In Vajrayana Buddhism, a Wisdom King (Sanskrit विद्याराज vidyarāja, Chinese Míngwáng 明王, Japanese 明王 myō-ō) is the third type of deity after Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The Sanskrit name literally "king of knowledge", thus the Chinese character "明", meaning knowledgeable (and/or bright) is used, leading to wide array of alternative English names including Radiant King, among others like Guardian King, etc. Wisdom Kings belong to the Buddhist Pantheon. In Tibetan Buddhism, they are known as Heruka.
The female counterparts of Wisdom Kings are known as Wisdom Queens (Ch: Míngfēi 明妃; Jp: 明妃 myōhi), although the distinction is often ignored.
Read more about Wisdom King: Doctrine, Iconography
Famous quotes containing the words wisdom and/or king:
“They are not callow like the young of most birds, but more perfectly developed and precocious even than chickens. The remarkably adult yet innocent expression of their open and serene eyes is very memorable. All intelligence seems reflected in them. They suggest not merely the purity of infancy, but a wisdom clarified by experience. Such an eye was not born when the bird was, but is coeval with the sky it reflects. The woods do not yield another such a gem.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
—Bible: New Testament, Matthew 2:2.
The Wise men.