The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2715 page)

3. 179 ff., and
Anguttara
Nik
ya
1. 138 ff.
In the post-canonical Buddhist literature, Yama is depicted as the overlord of the purgatory system who assigns to beings the punishments they must undergo in expiation of their karmic misdeeds. In
Tantric
Buddhism, Yama is a fierce deity. Tibetan iconography and the
Tibetan Book of the Dead
(
Bardo Thodol
) portray Yama, who appears at death, as standing in a halo of flames, adorned with human skulls and heads, holding in his left hand the mirror of karma (which reflects the good and bad deeds of the deceased) and in his right hand the sword of wisdom (
prajña
).
2
The first limb of eight-limbed (
a
a
ga
) or
r
ja
yoga
comprising five ethical rules:

(i) non-injury (
ahi
s
),
(ii) truthfulness (satya),
(iii) non-stealing (
asteya
),
(iv) celibacy (
brahmacarya
), and (v) greedlessness (
aparigraha
). Commitment to these is the Great Vow (Mah
vrata).

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

see
FUJISAN
;
SHUGEND
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search