Sacred Six: Six Munis, Six Realms, Six Poisons, Six Ripenings, Six Wisdoms, Six Paramitas
Who are the six Munis or the six Sages, and what do they represent? In what way are they related to the Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani? Which Buddha manifested as Nirmanikaya in each of the Six Realms? How do the...
Koichiko
The Six Munis are forms of Buddha who appeared in the Six Realms. Top left is Bramaraja, Sage of the Hell Realms; center top Indra Kaushika the Sage of the God Realm, top right is Jvalamukha, Sage of the Hungry Ghost Realm; Bottom left is Vemachitra, Sage of the Demi-God Realm; center bottom is our own Shakyamuni Buddha of the Human Realm depicted with staff and bowl; and bottom right is Splendid Lion Sage Shravasingha who teaches in the Animal Realm. Art Buddha Weekly.
Who are the six Munis or the six Sages, and what do they represent? In what way are they related to the Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani? Which Buddha manifested as Nirmanikaya in each of the Six Realms? How do the Six Munis relate to the Six Dhyani Buddhas? How can these six predict the ripening of your own karma, and how can you purify this for better rebirth? We answer these questions and more, in this presentation on the Great Six Munis and Sages of the Six Realms, Six Poisons, Six ripenings and Six Paramitas.
Shakyamuni is the best known of the six sages. He is the glorious sage of the human realm, who was born to our world in Lumbini in 563 BCE-483BCE. The other five sages manifest in the five other realms: god or heaven realm, demigod, animal, hungry ghost and hell realms.
Shakyamuni Buddha and Six Munis
Shakyamuni Buddha, who was born into the human realm, taught skillfully. He taught for humans. He taught for all sentient beings in all six realms. Famously, he also taught even the gods in heaven.
Representing this, he manifests in six Nirmanakaya forms to teach in each of the six realms. These are called the Six Munis or Six Sages. All of these are emanations of the same Enlightened being in six different realms.
He also taught in the Purelands. Symbolizing this, are the six Dhyani Buddhas — the five directional Dhyani Buddhas and Vajrasattva.
Five Dhyani Buddhas (plus Vajrasattva, the Lord of all families) should not be confused with the Munis. The Dhyani Buddha’s teach in the Purelands and are Sambhogakaya Buddhas. The Munis teach as Nirmanakaya aspects in the six realms.
Six Munis for Six Realms
The six Munis or six emanations of the Buddha, each skillfully help us — and beings of the other five realms — to overcome arrogance, jelousy, attachment, ignorance, stinginess, and anger. We learn of the Six Munis from various sources, and notably in the Guhyagarbha Tantra and Kalachakra teachings and texts, and also the Bardo Thodol.
The Wheel of Suffering of the Six Realms (Samsara) showing the six realms inside the wheel with the Six Munis (standing Buddhas) shown in each. These six munis are emanations of the Buddha in the six realms who help suffering beings of heaven, demigod realm, human realm, animal realm, hungry ghost realm and hell realm. Beautiful art by Enlightenment Thangka>>
We see the Six Munis in the famous Wheel of Samsara images hung in temples. In each of the six realms around the wheel of Suffering we see a distinct Sage or Buddha, collectively the Six Munis. The one we are familiar with is the human realm Muni, called Shakyamuni.
The Six Realms (center column) with their corresonding six syllables and six poisons. Chart created by Garchen Institute for a teaching by Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche.
Why do we have six Munis?
Each of the six focuses on one of the six classes of beings, who are defined by the poison or delusion they endure:
Arrogance is poison of the realm of the Gods — or of humans suffering from pride and arrogance. Jealousy is the poison of the Demigods and Asuras — or of the humans suffering from jealousy. Attachment and Clinging (to ego, to riches, and so on) is the main poison of the Human Realm, although humans can suffer from all six poisons. Ignorance is the poison of the Animal Realm – or, of humans who are ignorant of the true nature of reality. Stinginess and greed is the poison of the Hungry Ghost Realm — or of humans who are excessively stingy. Anger and Hate are the poisons of the Hell Realm and the hell-beings — or of humans who are excessively angry.
Many of Buddha’s core teachings are represented in the iconic Tibetan Wheel of Life tangkha, including the three poisons (near the centre) and the 12 links of Dependent Co-Arising in the outside ring. Everything is represented as connected, interdependent and cyclic — like Samsara itself, the cycle of suffering, birth, death and rebirth. The six areas between the spokes o f the wheel are the Six Realms: God, Demi-God, Human, Animal, Hungry Ghost and Hell.
In the Six Muni tradition and teachings, the main poison of our current lives predicts which realm our karma is leading us to due to dependent co-arising — if we don’t act to purify the karma. This “ripening of karma” indicates that an angry person in this life, who is unrepentent, is destined for the Hell Realm in the next life. We can also say, they’re already one foot in that realm. Likewise, a greedy or miserly person, has one foot in the hungry ghost realm.
In a Sutra Story, Mulian finds his mother as a hungry ghost and asks Buddha how he can save her from suffering. She was born into this realm after she left our world due to her greed and miserliness, the dependent-arising cause of hungry ghost rebirth. Image by Buddha Weekly @BuddhaWeekly.
Purifying Negative Karma to Avoid Undesirable Rebirth
This is not irreversible, of course. Shakyamuni and the other five Munis taught the remedies to the poisons which are ripening in those negative ways. To avoid the hell-realms, we need to stop our anger and hate, and purify any past karma.
Notable among these remedies is the Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani, taught by Buddha in the Usnisha Vijaya Sutra.
Famously, in this Sutra, Buddha taught this Dharani in response to a request for help from Lord Shakra, a name of Indra, who was a faithful protector of Buddha and Buddhism. He requested on behalf of Devaputra Suṣṭhita, one of his prideful sons, who was about to fall into multiple lower rebirths due to karma arising from his addiction to pride and pleasure.
Often in Mahayana Sutra, Devas attend the teachings. Why? Because even Devas or Gods are subject to Samsara and Karma and only Buddha conquered the cycle of Samsara. In the Sutra of the Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani Lord Shakra (Indra) asked Buddha for a way to help a Devaputra (son of the Gods) who had only 7 days left to live, after which he would suffer through seven lives as an animal, then more in hells, to pay for his negative karma from an extraordinary life of pleasures in heaven. All Six realms are subject to the law of karma, including heavens. You can view this as literal reality, or as metaphorical. In the teachings, for example, a human who is overly indulging in addictive pleasure is said to be stuck in the Deva realm of suffering.
According to Sutra Lord Shakra’s oracle indicated his prideful son had only 7 days left to live, after which he would suffer through seven lives as an animal, then more in hells, to pay for his negative karma from an extraordinary life of pleasures in heaven.
The Muni or Sage of the God Realm (or Heavens) is Indra Kaushika. He is depicted as white, with a sitar or lute.
The teaching he received was the Dharani of Ushnisha Vijaya which purifies all karmas and obstacles of all beings of all six realms, even the Heavenly realms. For this reason, the main Dharani mantra for people working with the Sacred Six, the six poisons, the six Munis, and the six realms, is the Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani.
Devaputra Suṣṭhita frolics and dances in heaven. After hundreds of years of pleasure he finds out that his addiction to pleasure will result in his death and rebirth in hell. His father goes to Buddha for help, in the Sutra of Ushanisha Vijaya Dharani.
This Dharani is recommended for all practitioners, regardless of your Yidam practice, as a preliminary to purify the six poisons. We have a beautiful chanted version of this Dharani in Sanskrit linked at the information icon.
Video with chanting of the most powerful Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani which Buddha taught to Lord Shakra’s son to save him from unfortunate rebirth. This Dharani purifies the negative karmas that lead to unfortunate rebirths in the six realms. No empowerment is required, as this is a Sutra Dharani. Chant along daily for purification of negative karma:
Even “Gods” are Subject to Cause-Condition Suffering
Even the gods bow to the Enlightened Buddha. In Sutra, we see gods, such as Brahma, bowing to Shakyamuni, because even venerable Gods arise from causes and conditions, and are therefore trapped in Samsara. Buddha’s teachings help even the gods — and the other five classes of sentient beings — to remove these poisons.
Because humans are subject to all six poisons, Shakyamuni taught remedies for all six poisons. These are found in the teachings of the six paramitas, the six Wisdoms, the six Munis or six sages and the six Dhayani Buddhas who are the five directional Buddhas plus Vajrasattva.
Muni of the God Realm Indra Kaushika. He is Sage of the gods surrounded by his followers, the gods of the heavens. Image: Buddha Weekly
Sacred Six: 6 Wisdoms for 6 Poisons, 6 Munis, 6 Dhyani Buddhas, 6 Realms
Six is an important number in Buddhist Teachings, mostly relating to the six poisons, which can be transformed by the six wisdoms of the six Buddhas and the six Munis. For example, the six syllables of the Mani mantra help purify the six realms. This is the compassionate mantra of Avalokiteshvara, Om Mani Padme Hum.
We also have the six syllable Arapachana, the mantra of Wisdom, of Manjushri. The two most profoundly important Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri, representing Compassion and Wisdom, both have heart mantras of six syllables.
The Three Great Bodhisattvas, from left to right: Manjushri (Wisdom of Buddha), Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig, Compassion of Buddha), Vajrapani (Power of Buddha.) All three of the Great Ones have 6 syllable mantras as their main mantras to symbolize they apply their wisdom, compassion and power to all six realms.Om Mani Padme Hum purifies the six realms of suffering with compassion. Ah Rah Pah Cha Nha Dhi purifies the six realms of suffering with Wisdom, the mantra of Manjushri.
The third great Bodhisattva is Vajrapani. His mantra, likewise is 6 syllables to purify the six realms with his Power. He is the power, or the “hand of the Buddha.” His mantra is Om Vajrapani Hum.
Sage of Splendid Lion Sthirasimha Muni teaches in the Animal Realm, where the poison is ignorance. He is green and carries a Dharma Text.
When do We Meet the 6 Munis?
Will we ever meet the six Munis in this life or our next?
Although our teacher in the human realm is Shakyamuni, tradition holds that we will meet the six Munis after we pass from this life into the intermediate state or bardo between death and rebirth in our next life. The six munis are six of the one hundred peaceful and wrathful deities who manifest in the Bardo, according to the Guhyagarbha Tantra and the Bardo Thodol, or Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Shakyamuni is the Muni or Sage or Buddha of the Human Realm. He was born into our world 563 BCE-483BCE. As a Muni he is depicted yellow, for the “earth” and carries a bowl and monk’s staff. Image, Buddha Weekly.
Shakyamuni, Muni of the Human Realm
Shakyamuni, of course, needs little introduction. He is the historical Buddha of the human realm. It is through his skillful teachings we learn of the other Muni Buddhas, and the Dhyani Buddhas and the six paramitas, and six wisdoms, and six poisons.
As one of the six Munis he is depicted as Yellow, often with a monk’s bowl or a monk’s staff or both. His teachings focus especially on pacifying the obstacles of all six poisons in the human realm.
His praise mantra is
Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuni Svaha
Since Humans, due to their capabilities, can be afflicted with all six of the poisons, Shakyamuni Buddha taught us, in countless recorded sutras and Tantras, how to transform the six poisons into the six wisdoms.
What of the poor beings in the other five realms?
Sage of the gods Indra Kaushika is symbolically white with a sitar or lute.
Indra Kaushika, Muni of the God Realm
To help the gods purify and ripen their arrogance, Buddha manifested as the Muni of the God realm, often known as Indra Kaushika. This is none other than Buddha arising in a form relatable to the powerful, near-imortal, but prideful deities in the realm of arrogance.
In this form he is White and symbolically holds a Sitar. His teachings subdue the pride of the gods and humans.
His praise mantra is
Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Indra Kaushika Svaha
Sage of the Splendid Fabric Vermachitra teaches the Demi Gods who suffer from the poison of jealousy. He is blue, with a symbolic sword of knowledge.
Vemachitra, Muni of the Demi-God Realm
To help the Demi Gods and Asuras, who are always jealous of the Gods, Buddha’s Muni manifestation is as the Sage of Splendid Fabric or Vemachitra. He is blue in color and his symbol is a sword. His teachings subdue the obstacles of jealousy in demigods and humans.
His praise is
Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Vemachitra Svaha
The. Muni of the Animal Realm is Sthirasimha, the Splendid Lion Sage, who is green and carries Dharma Texts.
Shravasingha, Splendid Lion Muni of Animal Realm
To help beings in the animal realm, who suffer from the poison of ignorance, his Muni manifestation is as Splendid Lion Sage or Shravasingha. He is Green in color and to teach wisdom, he symbolically holds a Dharma text.
His praise is
Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shravasingha Svaha
Sage of Flaming mouth Jvalamukha of the Hungry Ghost Realm. The poison he helps overcome is greed. He is red and his symbol is the urn. Image- Buddha WeeklyJvalamukha, Muni of the Hungry Ghost Realm
To help beings of the hungry ghost realm or Preta Realm, who are always greedy and miserly, and never have enough, his Muni manifestation is Sage of Flaming mouth, or Jvalamukha. He is sometimes called Jvalamukhadevi. He is red in color, and holds a small covered jar or box.
His praise is
Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Jvalamukhadeva Svaha
King of Dharma Dharmaraja is Muni of the hell realms. He is Brown, with a conch shell, and saves beings from the hate and anger in the hell realms.Dharmaraja, Muni of the Hell Realms
To help beings of the hell realms, who are always angry and full of hate, his Muni manifestation is Sovereign of Dharma, Dharmarāja. He is brown in color and holds a conch shell which symbolizes the triumphant sound of Dharma.
His praise is
Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Dharmaraja Svaha
The essence of all the sages is the same Buddha, manifesting in different ways, with different teachings in the six realms to help transform the six poisons. Here, he appears as Indra Kaushika, of the Heavenly realms.What do the mantras mean?
Om Praises the body, speech and mind of the Enlightened Buddha. Muni means “Sage”. “Maha” means “great”. This is followed by the name of the Buddha. For example, DharmaRaja translates as Dharma King, who is the Muni of the hell realm, the realm of anger. His teachings transform the poison of hate and anger. Svaha means “well said.”
So, for example, Shakyamuni’s mantra is Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuni Svaha, which means: I prostrate to the body, speech and mind of the sage, the sage, the great sage Shakyamuni, well said!
This is a praise mantra, which creates virtue and merit through praising the Enlightened Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddha.
In our human world, we practice, we take refuge in Shakyamuni Buddha, the great Muni of the Human World.
May all beings benefit from this presentation.
