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ShivaFan
24 August 2012, 08:30 PM
Japanese Kankiten 歓喜天 is Ganesha?

Namaste Ganapati Devotees

In Japan there are many temples with the Deity Kankiten. But the murthi idols are often kept secret by the temple priests or monks, Tendai and Shingon sects of Buddhsm have sacred scriptures of two, four and six armed with elephant head, but most common are two elephant head deities in an embrace, and bowed to by girls or women who want children. Binayakaten 毘那夜迦天 is another Japanese name for this elephant headed deity.

Below is a link to The Museum of Fine Arts Boston which shows a 19th Century hanging Japanese scroll which is obviously Ganesh in a Kankiten form. Obviously Ganesh travelled with some Buddhist sects to Japan and so is a deity there.

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/mandala-of-kangiten-the-elephant-headed-god-with-two-bodies-26179

There is lots of information on this on the Internet, and these forms of Ganesh appear in both China and Japan.

Can this be considered Ganapati worship? Any comments?

Om Namah Sivaya

Sahasranama
24 August 2012, 10:00 PM
There are several Japanese gods that are derived from Hindu gods.

Equinox
25 August 2012, 12:02 AM
There are several Japanese gods that are derived from Hindu gods.


An example would be Goddess Saraswati. She becomes Benzaiten in Japan.


Aum Namah Shivaya

shian
29 August 2012, 11:48 AM
Kangi is mean happines / joyful
Well, in Buddhist Tripitaka, tantra section, have explained that Kangiten is elder son of Shiva and Uma. There is also one exclusive sutra for Kangiten, the sutra is on 4 chapter, that is Vajrasattva spoke about all ritual of Kangiten, include the ritual of giving abhisekam to Kangiten's statue, the using of different material of statue, different form, different liquid to abhisekam, the different time, the mantras etc to attain many siddhis. There is also a sutra about Kangiten, include the Ten names of kangiten and its benefit, the name include Vakratunda, Vinayaka, Ganapati etc. The seed sylllable is red GAM. There is also sutra about Kangiten , include Kangiten's ability is cannot describe perfectly, because He have so many and unthiinkable ability and power. He also have ability to bestow moksha. But in another side, He also have ability of destruction, ability to make hindrance, ability to become a Lord of bhutas, ganas, maras.

Acctually, no need to many proof, only one syllable AUM, this is from Hindu.

And i was think the wonderful way of Jaganatha to guide us. Is rahvana and another rakshasha is absolutely not doing Vedic ritual and culture ? Is he considered as Hindu or no ? Why Lord come to subjugate them ?

I even believe , when in the world so many buddhist is down fall, Lord Buddha even will manifest to subjugate Buddhist.

Name oh name

McKitty
02 October 2012, 03:44 AM
Vanakkam,

If anyone is interested to know more about Kangiten, I have found interesting things ! I was playing a game yesterday, this game features many gods and demons from every parts of the world, and provide good explanations about them: I just found that Kangiten was in it ! :D

Kangiten is always depicted as two elephants hugging each other, one being the son of Shiva, the other being KuanYin. People recognize them because one is always stepping on the foot of the other !

It brings many benefits to worship him, according to japanese, but it's a very very fierce God and his worship have to follow very stricts rules or Kangiten can be angry.

Here is a picture of a statue of Kangiten:

http://www.shreedarshan.com/gw-japan2.jpg

It's strange that he is seen as a wrathful god =0 Ganeshji is very peaceful !


Aum Namah Shivaya

shian
03 October 2012, 05:10 AM
Ganesh Ji have peaceful form and also have fierce form ( Krodha )

then why in Japanese they also beliefe there is rule to worship Kangiten ?
Because in the East Tantra Sutra about Kangiten or Vinayaka , there is 4 chapter spoken by Vajrasattva , in Sutra have said : "Dont give this sutra or teachings of this to the person who dont have faith, then the Guru must choose the proper student for this Sadhanas, because if this all do out from rules , and or if the student is not have enough faith or not mature in spirituality the student will back slander Guru and Ganesh, so the effect will be bad."

But not all of Ganesh sadhana is have this rule.
There is so many kind of Ganesh sadhana.
Buddhist even beliefe Ganesh can deliver them to the Pure Land of Buddha. And only The Higest Being who have free from samsara ,can do it.