | |||||||
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![]() A statue of Xianglong Luohan | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 降龍羅漢 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 降龙罗汉 | ||||||
Literal meaning | Taming Dragon Lohan | ||||||
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Origin
editOriginally there were only sixteen arhats. Worship of a group of sixteen arhats was set forth in an Indian sutra that was translated into Chinese in the mid-seventh century. Between the late Tang dynasty and early Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China, two additional arhats were added, one paired with a tiger and the other one with a dragon.[3]
Xianglong Luohan is often equated with Mahākāśyapa of Buddhism, but actually, Xianglong Luohan has his own number of stories and has long been worshipped in China.
Legend
editAccording to legend, the people of a kingdom in ancient India, after being incited by a demon, went on a rampage against the Buddhists and monasteries, stealing the Buddhist scriptures. The Dragon King flooded the kingdom and rescued the scriptures, which he put in his Dragon Palace.[3]
After the Dragon King was tamed by Nandimitra, who was a disciple of Gautama Buddha, the scriptures were retrieved back to earth. Hence he is called the Taming Dragon Arhat.[3]
In popular culture
editXianglong Luohan has been portrayed as Ji Gong in many films and television series.
- Xianglong Luohan (降龍羅漢), a 1984 Taiwanese television series produced by CTV, starring Hsu Pu-liao.
Gallery
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Xianglong Luohan, early 14th century, China, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), hanging scroll; ink and mineral pigments on silk.
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Statue of Taming Dragon Lohan in the Mahavira Hall of Nanquan Temple.
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Statue in the Pahang Buddhist Association Temple, Kuantan.
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Reliefof Xianglong Luohan
References
edit- ^ Fang, Jing Pei (1997). Treasures of the Chinese Scholar. Weatherhill. ISBN 978-0-8348-0399-2.
- ^ "Highways and Byways: Guardians of the valley". Taipei Times. 14 September 2018.
- ^ a b c "揭秘十八罗汉真实身份". Sina (in Chinese). 2 August 2017.