CIVILIZATION DOSSIER
Five Directional Guardians五方揭谛
Buddhist protector deities responsible for guarding the Great Sage, protecting Tang Sanzang, and delivering messages.
- DIRECT FIGURES
- 4
- RELATION RECORDS
- 4
- SOURCE WORKS
- 1
RELATIONSHIP COMPASS
Five Directional Guardians, and the people around them.
Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.
01ALLEGIANCEAllegiance
Rulers, appointments and allegiance
4 figures · 4 records＋
Allegiance
Rulers, appointments and allegiance
Sun Wukong (Monkey King)→Five Directional Guardianscommand
Guanyin→Five Directional Guardiansapprove decree
Five Directional Guardians→Jade Emperormemorialize
Five Directional Guardians→Eight Vajra Warriorstransmit order
4 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.
In fiction · Journey to the West
The Five Directional Guardians are Buddhist protector deities. They once guarded the captured Sun Wukong along with the local deities. When Tang Sanzang journeyed to the West, the Five Directional Guardians were ordered to secretly protect him, and they protected him in times of danger and delivered messages to the Heavenly Court. In the ordeal of the Yellow Brow Demon, the Five Directional Guardians were packed into a bag but later rescued. During the journey, they were summoned by the Pilgrim to assist in carrying away the children. After the journey was completed, they returned their decree to the Bodhisattva and conveyed orders to the Vajras.
History vs. fiction
The Five Directions' Kaiti changed from Buddhist incantations to specific guardian deities.
In Chapter 007 of "Journey to the West" and elsewhere, the Five Directional揭谛 (Jiedi) are depicted as accompanying Guanyin to protect the Dharma and to supervise and guard Sun Wukong, who is pressed under the Five Elements Mountain. The original text says: "将五行山召一尊土地神祗，会同五方揭谛，居住此山监押。" (Journey to the West, Chapter 007). In reality, in Buddhism, 揭谛 (Jiedi) mostly refers to mantras or incantations (such as 波罗揭谛), and the novel personifies them.
Relationship network
Original text (1)
拘得那城隍、土地、社令、真官，并五方揭谛、四值功曹、六丁六甲与护教伽蓝等众
Original text (1)
菩萨亦甚喜道：“准缴，准缴。”
Original text (1)
臣乃五方揭谛使。今有齐天大圣保唐僧取经
Original text (1)
附耳低言道：“……如此如此，谨遵菩萨法旨，不得违误。”