A Girly View of the Goddess Benzaiten

From The Japan Times online:
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010

JAPAN LITE
Benzaiten — Tomboy Goddess of the Sea
By AMY CHAVEZ

Our motorboat skimmed over the smooth water of the Seto Inland Sea. We were on our way to the mainland and I was attempting to apply last-minute beauty aids — nail polish to my fingers and toes. That's 20 appendages and, on a motorboat occasionally met by waves from passing cargo ships, that means 20 distinct possibilities for a nail polish disaster. But I was determined; I had a speech to give that day. I didn't want to look like I had just been swept in from the sea.

As we passed Benten Island, I caught a glimpse of the Goddess of the Sea laughing at me. Benten lives on her own island and sports long, flowing locks of hair and eight arms which hold an bow, arrow, sword, ax, spear, pestle, iron wheel and a silk rope. Do you realize that's 40 fingernails to paint? Well, I suppose she has to do something all day on that island. And at this point, I envied her.

It did make me wonder though, how does Benten do it? How does the Goddess of the Sea manage to maintain her beauty despite the hardships of sea life?

Benzaiten, locally known as simply Benten, lives among the elements all year long through wind, storms, high waves and even typhoons.

It's not easy trying to maintain a slice of femininity in this sort of environment, and that's not even counting the slimy octopus and sticky seaweed. Although Benten is often pictured with long flowing hair, this can't be possible because they would get all tangled in the salty wind and she'd have a glop of a mop in no time. Long eyelashes? Not a chance! They'd function more like a Venus fly trap, catching all the gnats that fly by in the wind.

When you live on an island like I do, you can only hope to maintain the femininity of a fish. Don't get me wrong. I'm still feminine, just on a different scale. I'm hoping I'll be reincarnated as a mermaid.

After all, the sea is supposed to be full of beauty enhancers. Sea salts are used in skin exfoliation, and sea soaps are said to be good for the skin. Eating fish and seaweed is healthy and good for the complexion. The sea is universally exploited in people's quest to become more beautiful than they already are.

Yet for those of us who live by the sea, it is quite clear that the sea hasn't endowed us with any special beauty. As a matter of fact, fishermen's wives may be the least beautiful of all women in Japan. Akita Prefecture has the "Akita bijin" (Akita beauties) and other parts of Japan claim they have beautiful women as well, but I can't say I've ever heard this about women living in the Inland Sea area.

When you also consider Benten's advanced age of 15 centuries old (in Japan), it just doesn't seem logical that Benten can be so beautiful. And since she is, I want to know how she does it.

Consider that in addition to being Goddess of the Sea, she is also the Goddess of poetry, music, education and the fine arts. She plays the lute. As a side job, she protects against natural disasters, which is what those eight implements she holds are for. I'm sorry, but there is just no way she has time to worry about how her hair looks.

She also doubles as the Hindu goddess "Saraswati," goddess of the river. That's a lot of traveling back and forth between Japan and India. We all know that flying is not good for your skin.

And Benten has one more thing up her eight sleeves — and this one really takes the cake — she can turn herself into a snake! Where's the beauty in being a part-time reptile? I mean, what gives?!

It could have to do with luck. As one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japan she is also said to bring fortune, and that would include her own. With her fortune, she probably has the money for spa treatments, massages, facials and the sort.

However, I have a hunch it's something different. I think I've finally figured out her secret. It's not wealth and certainly not youth. I have come to the conclusion that Benten, the Goddess of the Sea, is a tomboy. Who else would want to turn herself into a snake? Only a tomboy would use those implements she holds such as a sword, ax and a spear.

She has short hair, and has never even considered painting her 40 finger nails. All this makes her very smart, much smarter than I am.

As a cargo ship passes in front of our motorboat, we skim over its wake. Inevitably, the boat slams down on the other side of the wake, creating a nail polish disaster. It's hard to hide the fact that I have just been swept in from the sea.

Benzaiten, tomboy Goddess of the Sea, just laughs.

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More information on Benzaiten from A to Z Photo Dictionary: Japanese Buddhist Statuary

Goddess Reunion Has Political Undertones

From www.chinapost.com.tw Sea Goddesses in north Taiwan have a reunion TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Twenty-one goddesses of the seas, or Matsu, in north Taiwan had a reunion at the February 28 Memorial Park in the heart of Taipei, yesterday. One of the Matsus was enshrined there in 1888 by Liu Ming-chuan, the first governor of Taiwan. The other 20 are her avatars. Mayor of Taipei Hau Lung-pin was joined by his counterpart in Keelung Chang Tung-yung in a reunion ceremony this morning. Images of Matsu came from all over north Taiwan for the reunion. The goddess of the seas at Guandu in suburban Taipei did not take part in the reunion. The temple Governor Liu founded was torn down to make the New Park by the Japanese colonial government, with the image of Matsu removed to Sanchih near Tamsui. The park was given the present title in memory of the February 28 Incident of 1947. Tens of thousands of innocent people were massacred by government troops sent from China in March 1947 to suppress the spontaneous riots across Taiwan. Hau and Chang begged for blessings from all the goddesses of the seas for the people of north Taiwan. ************************************************************************************* Learn more about this goddess: Wikipedia

May Matsu Be With You

All healthy cultures have a "goddess" aspect to their existence, even if they don't acknowledge Her as such. Sick cultures (some in the Middle East, for instance) that deny and suppress the divine feminine suffer accordingly, and the longer they try to suppress the other half of the creative force of the universe (the feminine half), the more disfunctional, vicious, warped and perverted they become. What a refreshing change to read about a culture that openly embraces the Goddess concept: Taiwan sends sea goddess to New York to promote UN bid Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:58:04 GMT Taipei - After sending politicians, scholars, singers and dancers to the United States to support its bid to join the United Nations, Taiwan on Wednesday sent Matsu, the sea goddess, to evoke divine power to help the island have its prayers answered. Matsu, who is revered by Taoists and the Chinese as the protector of seafarers, is worshipped in a sacred and noisy parade with 13 messengers dressed in 2-metre tall colourful costumes. The messengers lead the parade amid exploding firecrackers and the beating of gongs and drums, while Matsu's statue sits in a covered armchair carried by four disciples. This is the spectacle that Taiwan will take to the doors of the UN in New York. Although the Mastsu troupe has officially been invited by a US- based Taiwanese group for performances and cultural exchange, its main purpose is to call attention to Taiwan's fight to join the UN. Taiwan's campaign to join the UN began in 1993, but it has failed each year due to opposition from China which sees self-governing Taiwan as a breakaway province. Taipei has no right to join the UN whose membership is open only to sovereign countries, Beijing says. While waiting for its application to be discussed at the UN General Assembly opening on September 18, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry decided to make a noisy push for its UN bid this year with the Matsu ceremony. "Taiwan is a sovereign nation and has the right to join the UN. Our main purpose is to convey this message to the whole world," Lu Ming-sen, board chairman of Fengtien Temple, whose Matsu statue is joining the tour, said before departing from Taoyuan International Airport. Taiwan has hundreds of Matsu temples, and each temple has a Matsu statue. The Mastu tour will last for six days. Its highlight is on September 15 when the troupe will perform the Matsu ceremony in front of the UN headquarters. US-based Taiwanese will line Second Avenue holding burning joss sticks as the Matsu statue, escorted by the 13 sword-waving messengers and musicians, proceeds from 52nd to 42nd Street. [New York City] "This will be a historical moment because the Matsu of the East will meet the Statue of Liberty of the West. Taiwan is determined to become an independent nation and to join the UN. Matsu will lend us (her) power to realize our goal," Lu said. ************************************************************************************** For more information on Matsu (pronounced something like "Ma cho," "macho, macho man, I want to be a macho man... - gives new meaning to the word, don't it...) see Wikipedia.