This article is about the singular deity called Brahma who is the ruler of Brahma world. For Class of deities or realm in Buddhist mythology, see Brahmā (Buddhism).
This article is about Deity Brahma in Buddhist View.. For Brahma in Hindu View, see Brahma.
Mahābrahmā (Tibetan: tshangs pa chen po; Chinese/Japanese: 大梵天 Daibonten; Sinhala: මහා බ්රහ්ම; Thai: มหาพรหฺมฺา), sometimes only called Brahma, is the ruler of the Brahma World (Brahmaloka) in the Buddhist cosmology. He is considered the protector of Buddhist teachings (Pali: Dhammapala; Sanskrit: Dharmapala). Mahabrahma is generally represented in Buddhist culture as a god with four faces and four arms like other Brahmas, and variants of him are found in different Buddhist cultures.[1] The Mahābrahmā, or the Great Brahma, is mentioned in Digha Nikaya as the being who dwells in the upper heaven; a Buddhist student can join him for one kalpa (eon, Brahma-year in Buddhism) after successfully entering the first jhana in the form realm of Buddhist practice.[2]
Mahabrahma with other notable brahmas are revered by Buddhists around the world. One can find statues of Mahabrahma in many Buddhist temples. Various temples like Erawan Shrine in Thailand are dedicated to Mahabrahma.
Buddhism is a religion which does not include the belief in a creator deity, or any eternal divine personal being.[3][4][5] Buddhism assumes that the universe has no ultimate beginning to it, and thus sees no need for a creator God. Buddhist texts posits that deities such as Mahabrahma are misconstrued to be a creator.[6] During the Vivartakalpa, a deity from Abhassara plane was reborn in the Mahabrahma plane, as many living beings forget about their past life, this too happened with the Mahabrahma, and being unaware of the above planes of existence, he felt alone. He longed for the presence of others. After some time, many other deities from the above planes were also reborn in those brahma planes, as his ministers and companions.[7] Seeing this happen, he falsely believed himself to be their creator. This belief, states the Buddhist texts, was then shared by other deities. Eventually, however one of the deities died and was reborn as a human. Through meditation, he got the power to remember his previous life.[6] He went on to teach what he remembered from his previous life in the lower heaven, that Mahabrahma was the creator of the universe. This teaching led to the widespread human belief in a creator god, according to the Pali Canon.[6]
Mahabrahma is called as Phra Phrom (Thai: พระพรหม; from Sanskrit/Pali: Brahmā, ब्रह्मा) in Thailand. In Thai culture, he is regarded as the deity of good fortune and protection. As early as the 1980s, the popularity of the Erawan cult of Phra Phrom from its inceptions in Thailand spread, accompanied by faithful reproduction of the structure of the shrine and the image, among overseas Buddhists in other countries of Southeast Asia (Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia), in Taiwan, and in China. The golden dome of the Government House of Thailand also contains a statue of Phra Phrom.
^Blackburn, Anne M.; Samuels, Jeffrey (2003). "II. Denial of God in Buddhism and the Reasons Behind It". Approaching the Dhamma: Buddhist Texts and Practices in South and Southeast Asia. Pariyatti. pp. 128–146. ISBN978-1-928706-19-9.
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This article is about the singular deity called Brahma who is the ruler of Brahma world For Class of deities or realm in Buddhist mythology see Brahma Buddhism This article is about Deity Brahma in Buddhist View For Brahma in Hindu View see Brahma This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Mahabrahma news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Mahabrahma Tibetan tshangs pa chen po Chinese Japanese 大梵天 Daibonten Sinhala මහ බ රහ ම Thai mhaphrh m a sometimes only called Brahma is the ruler of the Brahma World Brahmaloka in the Buddhist cosmology He is considered the protector of Buddhist teachings Pali Dhammapala Sanskrit Dharmapala Mahabrahma is generally represented in Buddhist culture as a god with four faces and four arms like other Brahmas and variants of him are found in different Buddhist cultures 1 The Mahabrahma or the Great Brahma is mentioned in Digha Nikaya as the being who dwells in the upper heaven a Buddhist student can join him for one kalpa eon Brahma year in Buddhism after successfully entering the first jhana in the form realm of Buddhist practice 2 Mahabrahma at Wat YannawaIn many Buddhist Suttas Sutras Mahabrahma pays visit to the Buddha In a 16th century novel Journey to the West Sun Wukong takes the monk Tang Sanzang to the heaven of Brahmas to meet Mahabrahma where the monk impresses the Brahmas with his lecture on the Lotus Sutra Mahabrahma with other notable brahmas are revered by Buddhists around the world One can find statues of Mahabrahma in many Buddhist temples Various temples like Erawan Shrine in Thailand are dedicated to Mahabrahma Contents 1 Misconstrued as the Creator of the world 2 Cult of Phra Phrom 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 ReferencesMisconstrued as the Creator of the world EditMain article Creator in Buddhism Buddhism is a religion which does not include the belief in a creator deity or any eternal divine personal being 3 4 5 Buddhism assumes that the universe has no ultimate beginning to it and thus sees no need for a creator God Buddhist texts posits that deities such as Mahabrahma are misconstrued to be a creator 6 During the Vivartakalpa a deity from Abhassara plane was reborn in the Mahabrahma plane as many living beings forget about their past life this too happened with the Mahabrahma and being unaware of the above planes of existence he felt alone He longed for the presence of others After some time many other deities from the above planes were also reborn in those brahma planes as his ministers and companions 7 Seeing this happen he falsely believed himself to be their creator This belief states the Buddhist texts was then shared by other deities Eventually however one of the deities died and was reborn as a human Through meditation he got the power to remember his previous life 6 He went on to teach what he remembered from his previous life in the lower heaven that Mahabrahma was the creator of the universe This teaching led to the widespread human belief in a creator god according to the Pali Canon 6 Cult of Phra Phrom EditMain article Phra Phrom Mahabrahma is called as Phra Phrom Thai phraphrhm from Sanskrit Pali Brahma ब रह म in Thailand In Thai culture he is regarded as the deity of good fortune and protection As early as the 1980s the popularity of the Erawan cult of Phra Phrom from its inceptions in Thailand spread accompanied by faithful reproduction of the structure of the shrine and the image among overseas Buddhists in other countries of Southeast Asia Singapore Indonesia and Malaysia in Taiwan and in China The golden dome of the Government House of Thailand also contains a statue of Phra Phrom Gallery Edit An altar dedicated to Mahabrahma in Kaohsiung Taiwan Mahabrahma shrine at Xixin Chan Temple in Hunan China Mahabrahma statue at the Erawan Shrine Bangkok Mahabrahma statue of Koon Ngam Ching Yuen Sha Tin Hong Kong Mahabrahma statue of Chuk Lam Sim Fu Yung Shan Tsuen Wan Hong Kong Mahabrahma at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery Sha Tin Hong Kong Mahabrahma statue at Sanggar Agung Surabaya Indonesia Statue of Mahabrahma in a Laotian Buddhist temple Mahabrahma statue in Wat Phothivihan Kelantan Malaysia Brahma riding the Hong bird old statue See also EditSakra Mahesvara Buddhist cosmology Brahmajala SuttaReferences Edit Buswell Robert E Jr Lopez Donald S Jr 2013 11 24 The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism Princeton University Press ISBN 978 1 4008 4805 8 Harvey Peter 2013 An Introduction to Buddhism Teachings History and Practices Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 85942 4 Harvey Peter 2019 Buddhism and Monotheism p 1 Cambridge University Press Taliaferro 2013 p 35 sfn error no target CITEREFTaliaferro2013 help Blackburn Anne M Samuels Jeffrey 2003 II Denial of God in Buddhism and the Reasons Behind It Approaching the Dhamma Buddhist Texts and Practices in South and Southeast Asia Pariyatti pp 128 146 ISBN 978 1 928706 19 9 a b c Harvey 2013 p 36 8 Harvey 2013 p 36 37 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mahabrahma amp oldid 1171281960, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
