Hou

The Hǒu (犼), more commonly referred to as a Denglong (蹬龙), is worshiped the most powerful beast in China and revered for its mythical ability to gather and guard money for its masters, defend them from evil, and protect against ill-meaning wishes and bad fortune. It is the intermediary between the will of heaven and humans who is responsible for reporting the circumstances of all sentient beings to the heavens. This fierce beast is a composite of 10 animals: deer horns, camel head, cat ears, shrimp eyes, donkey mouth, lion hair, snake neck, Shen belly, koi (fish) scales, eagle front paws, and tiger rear paws. The Denglong resides on sacred Mount Sumeru, the sacred Buddhist five peaked mountain revered as the center of the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual universes in which are placed two lotuses, one-right-side-up and one upside down, and Buddhist rosary prayer beads. The Denglong is the Dragon King’s son who bestowed upon Guanyin the precious “Pearl of Light” that constantly shines as Guanyin reads her sutras. As Guanyin’s mount, this guardian creature is the master of the universe and the model for righteousness and morality symbolizing the mandate of heaven to usher in peace and prosperity. The depiction of Guanyin on a Hǒu (犼) began in the Ming Dynasty when she became part of the triad of the “Three Great Beings” which were displayed together in temples throughout China. The triad was composed with a Guanyin image in the center riding her Hǒu, Manjushri (Bodhisattva of Wisdom) on his mount the lion on her left, and to her right seated on an elephant Samantabhadra representing the principle of universal love and compassion. Prior to that time, the standard triad had a standing Amitabha Buddha as the central image.