The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2549 page)

(557–640).
First patriarch of the Chinese Buddhist Hua-yen school. Beginning life in the army, he became a monk at 18 and originated the theory of the ‘ten gates’, which were reworked by
Fa-tsang
, the founder of the school.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Skt., ‘contented ones’). Buddhist heaven inhabited by the ‘contented gods’ (
deva
). It is the domain of all
buddhas
who need to reappear only once more on earth to work out the last remnants of
karma
. It is the domain also of
Maitreya
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

see
CHAI
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

T’u-ti
.

A Chinese deity, the ‘earth god’, an ubiquitous deity worshipped in almost every village or district of China. His dwelling is the sacred space of the community, whether it is a simple mark or a modest roadside shrine.
Hou-t’u is an earlier name for Earth God. ‘Hou’ denotes fertility or the generative force in Chou times. ‘Hou-t’u’ therefore denotes the generative force of the earth.
Fu-teh Chen-shen (God of Prosperity and Virtue) is a later name for Earth God. It was given by religious
Taoism
in the Sung dynasty (960–1279). ‘Chen-shen’ is a Taoist designation for divinity, connoting immortality. As Fu-teh Chen-shen, Earth God has become a member of the Taoist pantheon.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(b. 1931).
Archbishop of Cape Town, and determined opponent of apartheid (see
DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH
). He was ordained Anglican priest in 1961. He became bishop of Johannesburg (1985–6) and archbishop in 1986. His opposition to apartheid, conducted with dignity and non-violence, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. He is the author of
Crying in the Wilderness
(1982) and
Hope and Suffering
(1984).

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Tva
.