(Sanskrit, ; ; Japanese: ; ) or (; <small>Ch: 羠馬åÂÂ</small>) is a female Indian Buddhist deity who remains popular in East Asian Buddhism. In Chinese Buddhism, she is associated with the practice of the well known Cundë dharani, which is performed along with a specific mudra (hand gesture), as well as the use of a circular mirror. She is considered to be able to purify negative karma, provide protection, support spiritual practice which allows one to quickly attain Buddhahood.
This deity is also called by various other names and epithets, including Cundavajrë, Saptakoá¹Âi Buddha-bhagavatë ("The Blessed Buddha of the Seventy Million", ä¸Â俱èÂÂä½Âæ¯Â), "Zhunti Buddha Mother" (æºÂæÂÂä½Âæ¯Â, ZhÃÂntàFómÃÂ) in Chinese and Saptakoá¹Âibuddhamatá¹ ("Mother of Seventy Million Buddhas", though this Sanskrit reconstruction of ä½Â毠is speculative).
Some depictions of Cundë share many iconographic and symbolic elements with another female Buddhist deity, PrajñÃÂpÃÂramitàDevi. As such, some images of these goddesses are difficult to identify.
In Tibetan Buddhism she is known by the name Lhamo Cunda, Chunde or Cundi ('Lhamo' in Tibetan is 'Devi' in Sanskrit, a term of veneration meaning 'goddess').
The name Cundë (along with other variations like CundÃÂ, CundrÃÂ, CandrÃÂ, Caá¹Âá¸ÂÃÂ, and Cuá¹Âá¸ÂrÃÂ) refers to an Indian Mahayana Buddhist deity found in numerous Indian sources such as the à Âiká¹£ÃÂsamuccaya, CundÃÂdhÃÂriá¹Âë Sà «tra, SÃÂdhanamÃÂlÃÂ, Niá¹£pannayogÃÂvalë, Mañjuà Ârëmà «lakalpa and the GuhyasamÃÂja. Conze notes that the Tibetan terms for the goddess goes back to the Sanskrit: Cundë, Caá¹Âá¸Âë (a name for hindu goddess Durga), Cunda, Chundi, or Cuá¹Âá¹Âi. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya argues the correct Sanskrit name should be CundÃÂ.
The deity's mantra, "oá¹ cale cule cunde svÃÂhÃÂ," seems to indicate the original name being CundÃÂ. Peter Alan Roberts comments, in a note to a translation of the Tibetan version of the ': "Cale cule cunde are the vocative forms of CalÃÂ, CulÃÂ, and CundÃÂ, three variations of her name. Cundi is the vocative for Cundë."
The meaning of these names is not always clear. The name Cundë connotes a low caste woman, prostitute or other low class female position (such as a madam/procuress). Robert Gimello and the Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism claim that the deity may have emerged as a local yakshini that became important in Indian Buddhism in around the 8th century.
According to The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, the word Cuá¹Âá¸Âàin Sanskrit can also mean a small well or reservoir.
Regarding CandrÃÂ, the name means moon in Sanskrit and the goddess is often described as being the color of the moon.
In the Japanese Buddhism, there is no agreed upon etymology. Proposals include à Âundhi (purity), Sunda (bright and beautiful), Cuá¹Âá¹Âi (well), or Cuá¹Âá¸Âë (to become smaller). Oda Tokunà  (ç¹Âç°å¾Âè½) interpreted the name as "purity, in praise of the purity of mind and nature" which refers to the DharmakÃÂya (in Bukkyo daijiten [Buddhist Dictionary], rev. ed. Tokyo 1954, p. 993b, s.v. "Juntei æºÂæÂÂ"). According to C. N. Tay, "the Fo Guang Buddhist Dictionary, ed. Ding Fubao (ä¸Âç¦Âä¿Â) follows this interpretation."
An 11th century manuscript of the Aá¹£á¹ÂasÃÂhasrikàPrajñÃÂpÃÂramitàSà «tra (at the Cambridge University Library) contains a miniature illustration of "Cundàof the Cundàtemple of Paá¹Âá¹ÂikerÃÂ" (in the Tippera, Bangladesh).
In the SÃÂdhanamÃÂlÃÂ, Cundàis considered to be affiliated with Vairocana Buddha and the Niá¹£pannayogÃÂvalë states that she is the embodiment of the CundÃÂdhÃÂriá¹Âë, a dharani also mentioned by Shantideva in his à Âiká¹£ÃÂsamuccaya. In the Mañjuà Ârëmà «lakalpa, she appears under the name Candrà(which generally means moon in Sanskrit). Images of the deity also appear in illustrated PrajñÃÂpÃÂramitàsutra manuscripts. Cundë and the Cundë DhÃÂraá¹Âë are also featured in the Cundë DhÃÂraá¹Âë Sà «tra, which was translated three times from Sanskrit into Chinese in the late 7th century and early 8th century by the Indian esoteric masters DivÃÂkara (685 CE), Vajrabodhi (723 CE), and Amoghavajra (8th century).
The worship of this deity became popular in north India during the Pala Empire, where she was taken as a patron deity of the PÃÂla dynasty. According to the Tibetan historian Taranatha, the founder of the dynasty, Gopala I, was a devotee of CundÃÂ. The deity spread throughout the Buddhist world to the rest of India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan regions, also becoming popular in East Asia. During the 8th century, various texts related to the deity were translated into Chinese.
Another important Buddhist textual source of Cundë and the Cundë DhÃÂraá¹Âë is the ', a sà «tra centered around the bodhisattva Avalokiteà Âvara that introduced the popular mantra '. This text is first dated to around the late 4th century CE to the early 5th century CE. This text may be the reason the deity later came to be identified with Guanyin. In the KÃÂraá¹Âá¸Âavyà «ha, her mantra appears after Om mani padme hum is pronounced. Seventy million Buddhas appear and recite Cundë DhÃÂraá¹Âë. Gimello writes that the sutra "relates an occasion on which seventy-seven krore of tathagatas recited the Cundë DhÃÂraá¹Âë, thereby causing a pore in Avalokitesvara's body to open and reveal in brilliant illumination a vast multitude of world systems (T. 1050: 20.63a)".
Cundë is usually depicted with multiple arms. A common form of Cundë found in East Asia has eighteen arms, each wielding implements that symbolize skillful means. Her eighteen arms also represent the eighteen merits of attaining Buddhahood, as described in an appendix to the '. There are forms of Cundë with four, six, sixteen or twenty-six arms. The four arms of the four-armed form of Cundë symbolize the four immeasurables: loving-kindness or benevolence (maitrë), compassion (karuá¹ÂÃÂ), empathetic joy (muditÃÂ), and equanimity (upeká¹£ÃÂ).
In the SÃÂdhanamÃÂlÃÂ, she is described as follows:<blockquote>She is of the colour of the autumn moon, and is four-armed. She shows the varada-mudràin the right hand and holds the book on a lotus in the left. The two other hands hold the bowl. She is decked in all ornaments. </blockquote>Abhayakaragupta's Niá¹£pannayogÃÂvalë describes the deity in the mañjuvajra-maá¹Âá¸Âala as follows:<blockquote>Cundàis moon-white in colour. She has twenty-six arms. With the two principal hands she exhibits the chief mudrÃÂ. In the remaining right hands she shows the 1. abhaya-mudrÃÂ, 2. sword, 3. garland of jewels, 4. citron, 5. arrow, 6. axe, 7. club, 8. hammer, 9. goad, 10. thunderbolt, 11. tripatÃÂkàand 12. rosary. In the remaining left hands she shows the 1. flag marked with cintÃÂmaá¹Âi jewel, 2. lotus, 3. Kamaá¹Âá¸Âalu, 4. noose, 5. bow, 6. javelin, 7. discus, 8. sword, 9. tarjaá¹Âë (raised index finger), 10. bowl, 11. bhiá¹Âá¸ÂipÃÂla and 12. the prajñÃÂpÃÂramitàScripture. </blockquote>A three-faced, twenty-six armed Cundàform exists in the Rinjung Gyatsa, a collection of deities from all four classes of tantra, compiled in the sixteenth century by the Tibetan master Lama Taranatha.
In many images of CundÃÂ, her arms hold numerous symbolic objects or make Buddhist hand gestures - mudras. Important mudras which are often depicted in images of Cundàinclude the dharmachakra mudra (which symbolizes turning the dharmawheel), the varada mudra (symbolizes granting fulfillment) and the abhaya mudra (fearlessness). Regarding the symbols that she holds, Puspa Niyogi writes:<blockquote>Among the objects held, the lotus is a symbol of purity; the book held by Cundàis CundÃÂdhÃÂriá¹Âë, the rosary is for counting the number of repetitions of the mantra; the cakra is the symbol of absolute completeness; dhvaja is the banner of victory; the trisula is held to symbolize "the sun with a flame" but there is much diversity of opinion regarding it; the sword is the symbol of the emptiness which constitutes the core of the doctrine of perfect wisdom. The begging-bowl typifies renunciation of all possessions. </blockquote>
In Hindu texts, a deity also called Cundàis considered a vindictive form of the goddess DurgÃÂ, or PÃÂrvatë, wife of the god à Âiva. However, as Gimello notes "the often repeated claim that she is the Buddhist form of the Saivite deity Durgàinvites suspicion, except insofar as both goddesses are examples of the general growth of devotion to female and maternal deities so rife throughout medieval India."
According to Robert Gimello, Cundë "came to be a, if not the, central focus of esoteric Buddhist practice in late traditional Chinese Buddhism. She is still a significant presence in Chinese Buddhism today." In China she became known as ZhÃÂntàFómà(, "Buddha-Mother Zhunti"). She is also called ZhÃÂntàPúsà(, "Cundi Bodhisattva").
She was introduced into China in the 8th century when the CundëdevëdhÃÂraá¹Âësà «tra was translated by Divakara (Dipoheluo, 613âÂÂ688). Zanning (919âÂÂ1001) mentions that Vajrabodhi (who also translated a version of the CundëdevëdhÃÂraá¹Âësà «tra) conducted a Cundë ritual for the Tang emperor Xuanzong (r. 712âÂÂ736) to help end a long drought, a rite which was deemed to be successful. Amoghavajra translated another version of the sutra, CundëdevëdhÃÂraá¹Âësà «tra (Qi Juzhi Fomu Suo Shuo Zhun Ti Tuoluoni Jing) which is significantly larger. Various related ritual manuals (like the Seven Koti Buddha Devi Cundi Heart Dharani Ritual and the Seven Koti Devi Ritual, are attributed to à Âubhakarasiá¹Âha).
Further sources were translated during the Song dynasty which augmented the Chinese cult of Cundë and her status as an esoteric deity including KÃÂraá¹Âá¸Âavyà «ha sà «tra, the MÃÂyÃÂjÃÂla tantra, and the Cundë (CundÃÂ) tantra.
In the 11th century Buddhism of the Liao dynasty (916âÂÂ1125), Chinese Cundë practice developed into its most well known form (which remains influential today). This was led by the work of Daoshen who wrote the Collection of Essentials for the Attainment of Buddhahood by Total [Inter-]Penetration of the Esoteric and the Exoteric,. Daoshen's work linked Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, especially Cundë esotericism, with Huayan philosophy. According to Gimello, Daoshen's work is the foundation of what is today known as Chinese "Cundë Esotericism".
Cundë Esotericism continued to be practiced in China after the Liao. During the 17th century (in the late Ming and early Qing dynasty), there was another period of growth of Cundë Esotericism, especially in southern China. During this era, at least six works on Cundë practice were composed. These six texts are today part of the addendum to the Jiaxing Canon as well as in the Supplement to the [Kyoto] Buddhist Canon. Further sources from this period also contain many references to Cundë. There are also many paintings and images of the goddess from this period. Many of the figures associated with the late Ming Buddhist revival, such as Yunqi Zhuhong (1532âÂÂ1612), Hanshan Deqing (1546âÂÂ1623), and Ouyi Zhixu (1599âÂÂ1655), were very engaged with Cundë practice.
The slightly later figure Shoudeng (1607âÂÂ1675) was also important in promoting Cundë Esotericism. He wrote the popular guide to practice titled Method for the Practice of Zhunti Meditation (Zhunti sanmei xingfa Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂä¸Âæ§è¡Âæ³Â).
Cundë Esotericism was also widely practiced by Chinese Buddhist laypersons during the Ming. In P'eng Chi-ch'ing's (1740âÂÂ1796) biography of lay Buddhists, the most popular mantras among laypersons were the Cundë mantra and the Great Compassion Mantra. She is also prominent in the art of the late Ming, such as in the paintings of Chen Hongshou (1598âÂÂ1652). The popularity of Cundë Esotericism among the laypeople in the late Ming is also attested by German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher (1602âÂÂ1680) who included an illustration of the deity in his famous China Illustrata (1667).
Cundë is still widely revered in East Asian Buddhism. She is also sometimes considered a manifestation of Guanyin and in this form she is called ZhÃÂntàGuÃÂnyën (Chinese: æºÂæÂÂè§Âé³, "Cundi Avalokiteà Âvara"). She is known as Junje Gwan-eum Bosal (ì¤Âì Âê´ÂìÂÂë³´ì´, Hanja: Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂè§Âé³è©è©, "Cundi Avalokiteà Âvara Bodhisattva") in Korean, while in Japan she is known as Jundei Kannon (Ã¥ÂÂèÂÂ観é³, "Cundi Avalokiteà Âvara") and in Vietnam she is known as Chuẩn ÃÂá» Quan ÃÂm (Chữ Hán: æºÂæÂÂè§Âé³, "Cundi Avalokiteà Âvara").
Cundë remains especially popular in China, where Cundë practices were promoted by some modern Chinese Buddhist figures, like Nan Huai-Chin. In Chinese Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia, statues of Cundë are traditionally enshrined in vegetarian halls (é½Âå Â; zhaitang). In modern Chinese Buddhism, she is also sometimes identified with Marëci or the Queen of Heaven. Her mantra is used by contemporary Chinese healers and is also a central practice in numerous Chinese Buddhist rituals such as the Yujia Yankou rite.
According to the ', the dhÃÂraá¹Âë (incantation, spell) associated with Cundë is the following (in Sanskrit, English, Chinese):
Nan Huaijin's version adds Om Bhrà «m (Ong Bu Lin) to the end of the dhÃÂraá¹Âë.
According to Gimello, "in some later texts, the longer version is routinely framed by certain preliminary and concluding dharani uttered for purificatory and protective purposes." One example is: <blockquote>Om raá¹ om jrëṠoá¹ maá¹Âë padme huá¹Â
Namaḥ saptÃÂnÃÂá¹ samyaksaá¹Âbuddha koá¹ÂënÃÂá¹ tadyathÃÂ:
Oá¹ cale cule cunde svÃÂhÃÂ
vrÃÂá¹Â</blockquote>
Robert Gimello describes an element of the practice of the Cundë DhÃÂraá¹Âë as follows:<blockquote>It is a defining feature of Zhunti practice, beginning with the Tang translation of the Cundë DhÃÂraá¹Âë scriptures, that devotees are encouraged to use a mirror â "as an altar" (wei tan), some of the texts say â to facilitate visualization. Gazing into a mirror while reciting the dhÃÂraá¹Âë, one is to visualize both the image of the deity and the mystic letters that embody her. In time, the small disc-shaped bronze mirrors used for this purpose came to be commonly imprinted, on the back, with the deity's iconic form, according to the canonical description, and, on the front and/or the back, with the inscribed dhÃÂraá¹Âë. It was not unusual to have the Sanskrit version of the spell embossed on the outer edge of the front or reflecting side of the disc, and to have the transliterated Chinese version embossed on the circumference of the back. The effect is of an image of the goddess encircled by "garlands" of sacred syllables, as though to reinforce the claim that the goddess and the incantation were inseparable, perhaps even mutually constitutive. And, of course, as the instrument in question is a mirror, the fusion of goddess and spell is further fused with the practitioner's own reflection. Sometimes, to emphasize the theme of communion between devotee and deity, the goddess's image is imprinted on the back of the mirror, facing backwards, so that someone viewing the rear of the mirror would see the back of the goddess and could therefore easily imagine, when gazing at his or her own image in the front of the mirror, that it was the goddess herself, in the guise of one's own visage, who is gazing back. </blockquote>The visualization of the icon and the recitation of the mantra are also coupled with the formation of a specific Cundë mudra. These three elements (mirror mandala, dharani and mudra) make up the practice of the "three mysteries" (sanmi), a key element of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism.
According to Gimello, the Chinese Cundi practitioner Daoshen held that by invoking the deity Cundi through esoteric ritual and reciting the mantra one could also attain the truth of the Huayan teaching. Gimello writes that Daoshen held that "the "body" of Huayan doctrine and the envisaged image of Cundi are somehow co-inherent, and that by invoking the presence of the goddess we somehow confirm the truth of the doctrines and render them practically efficacious". As such he "urges upon his readers a kind of religious synesthesia in which hearing or reading doctrine, as distilled in dharani, and seeing a deity â the apprehension of the word and the apprehension of the image â entail and merge with each other."
In the sà «tra, the Buddha speaks extensively about the various effects and benefits of reciting the Cundë dhÃÂraá¹Âë. Many of the effects are purifying and uplifting in nature. For example, after pronouncing the dhÃÂraá¹Âë, the Buddha then says:
The dhÃÂraá¹Âë is also closely associated with buddhahood and complete enlightenment (Skt. '). At the end of the sà «tra, the Buddha closes the teaching by saying: