Who is my Enlightened Life Protector Based on Tibetan Animal Sign Zodiac in Buddhism? According to Mewa, Mahayana tradition and Kalachakra-based astrology (with Mantra Videos!)

Who is my birth year Enlightened Buddha protector in my journey through this lifetime according to Vajrayana Buddhism? Which Enlightened protector is at my side constantly according to Birth Mewa? Who is our Zodiac protector according to Kalachakra teachings?...

Feb 27, 2025 - 21:02

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Who is my Enlightened Life Protector Based on Tibetan Animal Sign Zodiac in Buddhism? According to Mewa, Mahayana tradition and Kalachakra-based astrology (with Mantra Videos!)

12 Zodiacs and Buddha zodiac upscaled lowBuddha Weekly

Who is my birth year Enlightened Buddha protector in my journey through this lifetime according to Vajrayana Buddhism? Which Enlightened protector is at my side constantly according to Birth Mewa? Who is our Zodiac protector according to Kalachakra teachings? How can I tap into the power of my own Enlightened Protector? Concept art by Buddha Weekly.

With LOSAR imminent (this year, February 28), we tend to automatically “check our horoscope” — in this case, Tibetan and Buddhist astrological indicators. One important practice in Buddhist astrology is our birth, life and continuity protectors, or Enlightened Buddhas who especially help us in this lifetime.

For those who do not know their birth, life and continuity deities, read on. The map is not overly complicated, and it can help ensure your current life is productive, prosperous, virtuous and leads, ultimately to Enlightenment or realizations.

Birth, Life and Continuity Protectors

In most lineages of Buddhist astrology, our lunar birth year is linked to our karmic dispositions in this life and the next. Karma means “activity.” In part, the implications of karma are that every action we take now, or took in a past life, shapes our future path through Samsara.

Green Tara is the Mother of the Karma family, and is everyone’s protector, but is especially the Mewa protector for Mewa 7 people, and people born in the year of the horse.

To the age old question of “why am I suffering this way?” the Buddhist answer is often karmic. This can be empowering, when we consider that karma is in our control, unlike so-called fate, which is often attributed to capricious external forces.

Just to make it interesting, we are not alone in this journey through Samsara. Due to the vast compassion of the Enlightened Bodhisattvas, we each have a trinity of protective Buddhas in our life journey — whether we realize it or not. This is due to our past karma, and our present needs.

Enlightened Deities to Count On

Every person has three Enlightened Life Deities or Buddhas, based on their lunar birth year. You can refer to the chart of dates from 1921 – 2030 in the charts below.

Manjushri is the protector of wisdom, but especially of people with Mewa 9 and those born in the year of the Rabbit and the year of the Rat.

The three systems are the eight Zodiac Buddhas, the Birth Mewa Buddha, and the Enlightened Activity Protector. The other descriptions of these same three are: Birth, Life and Continuity Protectors. Of these, the Mewa Buddha system is the most complicated, because it takes into account the five elements as well. This makes 60 separate astrological possibilities in terms of lunar birth year.

The 12 Animal Signs Based on Birth Year

The 12 Animal Signs are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, , Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

12 Zodiacs and Buddha zodiac upscaled lowBuddha Weekly

See the inset charts with all the years from 1921 to 2030 (for your future babies) which not only tell you which animal sign you are, they tell you which element.

Each of these 12 animals has five elements: Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, Fire. So, there are five Rabbits, and 5 Monkeys, and so on. Each cycle is 60 years.

Once you know, from the chart below, if you are a water rabbit or a fire monkey, for example, you can refer to the Mewa descriptions below to find your Enlightened Mewa Buddha deity. For the Zodiac and Life Protectors you only need to know which animal year.

Zodiac or Birth Enlightened Protectors

The Zodiac Buddhas, who align with us due to the lunar year we are born, and generally protect us in this lifetime. We could call them our Life Patron Buddhas.

Enlightened Activity or Life Protectors

The Enlightened Activity Protector Buddha is for this lifetime — the Buddha most actively protecting and helping us now, at this very moment. This is according to Kalachakra Wheel of Time Astrology.

Mewa or Continuity Protectors

Finally, there is the Life or Mewa Buddha, who is the Buddha guiding us through this life with what we need to purify for our auspicious next life. In other words, if we wish to be Enlightened in this lifetime, or reborn in a Pureland after we pass, we need to pay attention to our Mewa Buddha. Especially important with Mewa Buddhas is having a statue in your home, practicing the Sadhanas and mantras of your Mewa Buddha.

Three Buddhas Helping You!

We can put it this way. The Life Patron Buddha guides your activities helpfully in this life time. The Mewa Buddha are the practices you need for your next lifetime or to progress your Enlightenment path. Your Enlightened Protective Activity Buddha is who is protecting and helping you right now.

There are five monkey signs: fire, water, metal, wood and earth. Monkeys tend to be creative, inventive and playful.

Example of Fire Monkey

There are too many variables to list them all, although it’s fairly straight forward to look them up below. We’ll give an example of someone born in the year of the Fire Monkey in lunar astrology. This person would have this trinity of Enlightened Buddhas: Vairochana, Shakyamuni and Hayagriva.

The fire monkey’s Life Patron Buddha, the Buddha most guiding your life path is Vairochana Buddha. The fire monkey’s Mewa Buddha, who is getting you ready for our next life or for enlightenment is Shakyamuni Buddha. The Enlightened Protective Activity Buddha, who is actively helping fire monkeys right now is Hayagriva Buddha, the wrathful form of Amitabha. Buddha Weekly Amitabha Hayagriva forms of compassion Buddhism

Buddha Weekly Amitabha Hayagriva forms of compassion Buddhism

The Fire Monkey’s Enlightened Protective Activity Deity is Hayagriva, the wrathful form of Amitabha. Background is Hayagriva, foreground is Amitabha.

Revered Enlightened Deities

Buddhist birth astrology aligns individuals to Enlightened cosmic forces through revered enlightened deities rather than worldly gods. These Enlightened qualities help us focus on our problems and obstacles in a constructive, positive way. The Protector Enlightened Deities in Buddhism are all about activity — yet at the same time they are Fully Enlightened Refuge Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

It’s nice to have a helping hand — or several helping hands. Just as we’re born into families and societies, in Buddhist tradition we’re also born into spiritual families. We all had countless mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters in previous lives. We likewise have a family of Bodhisattvas ready to help us.

Associated with each animal sign and their elements, a certain number of “hardships” are expected. Especially in the MEWA system, hardships are actually listed numerically. By being proactive, and practicing in your lifetime your helping Enlightened Deity, you can more easily overcome these obstacles, or even totally eliminate them.

Vajrasattva Buddha is the Enlightened Protector of the Rooster year people.

As we go through another year, starting with each Lunar New Year, it can be fun and constructive to remember we have the invisible protector who travels with us — traditionally, in our heart. The more conscious we are of their attentive protection, the more we’ll self tune into their considerable power to help us.

Especially, it’s helpful to pay attention to the 12 Protectors — the Enlightened Activity Buddhas. They are often the same protectors we currently have in our practice of life, since we tend to be drawn to them, whether we knew they were our protectors or not.

Dog people are loyal and brave.

More Examples

For example, if you were born in the year of the Earth Dog, your powerful Enlightened Activity Protector is Palden Lhamo, the most wrathful of all Protectors, and an emanation of Tara. With her protection, you have nothing to fear.

Buddha Weekly Palden Lhamo queen of the end of war by Jampay Dorje Ben Christian Buddhism

Stunning image of Palden Lhamo, the Queen of the End of War by Jampay Dorje (Ben Christian). She is flanked by blue Makaravaka on the left; and red Simhavakra on the right. She is the protector of Earth Dogs.

For Monkey year people, the protector would be Hayagriva, the mighty and wrathful emanation of Amitabha. We’ll go through all of the protectors for each of the birth years, but first, it can be helpful to explain how you can reinforce your bond and devotion to your Enlightened Protector.

Practicing Personal Protectors

The best time to focus practicing your personal Protector is on the 29th Day of the Lunar month each month (Information here>>), usually with tea offerings and mantras. Hot tea is associated with Enlightened Protectors since hot signifies energy and power. The stronger the tea, the better. Often you would chant mantras or praises as you pour your tea. Often we add grains to the tea cup before pouring to signify abundance. And, as always, you first take Refuge in the Three Jewels and at the end you dedicate the merit, not only for your benefit, but also for all beings in Samsara.

Buddha Weekly Serkyem full picture Buddhism

Tea Offering: A large formal tea serkym offering set with grains and black tea offerings. The go-to practice for removing obstacles is the “Serkyem” tea offering to the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, and the Enlightened Protectors, who are the ferocious manifestations of the Buddhas.

How else, aside from tea offerings, can you reinforce your bond to your powerful personal protector? You can chant the mantras of your special protector when you are feeling threatened, or need to still your mind, or you’re stuck for an answer, or you’re sick and need help. You can practice daily, just because you want to draw closer to your Buddhas and your Enlightened protector. You can make daily or regular tea offerings, or offerings of fruit, incense, and the seven sensory objects. If you do not have empowerment, always only visualize your deities in front of you, and do the merit practices, such as offerings and mantras.

Most important, end with the Bodhichitta dedication, along the lines of “I dedicate the merit of this practice to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

Years 1921 to 1940 Animal Signs and Mewa Numbers. THE MEWA NUMBER IS THE LAST COLUMN ON THE RIGHT. To see what the Mewa number indicates see the information below. For 1940 and on, scroll down. Note: LUNAR years do not start at Janufary 1, so the year of Metal Dragon, for example, begins February 8, 1940 and ends January 26, 1941 (columns 3 and 4)

Start with your Birth Year

To determine your three Enlightened Life Deities visit the mentioned link, or otherwise look up your lunar animal sign, and your Mewa number based on your lunar birth year including element. In the example we gave earlier, the fire monkey, your Mewa number is 8.

For Mewa Birth number, you need to know which element of the sign you are, for example, Fire, wood or water monkey.

Animal signs for 1941 to 1960 with Mewa Numbers (last column).

For both the Life Patron Buddha and the Enlightened Protectors, you only need the animal sign. Simply Monkey or dragon or horse, and so on. We’ve linked resources to look up these years if you’re unfamiliar with lunar animal signs.

If you were born in the year of the rat, for example, your Life Patron Buddha, is Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom. Manjushri complimenting the rat personality’s resourcefulness.

Birth sign by year 1961-1980.

You Mewa Number is either 1, 4 , 5, 7, depending on your element and year, so your Karma Buddha, is either Manjushri, Vajrapani, Shakyamuni, or Tara respectively. So for Mewa Karma Buddhas, please refer to the linked resources, find your Mewa and come back for more information.

Your Enlightened Protective Activity Buddha is Avalokiteshvara. in this scenario.

Birth sign by year 1981-2000.

Zodiac Bodhisattva Protectors

Year Zodiac Protector

Rat Avalokiteshvara

Ox and Tiger Akshagarbha

Rabbit Manjushri

Dragon and Snake Samantabhadra Bodhisattva

Horse Maha-Sthama-Prapta Bodhisattva

Goat and Monkey Vairocana Buddha

Rooster Acala Bodhisattva

Dog, Pig Amitabha Buddha

Birth sign by year 2000 – 2020.

Enlightened Deity (Kalachakra Astrology)

Year Protector

Rat Manjushri

Ox Vajrapani

Tiger Black Mahakala

Rabbit Avalokiteshvara

Dragon Vairochana

Snake Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava

Horse Green Tara

Goat White Tara

Monkey Hayagriva

Rooster Vajrasattva

Dog Palden Lhamo

Pig Amitabha

2021 to 2030.

Mewa 1 (White)

Deity: Chenrezig (སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས།) or Avalokiteshvara

Chenrezig is the Buddha of Compassion. Chenrezig manifested in various forms to benefit sentient beings.

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 4

Benefits of this practice

• Calms the mind

• Relieves anxiety

• Cultivates compassion, wisdom and confidence

• Prevents one from entering the lower realms

• Fulfills one’s wish for happiness

• Bestows celestial protection

• Any sentient being that comes into close contact will be blessed

Mantra of Chenrezig

ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པདྨེ་ཧཱུྂ་ཧྲཱིཿ

OM MANI PADME HUM

Birth year: 1918 1927 1936 1945 1954 1963 1972 1981 1990 1999 2008 2017 2026 2035

Mantra for Mewa 1 people:

Mewa 2 (Black)

Deity: Vajrapani (ཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ།)

He is the physical representation of the power of all the Buddhas. He represents the energy of the enlightened mind, which is the energy to break through the deluded mind, and his mantra is the essence of this quality.

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 3

Benefits of this practice

• Gives protection

• Clears inner and outer obstacles

Mantra of Vajrapani

ཨོཾ་བཛྲ་པཱ་ཎི་ཧཱུྂ༔

OM VAJRAPANI HUM

Birth year: 1917 1926 1935 1944 1953 1962 1971 1980 1989 1998 2007 2016 2025 2034

Mantra for Mewa 2 People:

Mewa 3 (Blue)

Deity: Vajrasattva (རྡོ་རྗེ་སེམས་དཔའ)

He is a male meditational deity within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition who symbolizes the inherent purity of all the Buddhas.Vajrasattva is widely practiced to purify one’s negative actions. Combined with application of the Four Opponent Powers, his practice is incredibly effective to purify even the heaviest karmas.

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 4

Benefits of this practice

• Purifies even the heaviest negative karmas

• Shortens the duration of our current difficulties

• Achieves a better rebirth

Mantra Vajrasattva

ཨོཾ་བཛྲ་སཏྭ་ཨཱཿ

OM VAJRASATTVA AH (or the 100-syllable mantra below)

Birth year: 1916 1925 1934 1943 1952 1961 1970 1979 1988 1997 2006 2015 2024 2033

Mewa 4 (Green)

Deity: Vajrapani (ཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ།)

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 4

Benefits of this practice

• Gives protection

• Clears inner and outer obstacles

Mantra of Vajrapani

ཨོཾ་བཛྲ་པཱ་ཎི་ཧཱུྂ༔

OM VAJRAPANI HUM

Birth year:1915 1924 1933 1942 1951 1960 1969 1978 1987 1996 2005 2014 2023 2032

For Mantra Video, see above.

Mewa 5. (Yellow)

Deity: Shakyamuni (རྒྱལ་བ་ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ།)

He is the founder of Buddhism, is popularly known as the historical Buddha of this aeon and the compassionate one who turned the Wheel of Dharma in this fortunate time.

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 2

Benefits of his practice

• Removes obstacles and hindrances

• Purifies negative karma

• Accumulates vast amounts of merit

Mantra Shakyamuni

ཏདྱ་ཐཱ། ཨོཾ་མུ་ནེ་མུ་ནེ་མ་ཧཱ་མུ་ན་ཡེ་སྭཱ་ཧཱ།

OM MUNI MUNI MAHAMUNI SHAKYAMUNI SVAHA

Birth year:1914 1923 1932 1941 1950 1959 1968 1977 1986 1995 2004 2013 2022 2031

Shakyamuni Mantra for Mewa 5 people:

Mewa 6 (White)

Deity: Namgyalma (རྣམ་རྒྱལ་མ།)

It is also known as ‘Ushnisha Vijaya in Sanskrit, is one of the three Long Life deities. She is a special emanation of the Supreme Healer Vairocana. Engaging in Namgyalma’s practice or reciting her mantra can bestow the practitioner with infinite benefits.

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 3

Benefits of this practice

• Purifies karmic obstructions

• Reverts fixed karma

• Increases one’s lifespan

• Eliminates various illnesses

• Promotes harmony between husband and wife

• Provides safety from physical harm

• Pacifies calamities

• Increases wisdom

• Blesses beings in the three lower realms

• Attainment of complete Enlightenment

Mantra of deity Ushnisha Vijaya

ཨོཾ་ཨ་མྲྀ་ཏ་ཨཱ་ཡུརྡ་དེ་སྭཱ་ཧཱ།

OM BRUM SVAHA OM AMRITA AYUR DADE SVAHA

OR, the longer Dharani.

Birth year: 1913 1922 1931 1940 1949 1958 1967 1976 1985 1994 2003 2012 2021 2030

Namgyelma Ushnisha Vijaya Mantra video for Mewa 6 people:

Mewa 7 (Red)

Deity: Tara (རྗེ་བཙུན་སྒྲོལ་མ།)

She is known by many names, amongst them the “Savioress” and the “Mother of Liberation”.

She is a universal mother who nurtures and protects all sentient beings, making her the most beloved and popular goddess within Tibetan Buddhism.

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 3

Benefits

• Increases life energy and good health

• Increases one’s creativity

• Swift assistance

• Recovery from diseases

• Success in career and business

• Improves finances

• Helps childless couples to conceive

• Protection from dangerous situations

• Quick path to developing wisdom and compassion

Tara mantra

ཨོཾ་ཏཱ་རེ་ཏུཏྟཱ་རེ་ཏུ་རེ་སྭཱ་ཧཱ།

OM TARE TURE TUTTARE SVAHA

Birth year: 1912 1921 1930 1939 1948 1957 1966 1975 1984 1993 2002 2011 2020 2029

Tara’s Mantra for Mewa 7 people:

Mewa 8 (White)

Deity: Shakyamuni (རྒྱལ་བ་ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ།)

He is the founder of Buddhism, is popularly known as the historical Buddha of this aeon and the compassionate one who turned the Wheel of Dharma in this fortunate time.

Expected Average Hardships in Life: 3

Benefits

• Removes obstacles and hindrances

• Purifies negative karma

• Accumulates vast amounts of merit

Mantra Shakyamuni

ཏདྱ་ཐཱ། ཨོཾ་མུ་ནེ་མུ་ནེ་མ་ཧཱ་མུ་ན་ཡེ་སྭཱ་ཧཱ།

OM MUNI MUNI MAHAMUNI SHAKYAMUNI SVAHA

Birth year: 1911 1920 1929 1938 1947 1956 1965 1974 1983 1992 2001 2010 2019 2028