Cundi- Buddhist GodDeity"Mother of Seventy Million Buddhas"
Also known as: Zhunti, Juntei, Chunde, Cunde, Cuṇḍī, 准提, and चुण्डी
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Description
Eighteen arms, each holding a different implement. Three eyes. Two hands pressed together in prayer while the other sixteen work. Practitioners recite her dharani, 'Oṃ cale cule cundi svāhā,' to purify karma and open the path to buddhahood.
Mythology & Lore
Mother of Seventy Million Buddhas
Cundi's full title is sapta-koṭi-buddha-mātṛ: "Mother of Seventy Million Buddhas." She first appears in Indian Vajrayana texts of the seventh century, where the Cundi Dharani Sutra established the practices that Divakara and Amoghavajra later translated into Chinese. In Tang dynasty China, her popularity surged. Temples built Zhunti halls. Her image appeared in home shrines. Her feast day falls on the sixteenth of the third lunar month.
The Dharani
The heart of Cundi practice is her dharani: "Oṃ cale cule cundi svāhā." The sutra promises that sincere recitation will secure eventual buddhahood. Daily practice, counted on a mala of 108 beads, requires no special initiation. Anyone willing to call her name can begin.
The Mirror
A distinctive practice involves the Cundi mirror: a bronze or copper mirror inscribed with her dharani and image. The practitioner places it on the altar and recites the mantra while gazing at the reflection. Some traditions hold that the mirror reveals hidden truths and protects the home. Cundi mirrors have been found at archaeological sites across East Asia.
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