#cintamani

[magicwingslisten]

Nicholas Roerich in his study at Kulu "Rex Fiat" is the centerpiece figure of the triptych behind him Stone meteorite "Gift of Orion" above

[journeytothewestresearch]

Buddhist Dragon Balls

I first became interested in Journey to the West thanks to the manga/anime Dragon Ball Z. The series is named after a set of seven glass-like orbs (fig. 1) that were created by the Namekian-turned-protector deity Kami for the benefit of mankind. When all seven are collected, they summon the dragon god Shenron, who grants a single wish. One common wish is to resurrect a beloved fighter who had previously been killed in battle.

The seven dragon balls.

But what would the Dragon Balls be like if they appeared in the Journey to the West universe? There are two possibilities. The first is the most obvious, the Cintāmaṇi (Sk: "wish-fulfilling jewel"; Ch: ruyi baozhu, 如意寶珠, lit: "as-you-will treasure jewel"). Also known as "dragon jewels" (longzhu, 龍珠), these luminous orbs are commonly held by Bodhisattvas in Buddhist art (fig. 2), thereby signifying their ability to grant any wish that a believer may have. They are also mentioned in Buddhist scripture. For instance, the Treatise of the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Sk: Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra; Ch: Da zhidu lun, 大智度論, c. 2nd-century) reveals that the Cintāmaṇi is a bodily relic found in the brains of dragon kings (longzhu chu longnao zhong, 龍珠出龍腦中) (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, p. 193). Therefore, we would be able to maintain the connection to dragons in Journey to the West.

A 14th-century Korean painting of the Earth Store Bodhisattva holding a Cintāmaṇi.

In East Asia, the Cintāmaṇi is closely associated with our second possibility, the Śarīra (Sk: "body"; Ch: Sushe/zi, 舍利/子) (fig. 3). These pearl-like beads figure among the bodily relics left over from the historical Buddha's cremation. [1] Strong (2004) explains: "[They are the result] of a process of metamorphosis brought on not only by the fire of cremation but also by the perfections of the saint (in this case the Buddha) whose body they re-present" (p. 12).

They are said to come in different colors and sizes depending on the country and religious tradition (Strong, 2004, p. 11).

Photo of Śarīra relics.

Journey to the West could have one or even both of these bodily relics. For example, the Cintāmaṇi would allow demon kings or lesser spirits to wish for powerful heavenly weapons, thereby helping them fight stronger opponents; or, the Śarīra could grant the devils more spiritual power, thereby allowing them to bypass centuries of spiritual cultivation.

But neither of these items could help evil beings achieve immortality. I've previously noted that Journey to the West was heavily influenced by the Buddho-Daoist philosophy of the Southern Quanzhen School Patriarch Zhang Boduan (張伯端, mid to late-980s-1082). He believed that in order to become a true transcendent (xian, 仙), one had to achieve both the Daoist elixir of immortality and Buddha-nature (Shao, 1997; 2006). The first extends your life, while the second frees you from the endless rounds of rebirth. While the aforementioned spiritual objects may grant them divine longevity, it won't make them unkillable. And if they are killed, they would still be subject to the wheel of reincarnation. It would be up to them to achieve the last step in this two-step process. But that would require these spirits to mend their evil ways and “return to the right path” (gui zheng, 歸正)⁠—i.e. convert to Buddhism. 

Note:

There are three main types of Buddha relics: 1) those of the body left over from his cremation (hair, teeth, nails, bones, and Śarīra beads); 2) those that he used (walking staff, alms bowl, robes, etc.); and 3) those that he taught (i.e. lessons from scripture) (Strong, 2004, p. 8).

Sources:

Buswell, R. E., & Lopez, D. S. (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Shao, P. (1997). Monkey and Chinese Scriptural Tradition: A Rereading of the Novel Xiyouji (UMI No. 9818173) [Doctoral dissertation, Washington University]. Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

Shao, P. (2006). Huineng, Subhūti, and Monkey’s Religion in “Xiyou ji”. The Journal of Asian Studies, 65(4), 713-740. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/25076127.

Strong, J. S. (2004). Relics of the Buddha. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

[panicinthestudio]

Nyoirin Kannon (Cintāmaṇicakra), 14th century

Kamakura period, Japan

Hanging scroll; ink and colors on silk H 87.5, W 46.2

Collection of the Nara National Museum

[drymountaintreasures]

Saffordite Bracelet https://www.etsy.com/listing/1402025898/saffordite-arizona-tektite-cintamani-raw

Saffordites are a natural glass stone found only in one place on Earth – the Chihuahuan Desert southeast of Safford, Arizona. Often referred to as Arizona Tektites, they are really members of the obsidian glass family of rocks. Saffordites appear very black, like a piece of coal. But when they are viewed with a light from behind they truly show off their inner beauty. Their surface is usually pitted with cup-shaped depressions similar to moon-like craters and they vary from clear and sparkling to translucent, banded, opaque, and even the occasional rare find of a white “sheba”.

Saffordites have earned a lot of nicknames and are often called, the holy grail stone, the wish-fulfilling stone, or Cintamani. Metaphysically Saffordites are said to be the most powerful gemstones yet discovered, even more powerful than Moldavites . They carry a low magnetic frequency and thus are excellent for grounding with both root and crown chakras with many benefits for physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

[tanuki-kimono]

Striking antique purple kimono with blazing hôju (wish-fulfilling jewel looking like flaming pearl, an ancient pattern representing the cintamani stone).

The mirror skirt pattern placement is a good example of ryôzuma 両褄 , which was all the rage for late Meiji-early 20th century formal kimono like this irotomesode.

[tcfactory]

Dumb SVSSS thought of the day: what if Mobei-jun is pretty damn young (14, not quite 15) when Shang Qinghua (20+however long he lived his first life) first meets him. And when he's relaxed and not in mortal danger (like when he's hogging Qinghua's bed) he's acting extremely childish, as emotionally neglected teenagers sometimes do. Just the brattiest of brats, somehow an unfortunate mix of 1. trained for deadly combat 2. already posessing very thorough education on demonic politics and rulership and 3. completely emotionally neglected and almost feral. Like. He's a lonely kid who very much needs a family connection and some hugs. He reminds Qinghua of some of the disciples An Ding gets who come from neglectful families, because getting their unwanted kids in a sect raises a family's prestige and there's a 'compensation' CQMS pays out to the 'gracious parents who give up their child' so it pays better than selling them to the slavers. (It's all just a ploy to make sure the people bring their kids there first, so there's less of a chance that they would end up in the clutches of demonic cultivators.)

So overworked, sleep deprived Qinghua ends up treating his demon brat the same way he treats the An Ding brats a few times. He can't help it! He knows that Mobei-jun will grow up to be like exactly his type, but right now he's just extremely little brother shaped (despite being really goddamn tall, what are they feeding young ice demons???) and Qinghua's brain just turns off the self preservation around him when he's tired enough apparently.

And Mobei-jun... Likes?? He likes this??? Nobody has babied him since the fallout with Linguang-jun when he was four, he's touch starved and needy for affection. The way his human expresses affection is not really the way he's used to, but it's still pleasant. It speaks to that shameful part of him that wanted to curl up and cry himself into oblivion when he was five and his father threw him out into the ice sheets and told him he's not allowed to return unless he kills something with his bare hands and then finds his way home.

So Shang Qinghua acquires a sticky, feral, demonic younger brother. He doesn't really mind as such, that's his blorbo and probably still his favorite person (and the reassurance that as long as he's Mobei-jun's emotional support human he's going to be kept safe is nice). But it really puts a lid on his non-existent dating life. Who would possibly date him now when they would have to contend with having Mobei-unlikely-to-ever-grow-out-of-his-stickiness-in-private-jun around too?

Yue Qingyuan. Yue Qingyuan would date him. He totally gets it, he has his own ill-tempered sticky little brother. Same situation, just with 95% less demonic energy and 80% more verbal sass. Shang Qinghua even ends up joking that they should set up playdates for those two. They are surprisingly effective.

What do you call it when you, your boyfriend, your little brother (feral cat, demon edition) and your boyfriend's little brother (feral cat, cultivator edition) are all cuddled up in a sleepy pile? Shang Qinghua isn't really sure, but it's comfier then it sounds, actually. Everyone appreciates Mobei-jun and his unshakably cool body temperature in the summer heat.

[nofatclips]

All I Know of Love, a film by Emma Ruth Rundle and Geert Braekers

[sweetnround]

A batch of commissions that I finished recently!

For/Of the following VTubers

🐲Kip Cintamani

Twitter

Twitch

🎃Rurika (fan mascot)

Twitter

Twitch

👻Amonti Ado

Twitter

Twitch

[lifewithaview]

Ophelia Lovibond,Jay Heyman and Michael Landes in Hooten & the Lady (2016) Cambodia

Ep7

Alex and Hooten attempt to track down the priceless Cintamani jewel in Cambodia, which can manifest whatever one wishes for, but they soon attract the attentions of a ruthless Vietnamese drug gang...

*When Hooten and Alex enter the cave they find a crevasse that has many varies snakes in it. While Cambodia has many types of snakes several of the snakes in the crevasse are common only to the Americas. Also the sound emitting from the crevasse is the distinctive sound of a rattlesnake which is also only found in the Americas.

[digitaldoeslmk]

The fifth is the Wish-fulfilling Jewel Monkey, who knows the path of heavenly bodies, discerns goodness from illusions, casts away Calamities, and satisfies all desires of thought.

harbinger of chaos is out, a Cintamani dropped on the eastern ocean to become a fifth mystical monkey is in.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Mystical Items & Objects

Examples in Mythology and Literature

Pandora's Box

The god Prometheus stole fire from heaven to give to the human race, which originally consisted only of men

To punish humanity, the other gods created the first woman, the beautiful Pandora

As a gift, Zeus gave her a box, which she was told never to open

However, as soon as he was out of sight she took off the lid, and out swarmed all the troubles of the world, never to be recaptured

Only Hope was left in the box, stuck under the lid

Anything that looks ordinary but may produce unpredictable harmful results can thus be called a Pandora's box

Hermes' Winged Sandals

Also called the Talaria of Mercury

Are winged sandals, a symbol of the Greek messenger god Hermes (Mercury)

They were said to be made by the god Hephaestus of imperishable gold and they flew the god as swift as any bird

Cintamani Stone

Also referred to as the Chintamani

A wish-fulfilling stone that features across both Hindu and Buddhist religions

The stone features as one of many Mani Jewel (i.e., several gems that are mentioned prominently in Buddhist literature) images that can be found in the scripture of Buddhism

In Hinduism, the stone is connected to the gods Ganesha and Vishnu

Usually, it is depicted as a jewel in Vishnu’s possession known as the Kaustubha

The Kaustubha acts as a sign of divine authority

Arcane Artifacts & Objects

Offer a gateway between time past and time present, bringing layers of ancient history and new-world intrigue to a narrative

Such items are typically represented in fiction as works of long-lost knowledge, primordial features or landmarks, and curious objects of mysterious origin

Often lying dormant until the pivotal moment of discovery, these items invite characters and readers alike into a dance with the unknown

Examples: Necronomicon, Genie's Bottle

Necronomicon

Also referred to as the Book of the Dead

It appears in stories by H.P. Lovecraft

A dark grimoire (i.e., a magician's manual for invoking demons and the spirits of the dead) of forbidden knowledge

Used to open gateways of unearthly powers and cosmic horrors

Genie's Bottle

The classic magical item from mythology, also featured in Aladdin

A vessel of wish fulfillment that often leads to dramatic and unexpected consequences

Doorways & Portals

Doorways in fiction serve as gateways between worlds, dimensions, or states of reality, providing characters with universe-hopping capabilities and genre-defying journeys

These portals, whether physical structures or fantastical mechanisms, open up limitless storytelling possibilities, allowing for sudden shifts in setting and introducing elements of surprise and surrealism

Examples:

C.S. Lewis' wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia serves as a secret portal to a fantasy world, bridging the mundane with the fantastical

The eponymous board game in Jumanji transports its players into a wild and perilous jungle adventure, wrenching them from the safety of their living room

Jewelry, Gems, and Garments

Along with other various accessories, these serve several narrative functions, from symbolizing power and status to bestowing unique abilities upon their wearers

These items can act as plot catalysts (i.e. MacGuffins), embody character traits, or hold deep cultural or magical significance within a story’s world

Example: The Amulet of Mara in Skyrim not only reduces the cost of Restoration spells but also unlocks marriage options for the player, integrating gameplay with the narrative

Legendary Objects of Power

Carry with them stories of grandeur and lore, passed down through generations and intertwined with the fates of those who wield them

These are the objects that make or break worlds, bestow immense strength, and are frequently considered among the most powerful items in fiction

Example: Though it's never actually been seen, the Kusanagi Sword from Japanese folklore is a fabled sword that represents valor, said to be endowed with divine powers

Machinery and Technologies

Stretch the boundaries of physics and logic to offer a glimpse into what could be possible in alternate or future universes

These innovations, whether grounded in current science or verging on the fantastical, propel narratives forward and deepen the complexity of the story’s world

Writers can leverage these technological wonders to enhance their storytelling, using them to explore themes of power, ethics, and the human relationship with technology

Example: The body shields in Dune generate a protective forcefield around the wearer—advanced technology that current militaries can only dream of

Mundane Everyday Items

Possess extraordinary storytelling potential to transform the unassuming into the unforgettable

Seemingly ordinary, these objects can surprise both characters and readers, unveiling hidden depths and abilities when least expected

These seemingly mundane objects could fall into unsuspecting hands and create chaos or catalyze a hero’s journey

Additionally, they might only reveal their true nature to those worthy or capable of wielding their power, which can set the stage for narratives that are centered around discovery and mastery

Example: Oscar Wilde’s Portrait of Dorian Grey presents art as a vessel for dark magic, encapsulating the protagonist’s sins while he remains untouched by time

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ Writing Notes & References

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Religious symbolisms on EP 12 in Christian and Buddhism/Hinduism perspectives

Isn’t it amusing that the final episode, EP12, fell on this year’s Lenten week? Rebirth and resurrection, the anastasis… those themes. Easter Sunday, the Christian Jesus alive again overcoming Death itself.

Isami Ao being reborn as Bravern’s latest persona, Burn Brave Big Bang, to defeat the all-powerful of all the Death Drives. Most of all, Lewis Smith coming back. His own resurrection, his own rebirth.

Burn Brave Big Bang is definitely Isami complete with his standard snarl

Verum Vita. What’s in a name? First off, it is a bastardised Latin that lacks an “e” at the end that means “the truth of life,” which sounds ironic as her lust for murder supersedes.

Upon introducing Verum Vita, a choir-like music could be heard chanting in Latin. (It was reminiscent of Carmina Burana’s “O, Fortuna” or “Dies Irae” by Guiseppe Verdi.) Then a pink lotus 🪷 appeared on her feet/bottom of her tower. A lotus has a significant meaning in different religions. In Christianity, flowers don’t often play an integral part in worship. Though, it represents purity and God’s creation of the universe. However, in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, the lotus signifies purity of the heart, soul, and mind, and also, rebirth. It is an extraordinary exemplary as such that it remains pure and clean when coming out from the murky waters.

Usually, Hindu and Buddhism religious arts consist of deities either seated or floating on a lotus flower.

Verum Vita resembled the deity Kisshōten, the equivalent of Lakshmi in Japanese Buddhism. With a blossoming lotus under her feet, this goddess symbolises fertility, wealth, prosperity and beauty. The lotus under Verum Vita was not just any colour, but pink. In Buddhism, “the pink lotus flower is the supreme lotus and is considered to be the true lotus of Buddha.”

A few frames later, the lotus pedestal where she used to stand on transformed into marsh grass, which could be interpreted as the moment her fallen mask, her real intention, was revealed. Instead of holding a wish-fulfilling jewel called Cintamani, Verum Vita was holding a sword.

It is interesting the way this series subvert everything and use the religious imagery as the forces of evil subjugating the humankind.

Both Isami and Verum Vita both declared that they didn’t want to die. But there lies the difference between the two. When the first one wanted to save the world, the other strived to destroy it.

It feels like a mishmash of all beliefs fused into one huge spectacle to make this episode parts parody, parts fairy tale, and it is interesting to watch.

[panicinthestudio]

The Bodhisattva Nyoirin Kannon, 14th century

Ryōzen

Nanbokuchō period, Japan

Ink and light color on silk

The deity Nyoirin Kannon sits atop a boulder on a verdant mountainside, his eyes downcast in silent contemplation. Nyoirin Kannon is said to fulfill people’s every wish and is depicted here pondering how to save humanity. The spot his left hand touches gleams golden. In the sutras, which explain the teachings of Buddhist deities, it is written that Nyoirin Kannon touches the “shining mountain,” Mount Potalaka. This painting alludes to that detail by depicting him touching a gleaming golden rock. The artist is Ryōzen, who was active in the vicinity of Tōfuku-ji Zen Temple in Kyoto during the 14th century. The painting bears Ryōzen’s signature in its bottom-right corner. No details about Ryōzen are known, but it is rare for the name of the artist of a 14th-century work to survive, making this a valuable example. This is an ink wash painting. The artist portrays a space with depth through the use of different shades of ink. The use of gold causes Nyoirin Kannon to stand out against the black ink used for the majority of the painting. Details such as the deity’s diadem, accessories, the pattern on his robe, and the veins on the leaves of the lotus throne on which he sits are delicately portrayed using gold paint made from a gold-powder base. Similar uses of gold paint are often seen in traditional paintings of Buddhist deities. In this painting, the gold-painted sections appear especially vivid amid the varied shades of black ink.

Collection of the Tokyo National Museum

[foundfamilymylove]

Imagine the chaos if the people in the indignity test suddenly came into the LCF world-

Dodam calling Cale 'the terrible bastard' while everyone is confused

Raon is happy knowing that even in another world, his human will always save him, just like he promised

Maybe even them fighting for Cale's attention

Both CHs look at each other warily but bond over the confusion that is known as Cale Henituse. Also, CH promises to teach indignity test CH how to become stronger to protect his new-found family. Cale is scared at this, as always

Alver laughing with a refreshed smile, while the younger him wonders if he's gone crazy when he sees how much paperwork he has.

Tiny Alver being happy when he sees that the dark elves, and them too, have been accepted by people. It only reaffirms the fact that he didn't make the wrong choice.

Baby KRS who is wary at first and sticks to CH like glue, however soon opens up with the help of the children. I can imagine Alver going 'Aigoo, why can't I have such a cute dongsaeng?'

However it's ruined when they teach baby KRS how to scam with a bright smile to get money (a critical hit to Alver)

(If you want angst then they wonder why KRS is here when he's so young, however they see how skinny he is still, his footsteps too quiet to not have been learned, the way his eyes were always looking for escapes and he hated people getting too close. The way he dissociates sometimes, just staring blankly at the wall. It's... unnerving, to say the least, to watch a child go so blank and unmoving.

It's clear that something terrible had happened, but both CH, KRS and Cale (to Alver) hold their silence, so all they can do is treat him with care.)

Tiny KRS and the children bonding.

Raon being taught by Eruhaben and Rosalyn.

If they still had the cintamani, maybe they could also dote on baby KRS and how cute he was as a kid, asking 20yr KRS why couldn't he smile at them like that and how such a cute kid turned into such a grump- (tsundere-

Them helping each other out for the future, and sharing concepts/ideas from their worlds.

Vicross having to babysit but he doesn't mind

Ron noticing the similarities between KRS and Cale and deciding to pay more attention to the two of them

Anyways, wow. This got way longer than I expected-

[tanuki-kimono]

Hi, I'm hoping you or someone reading knows the answer to this. That latest kimono pattern: does anyone know the name of the mark on the mallet's flat, round side? It's a stack of three ovals. It's not the jewel (usually on Daikokuten's rice sacks). It does appear in the older sculptures of the god. I've scoured all I can about uchide no kozuchi, but while I've seen it acknowledged, there's no name. The color symbolism also seems consistent, and again, no explanation found. Thanks for your consideration :)

I always saw this mark as indeed a stylised houju 宝珠 or tama 玉 (wish fulfilling jewel/Cintamani stone). Depictions do not always show the flaming parts or tip point, hôju are sometimes only pearl-like with those inner "ripples".

This vase is a good example:

The uchide no kozuchi mallet is a pretty old item, appearing in tales since at least Heian. It sounds right that its magical properties echoing the famous Cintamani stone (and Daikokuten powers) had those symbolically merged overtime :)

[tcfactory]

Random In Tune worldbuilding tidbid that won't come up for a while but I've been thinking about it today:

There are only two people on the sect who can safely dual cultivate with MQF when his core is not shielded/filtered: WQW, who spent the last twenty years developing an immunity (because they were so late with his treatment, the toxins couldn't be removed from his body so the only way to fix his leg was to render him completely immune and then repair the damage) and YQY, because YQY's spirit veins are so fucked up that the toxic qi just runs through him with minimal absorption that can be mitigated with a pill.

Xuan Su destroyed almost all of YQY's spiritual system when he picked it up too early. His spirit veins were obliterated except for a few vestiges around his core (which formed as a defensive measure against the onslaught of the sword's qi and holds not just his qi but basically the entirety of his life force as well) and the parts in his sword arm that were already developed enough to handle the deluge of power.

He was confined to the caves because without the saturation of spiritual energy his body would have just shut down because he had no spiritual veins to supply his body with qi. Breaking his bones and ligaments was part of the process of building him an artificial meridian system (that's why his spirit veins are "straight like someone drew them with a ruler" because that's exactly what happened), but it's not really effective.

They have abysmally low efficiency when it comes to qi absorption; he has to circulate most of his insanely huge pool of qi through them constantly to get a normal amount of energy to the rest of his body. If his spiritual veins are like irrigation channels in a field, then the artificial veins have concrete walls and the only water escaping them is what spills out the top and seeps through the cracks.

If he cuts out his core and the veins in his arm from direct circulation (a quirk he never really thought about, but MQF was clawing at the walls when he heard he can do that because wtf ) then he can run someone's qi through his body and back to them with basically no impact on him.

And if he wants to take on harmful qi anyway then he can just dilute it in his own energy because it would be a drop in the fucking ocean. The size of his qi reserves are more in line with someone late in nascent soul level, usually at the stage where people ascend to the heavens, he just can't utilize it.

(Except when he's a dumbass who wants to take the qi of his beloved SQQ into his core and gets hit with the 'suddenly a teenager again' stick for his troubles. This dumbass.)