Mythical Beast Mokara

 

Mythical Beast Mokara

 

 

When the old donkey led his donkey pack team on the Indian mountain road, he met his old acquaintance Agudengba, and the two began to stroll and chat by the river. Agudemba's donkey, Mahu, was playing with the donkey team by the river.

The old donkey pointed to the blooming lotus in the river pond and said to Agudengba:

Both Hinduism and Buddhism regard the lotus as a sacred flower. In the Indian pantheon, whether it is Hinduism, Buddhism, or Jainism, the lotus plays a central role. Shiva dances on the lotus, and the Buddha's seat is on the lotus. The lotus can be said to be the flower of Indian culture, from which Brahma, the creator of the universe, grows. It can be said that the universe was born from the lotus, and the lotus is associated with a great creation. The Indian monk who brought Buddhism to Tibet was named Padmasambhava, named after it grew from the lotus. The Buddha has a pair of lotus eyes, a pair of lotus legs, and the soles of his feet are blooming lotus flowers. On both sides of the double lotus base are the mythical beasts called Mokara.

Old Donkey: Mr. Agudenba, do you know Mokaro?

Agudemba said: I don’t know much, and I would like to hear your opinion.

The old donkey said to Agudengba:

Mokara has been a symbol of the divine light since the second century BC. Mingguang is the son of Krishna and Rugmini in ancient Indian mythology. According to legend, on the sixth day after his birth, he was stolen away by the demon Dimi. The devil threw it into the sea, and Mingguang was swallowed by a big fish. The big fish was later caught, and when the fish's belly was opened, the young Mingguang was discovered. The clear light is Shana Kumara, one of the four sons born in the heart of Brahma.

Mokara is a sea animal in Hindu mythology. Xuanzang's new translation is Mo Jie.

"The Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" describes a big fish named "Moji". The book records that a big businessman from Caojuzhao country lost his way at sea for three years because he despised Buddhism. Later, when he was about to die, he saw a big mountain. The mountain was so majestic that everyone on the ship thought He was finally rescued, but the businessman knew that it was just a "moji fish". The book describes the Moji fish as being as big as a mountain: "The steep cliffs and ridges are like a mane; the two days of the sun shine together, and the eyes are clear."

Traditionally, Mokara is considered to be a strange beast in the sea. Some people think that its image is derived from a crocodile, while others also think that it is a whale, a dolphin, or even a sea beast with a fish body and an elephant head. In the early Tang Dynasty, it turned into a dragon head and a fish body. In the mid-Tang Dynasty, a dragon head with a fish body and two wings appeared. The Moji fish on the glazed pagoda of Dabaoen Temple in the Ming Dynasty has an elephant head, a peacock tail, and animal claws. The Tibetan Mokara statue has the jaws and teeth of a crocodile, the eyes of an ape, the tail of a peacock, the trunk of an elephant, the scales of a fish, the teeth of a wild boar, and the claws of a lion.

Generally speaking, in the field of Himalayan art, Mokara is often depicted as a terrestrial creature with the front half, that is, the body of an elephant, the ears of a mouse or ape, the protruding teeth of a wild boar, the feet of a peacock or a lion, etc., while the back half is Aquatic animals, usually fish, seals, snakes, etc.

The old man continued:

In Indian mythology, Mokara is considered to be the essence of river water, the foundation of life, and has the power to overturn rivers and seas. Capricorns have an evil nature and can damage ships and harm people. Therefore, even the gods would be somewhat afraid of it. But India is the birthplace of Buddhism, and the Buddha's Dharma is boundless. He guided Capricorn to abandon evil and do good. Naturally, Capricorn has become a sacred object of Buddhism, and the Capricorn fish has become a mythical beast with a dragon head and a fish body. He even has the status of god.

In the Vedic pantheon, Mokara has always been associated with the protector gods Varuna, Soma, Kubera and Indra. As an aquatic mythical animal, Mokana is the mount of Varuna, the god of water and creation. The moon god Soma is also full of water, and Mokana is Soma's mount. In addition, Mokara is also a symbol of Kama, the god of love. Kamo does not have its own temple, but the image of a makara often appears on the flag representing Kamo. It seems that gods related to water love the company of Mokana, who is also the mount of the goddess Ganges. People say that tenderness is like water, so the flag of the car in which the God of Love rides is embroidered with the image of Mokara... In the atmosphere of water, the relationship between Mokara and the gods above constitutes a unique Indian logic. .

The old donkey said to Agudengba again:

In many Asian countries, mokaras are considered the guardians of doors, so their images will appear at the entrances of halls and temples, around the bases, as well as on the drainage outlets of buildings and the spouts of fountains. It is a symbol of Hinduism and A creature often seen in Buddhist temples. Mokara is a water beast, but what he spits out of his mouth is fire. The relationship between a circle of burning cosmic fire and the water beast forms a profound philosophical meaning.

Agudemba was an extremely intelligent man. He never missed any opportunity to learn. After listening to the old man’s explanation, he suddenly became interested in Indian religion, which is completely different from Judaism, Christianity and Islam. , even Buddhism originating from India is very different from Hinduism. Monotheism, polytheism, atheism, various doctrines are intertwined and contradictory. How much influence does religion have on society, and how does it attract different believers?

At this time, the donkeys by the river happily sang the dance of Poseidon "Mokaro":

 

Mokara, Mokara,

You have the body of an elephant,

You have mouse ears,

You have the protruding teeth of a wild boar,

You have the sharp toes of a lion,

The second half of you, wow,

But they are aquatic animals,

Sometimes it’s fish,

sometimes a snake,

You are like a seal,

You are like a crocodile.

 

Mokara, Mokara,

Sometimes you are as tender as water,

Sometimes you turn the world upside down,

You are the mount of the Great God,

You are the faith of all living beings.

 

Ah, Mokaro,

Our mythical beast.

It's you who make us understand:

God is the sustenance of mankind,

God is human creation,

God has no fixed image;

God is only in our hearts.