Song Dynasty Marichi Statue

Marichi and Her Pigs Representing the Planets of the Hour of Dawn

Marichi in tibetan astrology, is a deity associated with light and the sun, holding a significant place in Buddhism. She is often depicted with multiple arms and faces, and is sometimes shown riding a chariot pulled by pigs.

We are commissioning a sacred statue of the Goddess Marichi, in Chinese iconographic style, to be installed at the Land of Shambhala. Here the goddess will stand bright against the sky, shimmering with light at dawn and keeping an eye on the lands below, conferring her protection upon them.

Marichi (मारीची, ‘Ray of Light’) is revered as a powerful protector and remover of obstacles. Her radiant presence dispels darkness and fear, illuminates the path of spiritual awakening, and guards practitioners from harm and adverse forces. Marichi has also incredibly important for Buddhists and Taoists in China ever since the Dharma first arrived. We have included an informative overview of her role in China below, so don’t miss it!

Creating a statue of Marichi at this time is profoundly auspicious: she is Khentrul Rinpoche’s personal protector deity, and sponsoring her statue brings the blessings of illumination, protection, and swift progress on the path directly into our community’s field of merit as we enter this new year.

The statue will be designed with full consultation and approval, honouring the traditional iconography drawn from the Marici Sutra (宋譯摩里支天經). Skilled artisans will complete the work in China with precision and reverence, and the statue will be placed in the Rime Deity Garden with consecration rites so that it becomes an active support for practice and blessing.

Why Marichi Matters

Protectoress and Remover of Obstacles
Marichi dispels inner and outer darkness, fear, ignorance, and harmful influences. Her radiant light, symbolized by the dawn and sun, cuts through delusion and empowers practitioners to face challenges with clarity.

Goddess of Light and Spiritual Illumination
Associated with the rising sun, Marichi represents the triumph of wisdom over ignorance—just as dawn dispels night. Her iconography and mantra practice are employed to invoke protection, clarity, and success on the spiritual path.

Guardian in Turbulent Times
Traditionally invoked for safety, travel, well-being, and protection from sudden dangers, Marichi’s presence strengthens personal and communal spiritual resilience.

Auspicious for the New Year
This project creates a fruitful beginning for the coming year. Supporting the creation of Marichi’s statue establishes powerful merit for donors, practitioners, and all beings. The blessings of her presence will permeate the Land of Shambhala and extend outward with every invocation and practice.

Marici in Chinese Buddhism

Marici (摩利支天菩薩, Chinese: Mólìzhītiān Púsà) is highly revered in Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and is worshiped as both a Buddhist and Taoist deity.

In Taoism, she is known as Doumu (斗母/斗姆), the Mother of the Big Dipper and mother of all stars. She is typically enshrined in the central position of the Hall of the Sixty Taisui (Sixty Celestial Generals), where she presides over fortune and misfortune. In Chinese Buddhist tradition, she holds a unique position as one of the Twenty-Four Devas (二十四諸天, Èrshísì Zhūtiān) and is usually enshrined in the Mahavira Hall of most Chinese Buddhist temples, flanking the central altar.

Marici practice was popularized in China and beyond, across East Asia, through the Dhāraṇī Sūtra of Mārīcī Bodhisattva (摩利支天菩薩陀羅尼經), translated by the great Amoghavajra (不空金剛, Bùkōng; 705-774), one of the three founding patriarchs of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism alongside Śubhakarasiṃha and Vajrabodhi.

Marici serves as a powerful protector deity with several important functions:

• Protection and Invisibility: She is famous for her power to shield devotees from danger and make them invisible to enemies, especially during wars
• Averting Disasters: She eliminates misfortune including disease, famine, and political unrest
• Success and Prosperity: She represents virtues of success in work and achievements, both material and spiritual

She is also worshiped as the goddess of light and the guardian of all nations, whom she protects from the fury and devastation of war. A number of miracles are attributed to her throught Chinese history, including:

• Song Dynasty Emperor Gaozong (南宋高宗) credited Marici and her dharani with saving him from Jin forces through her power of invisibility, as enemy cavalry units passed within meters of the imperial entourage without detecting them.  For this rescue, the Emperor established Fajing Temple (法净寺) in Hangzhou, as her special seat of Marici devotion
• Ming Admiral and Explorer Zheng He (鄭和, 1371-1433) recorded miraculous rescues attributed to Marici’s protection during his seven sea voyages, inscribing accounts in his edition of the Dhāraṇī Sūtra of Marici Bodhisattva

As hinted by the story of Emperor Gaozong, the Song Dynasty represented a golden age in Marici’s development within Chinese Buddhism, as her devotion and temples gained imperial patronage. Our statue is based specifically on the Song Dynasty translation of the Marici Sutra (宋譯摩里支天經), connecting us to this watershed moment in Chinese Buddhist history.