Expert: Joe McSorley - 10/25/2003

Question
Dear Mr. McSorley,

I was assigned a project to research gods and goddesses of the chinese version of Buddhism. In my research I have had difficulty  finding any eternal beings. Were there any especially for the Chinese?

Thank you very much for your help, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Marcy  

Answer
Dear Marcy,
  There are no gods of any type in Buddhism.  In Chinese mythology you might find them but they really have nothing to do with Buddhism.  Taoism is full of these types of icons too but there is no mention of any kind of deities in the foundations of Taoism.  What you are talking about here is the folk religion and superstitions of China so you might do better to look in that area.  
 Sorry I could not be of more help.
              Joe