Amber Dorrian, Seth Auberon, TEAM BHUMI DEVA, Wisdom Quarterly; GoddessADay.org
Amatheia (
pronounced a
h-ma-THEE-uh) is
an ancient Greek
devi -- a daughter of Nereus, one of the goddesses of the sea or Nereids
. "God and goddesses"? In Buddhist terms these are terrestrial and celestial (space) devas. They are born of Doris, an
Okeanid. Sea nymphs are water elementals who care for bodies of water, the ocean, and its inhabitants. Ancients explained water-related phenomena and its functions as the activity of these powerful entities.
Amathea (“nourisher”) was thought of as the
devi or mermaid who looked after the development of young fishes (various species of fish).
Are there
Buddhist goddesses? There are! The most famous is the
bodhisattva of compassion Kwan Yin, often shown as a sea goddess riding a sea serpent (
naga). The imagery symbolizes the power of compassion to soothe and smooth out
samsara, frequently depicted as a flood, deluge, or ocean to cross over. Wisdom, a goddess called
Prajna Paramita ("Perfection of Wisdom") or
Khema (the Buddha's chief nun disciple "foremost in wisdom"), transcends
samsara.
Other "Buddhist goddesses" may not be
devas at all but simply famous women honored with the title
devi (queen, ruler, or stunning beauty):
Taras (Buddhist Goddesses of India), Tibetan deities, Dharma guardians, particularly those from the realm of the Four Great Sky Rulers of the quadrants,
Ven. Uppalavanna Theri (a Buddhist
Lakshmi/Saraswati), princesses and female warriors of
non-human tribes,
Bhumi (
Mother Earth),
who saved Siddhartha when he outdid Mara the killer and obstacle to enlightenment.
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