In East Asian Buddhism, the Twelve Heavenly Generals or Twelve Divine Generals are the protective deities, or yaksha, of Bhaisajyaguru, the buddha of healing. They are introduced in the Medicine Buddha Sutra or Bhaiá¹£ajyaguruvaidà «ryaprabharÃÂja Sà «tra. They are collectively named as follows:
The precise names of the generals seem to vary depending on tradition. Those listed below are from an available Sanskrit transcription of the Bhaiá¹£ajyaguruvaiá¸Âà «ryaprabhÃÂrÃÂja Sà «tra:
While the Honji and zodiac correspondences listed above are the standard in Japanese sources, there is variation among texts and regional traditions.