On the"Thunderbolt Buddha"and"Thunderbolt Queen Buddha"as the Virgin of Light in Han Manichaean Literature
The identification of the"Thunderbolt(Queen)Buddha"as the Virgin of Light is beyond dispute.Whether it is the Manichaean documents found in Dunhuang,Xiapu,or Pingnan,there is no literature that designates the Thunderbolt(Queen)Buddha as the so-called Great Honored One or the Elect of God.The Thunderbolt Buddha(Virgin of Light)was not merely a deity used as a tool to lure evil spirits;she also embodied a deity of lightning capable to summon clouds and rain,having the power of capturing demon leaders,and later even possessing the power of intervening in the underworld to judge the souls of the departed and decide their fate.She never disappeared from the Manichaean teachings in the Central Plains due to Chinese"disapproval",and ultimately joined the ranks of the"Three Buddhas"in Manichaeism because of her compassionate nature.
Virgin of LightThunderbolt BuddhaThunderbolt Queen BuddhaClouds and rain
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