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:
“The wisdom of age: don’t stop walking.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“So doth the greater glory dim the less:
A substitute shines brightly as a king
Until a king be by.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)