Diting

The Diting (Chinese: 谛听; lit. 'Listening') is a divine mythical creature and the steed of bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha in Chinese Buddhism. One interpretation of its single horn was that it could receive information across the universe. It could also be used to attack and defend. Its hound ears were like a universal radio, transmitting the ability to distinguish good from bad to all believers.[1][2]

Diting

Body

The Diting combines the feature of many beasts in one body: head of a tiger, body of a dragon, tail of a lion, horn like a unicorn, ears like a dog and foot like a kirin.

Legend
Kṣitigarbha on his mount Diting

Legend has it that Diting is actually a white dog. In some tales, before Kṣitigarbha left Heaven to assume his new life as a monk, he found that his mother from his past life would be reborn as a dog.[3] Then Ksitigarbha was reincarnated into the human world as Kim Gyo-gak, a prince of Silla. When he grew up, he traced the dog and adopted, which then became his companion.

Kim Gyo-gak had studied in Tang China in his early life. After going back, he decided to give up his life in the royal family to be a monk and then left to Mount Jiuhua with his dog. He became a monk under the Chinese name Dizang "Kṣitigarbha". The dog followed the dharma as well and often acted as Ksitigarbha's guard. When Kṣitigarbha became enlightened, the dog became Diting who guards hell.[4][5]

In Journey to the West, when Sun Wukong is arguing with the fake Sun Wukong, they thought of going to Diting for help. However, Diting said that he couldn't distinguish clearly and guided them to go to the Buddha.[6]

References
  1. 安徽馆藏珍宝 (in Chinese). 中华书局. 2008. ISBN 978-7-101-06173-4.
  2. "四大菩萨坐骑：地藏"谛听"的神秘寓意(图) - 修炼文化". 看中国 (in Chinese). 23 August 2016.
  3. B. J., Journalism. "Ksitigarbha: Bodhisattva of the Buddhist Hell Realm". Learn Religions.
  4. "谛听：地藏王菩萨坐骑 – 佛人网". 佛人网 (in Chinese). 30 August 2019.
  5. "谛听". The Buddhist Association of China (in Chinese).
  6. "神兽谛听到底是何方神圣？他能辨出真假孙悟空，为何闭口不说_手机搜狐网". Sohu (in Chinese). 8 October 2018.
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