Sixteen Arhats: The Disciples Who Preserve the Buddha’s Teachings

The Sixteen Arhats: Significance, Attributes, and Hidden Abodes

1. Angaja (Tibetan: Yan-lag-’byung)
• Significance: He is one of the elders entrusted with the banner of the teachings .
• Attributes: He holds an incense burner and a fly whisk.
• Hidden Abode: He is believed to reside resides on the vast snowy Mount Kailasa (Ti-se), surrounded by a retinue of 1,300 Arhats.
2. Ajita (Tibetan: Ma-pham-pa)
• Significance: He is depicted in deep meditation.
• Attributes: His head is covered by his upper garment, and his two hands are in the meditation mudra.
• Hidden Abode: He is believed to dwell dwells on Mount Drang-srong (Crystal Wood of the Sages) or Mount Usira (Black Crystal Mountain), surrounded by 100 Arhats.
3. Vanavasin (Tibetan: Nags-na-gnas)
• Significance: His name implies dwelling in the forest.
• Attributes: He holds a fan or a fly whisk, often making a pointing gesture (tarjani mudra).
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in the Saptaparni cave or on Mount Lus-’phags-po, surrounded by 1,400 Arhats.
4. Kalika (Tibetan: Dus-ldan)
• Significance: A guardian of the teachings .
• Attributes: He holds two golden trinkets or jewels.
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in Tamradvipa (Copper Island) in India, surrounded by 1,100 Arhats.
5. Vajriputra (Tibetan: rDo-rje-mo’i-bu)
• Significance: He is associated with the gesture of threat or warning.
• Attributes: He holds a fly whisk and performs a threatening mudra.
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in Simhaladvipa (Sri Lanka), surrounded by 1,000 Arhats.
6. Sribhadra or Bhadra (Tibetan: bZang-po)
• Significance: He is often depicted teaching or meditating.
• Attributes: He holds a book in the meditation mudra, ormudra or displays the teaching/explication gesture.
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in Yamunadvipa (Yamuna River Valley), surrounded by 1,200 Arhats.
7. Kanakavatsa (Tibetan: gSer-be’u)
• Significance: His name relates to gold.
• Attributes: He holds a jeweled lasso (pasa) or a string of jewels.
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in the holy land of Kashmir, surrounded by 500 Arhats.
8. Kanakabharadvaja (Tibetan: Bha-ra-dhva-ja-gser-can)
• Significance: A meditative figure.
• Attributes: He is generally depicted in the meditation mudra.
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in the Western Continent (Aparagodaniya), surrounded by 700 Arhats.
9. Bakula (Tibetan: Ba-ku-la)
• Significance: Associated with wealth and abundance.
• Attributes: He holds a mongoose that vomits jewels.
• Hidden Abode: He resides in the Northern Continent (Uttarakuru), surrounded by 900 Arhats.
10. Rahula (Tibetan: sGra-gcan-’dzin)
• Significance: The biological son of the Buddha.
• Attributes: He holds a jeweled crown.
• Hidden Abode: He resides in Priyangudvipa (Land of Saffron), surrounded by 1,100 Arhats.
11. Cudapanthaka (Tibetan: Lam-phran-bstan)
• Significance: Often depicted in meditation.
• Attributes: He is depicted in the meditation mudra.
• Hidden Abode: He resides on Vulture Peak (Grdhrakuta) in Bihar, surrounded by 1,600 Arhats.
12. Pindola Bharadvaja (Tibetan: Bha-ra-dhva-ja bsod-snyoms-len)
• Significance: He holds a unique place in folklore, believed to have been expelled from the group for violating a vow of chastity or showing off miraculous powers; consequently, his image is often placed outside the temple. The Buddha conferred upon him the power to cure all ills.
• Attributes: He holds a book and a begging bowl.
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in a cave on the Eastern Continent (Purvavideha), surrounded by 1,000 Arhats.
13. Panthaka (Tibetan: Lam-bstan)
• Significance: Associated with scholarship.
• Attributes: He holds a book (pustaka).
• Hidden Abode: He dwells in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods (Trayastrimsa), surrounded by 900 Arhats.
14. Nagasena (Tibetan: Klu’i-sde)
• Significance: Associated with the vase of treasures.
• Attributes: He holds a vase (kalasa) and an alarm staff (khakkhara).
• Hidden Abode: He resides on Mount Urumunda (or Vipulaparsva), surrounded by 1,200 Arhats.
15. Gopaka (Tibetan: sBed-byed)
• Significance: A protector of the books/teachings.
• Attributes: He holds a book.
• Hidden Abode: He resides on Mount Bihula (or Vatsa), surrounded by 1,400 Arhats.
16. Abheda (Tibetan: Mi-phyed-pa)
• Significance: He holds the symbol of enlightenment.
• Attributes: He holds a stupa (chaitya).
• Hidden Abode: He resides on Mount Gangs-can (Himavat), near Shambhala or the Himalayas, surrounded by 1,000 Arhats.
The Two Supporters In Tibetan and Chinese art, the sixteen Arhats are often accompanied by two additional figures, making a group of eighteen:
• Hvashang: A patron figure depicted with an exposed belly.
• Dharmatala: A lay supporter and attendant who carries a fan and a vase, often accompanied by a tiger.

The Immortal Guardians: History, Origins, and Legends of the 16 Arhats

1. The Legend of the "Flaming End" (The Ultimate Prophecy): Perhaps the most spectacular legend regarding the 16 Arhats concerns their final destiny, recorded in the prophecy of the Great Arhat Nandimitra. This prophetic timeline predicts a dramatic conclusion to their watch:
• The Gathering: When the human lifespan, having fluctuated over eons, eventually rises to 70,000 years, the Dharma will face its final extinction. At this moment, the 16 Arhats will gather for the last time on this earth.
• The Magic Stupa: Using their miraculous powers, they will collect all the physical remains (relics) of Shakyamuni Buddha from every corner of the universe. They will erect a magnificent stupa made of seven precious jewels to enshrine these remains.
• Self-Immolation: After circumambulating and honoring the stupa, the Arhats will rise into the air. They will pronounce a final eulogy, stating that their duty to the Buddha is complete. Then, by the power of their own vow and meditation, a flame will burst forth from their bodies, consuming them entirely so that no trace remains. The stupa will sink into the earth, and the Dharma of Shakyamuni will vanish, clearing the way for the arrival of Maitreya.
2. The Miracle of Pindola: The Exiled Saint Among the sixteen, the Arhat Pindola Bharadvaja has a particularly fascinating and controversial history.
• The Show of Magic: Legends state that Pindola once exhibited his supernatural powers to win a sandalwood bowl placed on a high pole by a merchant. He rose into the air and flew around to retrieve it. The Buddha admonished him for performing miracles for a trivial object and "expelled" him from the order, forbidding him to enter Nirvana.
• The Eternal Guest: Consequently, Pindola is destined to remain on earth as a "religious supporter." In Chinese and Japanese traditions, his image is often placed outside the main temple hall or in the refectory, where he is believed to attend meals offered to monks invisibly.
3. Miraculous Interventions (The Snowstorm Rescue): The Arhats are not merely passive observers but active protectors. A specific account from the life of the Tibetan master Terton Migyur Dorje describes a miraculous encounter:
• The Rescue: When a group of monks was threatened by a severe snowstorm and snow-blindness while fetching barley, the Terton performed a ritual. At dawn the next morning, the 16 Arhats miraculously appeared in the snow, each holding a walking stick. They guided the monks toward the safety of the opposite mountain, protecting them from the storm and blindness.
4. The Mystery of the "Eighteen" Arhats: While Indian tradition lists sixteen, Chinese and Tibetan art often depict eighteen figures. This expansion includes two fascinating characters who are not technically Arhats but "Religious Supporters":
• Dharmatala: A lay attendant often depicted carrying a backpack of books and accompanied by a tiger. This imagery suggests a synthesis with Taoist masters who could tame wild beasts.
• Hva-shang (Hashang): A figure representing the Chinese patron or emperor, depicted as a good-natured, stout monk surrounded by children, symbolizing prosperity and benevolence.
5. Hidden Abodes and Sacred Geography: The Arhats do not live in ordinary society but dwell in invisible, energetic sanctuaries scattered across the cosmos and earth, accessible only to those with pure karma.
6. The Arrogant Arhats: A famous legend from the Lotus Sutra describes a dramatic moment involving Arhats. When the Buddha prepared to teach the supreme Mahayana doctrine (the One Vehicle), 5,000 monks, nuns, and laypeople—many of whom were proud Arhats who believed they had already attained the highest goal—arrogantly rose from their seats and walked out. The Buddha allowed them to leave, stating that his assembly was now cleared of "branches and leaves" and consisted only of "firm fruit". This highlights the distinction between the Arhat's realization of personal liberation and the Bodhisattva's universal aim.