Kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture and industry, and of general prosperity and worldly success
Dakini (also known as Dakiniten) was originally a esoteric goddess and an important figure in Shingon Buddhism, usually depicted as a beautiful half-nude woman carrying a wish-granting jewel and riding a white fox. She served in the bloodthirsty retinue of the Hindu goddess of death, Kali, but after her conversion she came to be revered across Japan as a goddess of food and grain, foxes, and good fortune, who was also said to grant wishes. She faithfully served Benzaiten, the goddess of wisdom, and Daikokuten, the god of grain.
In Shintō-Buddhist syncretism, she thus became known as the kami Inari Ōkami.
In Buddhist cosmology, the dakini were originally a race of wrathful sky-dwelling demons who served Kali and feasted upon the flesh of humans. They were energetic, wise, and muse-like spirits, who looked like beautiful nude women, carried fearsome swords for cutting out hearts, and drank blood from cups made of skulls. The dakini listened to the Buddha’s teachings and converted to Buddhism. Although they required human meat in order to survive, as part of their submission to Buddhism, they promised to feast only upon the meat of the recently dead. In order to ensure that they would not starve, the dakini were granted the power to see six months into the future. This way they could wait near the people who were going to die soon and feast upon their flesh before other carrion-eating demons arrived.
In her early years amongst the Shinto pantheon she was an important goddess to the nobility and samurai classes, and both the shōgun and the emperor venerated and prayed to her, believing that failure to do so would bring an end to their rule. Secret rituals were passed down orally through the imperial household. These became an integral part of the emperor’s enthronement ceremony.
In time Inari came to be greatly associated with prosperity and industry, worshipped particularly by merchants and tradesman. She was the patron deity of swordsmiths and a protector of warriors, but was also associated with brothels and entertainers.
By far her most common and well-known symbol was the fox, or kitsune. Kitsune were female spirits who used their wiles and cunning either to help or harm humans around them. Because Inari was viewed as benevolent, only helpful kitsune were considered her true servants, and they acted as Inari’s messengers and protectors. But in truth they could be either benevolent or malevolent. To harm one of these foxes was an affront to the goddess.
Associated Legends
Genpei seisuiki, an extended narrative of the Tale of the Heike, describes an encounter with a servant of Dakini. Long ago, and impoverished young samurai named Taira no Kiyomori went hunting and shot a fox. He thought he had killed it, but to his surprise the fox suddenly transformed into a beautiful woman. She explained that she was a servant of Dakini. She promised that if Kiyomori spared her life, she would see to it that all of his wishes would come true. Kiyomori let her go free, and began to pray to Dakini. True to the fox’s word, not long after that Kiyomori’s luck began to change. His family rose to prominence, and he became wealthy and powerful. He continued to worship Dakini, and for a time the Taira were the most powerful samurai clan in Japan. His success is often credited to Dakini’s influence.
Other Turns of the Wheel
1st Age: Jia Xin Kao
3rd Age: Zurafai Niele
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