Eliminate the darkness enclosing my mind, give me intelligence so that I may gain
insight. -Prayer to Manjusri Bodhisattva (qtd. in Kerby, W.R. “Prayer to Manjushri”)
Manjusri is the god of wisdom and courage. In other texts, he is the god who created the
‘nanshoku’ or ‘male homosexual love’ He is also one of the most prominent gods portrayed in the Mahayana art and literature. He is the representation of the wisdom of prajna which is closedly related to the Madhyamika School of Buddhism which was founded by the Indian monk named Nagarjuna in the 2nd century. Though the origins of Manjusri is uncertain, scholars believes that like Buddha, he came from a wealthy family from India and received an education appropriate for his status. Manjusri ...
