Editing Lokapala (section)

==In Buddhism==
In Buddhism, ''lokapāla'' are one of two broad categories of ''[[dharmapāla]]'' (protectors of the Buddhist religion) -the other category being Wisdom Protectors. In China, "each is additionally associated with a specific direction and the Four Heraldic Animals of Chinese astronomy/astrology, as well as playing a more secular role in rural communities ensuring favorable weather for crops and peace throughout the land...Easily identified by their armor and boots, each has his own magic weapon and associations."<ref>Welch, Patricia Bjaaland. ''Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery''. Vermont: Tuttle, 2008, p. 194.</ref> Their names are (east) [[Dhṛtarāṣṭra|Dhrtarastra]], (west) [[Virūpākṣa|Virupaksa]], (north) [[Vaiśravaṇa|Vaishravana]], and (south) [[Virūḍhaka (Heavenly King)|Virudhaka]].

In [[Tibetan Buddhism]], many of these worldly protector deities are indigenous Tibetan deities, mountain gods, demons, spirits or ghosts that have been subjugated  by [[Padmasambhava]] or other great adepts and oath bound to  protect a monastery, geographic region, particular tradition or as guardians of Buddhism in general. These worldly protectors are invoked and propitiated to aid the monastery or Buddhist practitioner materially and to remove obstacles to practice. However, since they are considered to be Samsaric beings, they are not worshiped or considered as objects of [[Refuge (Buddhism)|refuge]].{{cn|date=December 2023}}

According to [[Tripitaka]] Master [[Shramana]] [[Hsuan Hua]] of the [[City of Ten Thousand Buddhas]], all of these beings are invoked (hooked and summoned) and exhorted to behave (subdued) and [[Dharmapāla|protect the Dharma]] and its [[Sangha (Buddhism)|practitioners]] in the [[Shurangama Mantra#Mantra Division 4 - Vajra Treasury Exhorting and Gathering in Assembly|Shurangama Mantra]].<ref name="Hsuan Hua Shurangama Sutra Commentary 2003">{{cite book
 |last=Hua 
 |first=Gold Mountain Shramana Tripitaka Master Hsuan 
 |author2=Bhikshuni Rev. Heng Chih 
 |author3=Bhikshuni Rev. Heng Hsien 
 |author4=David Rounds 
 |author5=Ron Epstein 
 |title=The Shurangama Sutra - Sutra Text and Supplements with Commentary by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua - First Edition 
 |publisher=Buddhist Text Translation Society 
 |year=2003 
 |location=Burlingame, California 
 |url=http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=165 
 |isbn=0-88139-949-3 
 |display-authors=etal 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529071056/http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=165 
 |archivedate=2009-05-29 
}}, Volume 6, Chapter 3: The Spiritual [[Shurangama Mantra]], pp. 87-162, and Chapter 5, The Twelve Categories of Living Beings, pp. 177-191,</ref>