On Temple Guardian Gods in East Asia

摘要

I have been engaged in research on temple guardian gods in Japan and China, as well as, over the course of several years, investigations into Buddhist temples in Vietnam. I have come to the conclusion that the Vietnamese temple guardianknown as Duc chua ong has its origins in India Sudatta (Anathapindika). In mainland China some papers asset an Erlanshen infl uence from Zoroastrianism. I agree in part with this viewpoint.