Dragons are associated with the element of water. In India especially, dragons were regarded as guardians of the treasures of the earth. Although they are minor dieties, they are powerful beings, thought to possess all the sciences. According to legend, they took the great Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna to their realm where he rediscovered the lost Prajnaparamita texts, the Perfection of the Wisdom Sutras. The Naga cult appears to have been propagated in China, and to have spread from there to Japan and southern India via Kashmir. These deities were adopted by Buddhism from the outset.

In Japan and China, the dragon serpents are deities of the water, living in the sea, rivers, lakes and clouds; they are mainly benevolent. In China and Japan, as well as South-East Asia, they are invoked in ritual dances usually performed to provoke rainfall. They are also considered depositories of the cintamani, the magic jewel that bestows treasures and gives knowledge.

The dragon belongs more in folklore than pure Buddhist tradition. Yet many representations of dragons are found in sculpture and painting in Buddhist temples, where they serve for decoration. Their effigies are also found on the roofs of pagodas, because they represent the liquid element that protects from fire, and on fountains and ablution basins of monasteries and temples, so that the water will not fail.

They also provide a decorative motif for priestly objects, a theme for many decorative paintings, and a subject of stone arrangements for monstery gardens in Japan. Some sculpted or painted dragons also protect the entrances and roofs of Buddhist buildings.

I wanted to start a different religous thread. Most of the religous threads talk about the Bible. There are so many different religous belief systems to explore! Learn them to understand other cultures!

If you have more wisdom to share with Dragons in religions then please don't hesitate to teach me!

Have a great day!

Dragons rock!!

The most important thing to note about Chinese religions is that the Eastern religions are usually mixed. Buddhism/Shinto, Taoism, and Confucianism are often found mixed with folklore and such things.

The basic principles of Eastern religion can be found in the Yin Yang. Though many Western people claim that the Yin Yang is a "mix of good and evil" it is not looked upon this way by the Chinese. Yin is the passive, feminine part of the universe, and Yang is the active, masculine part of the universe. Each of them are intertwined, simply because one would not exist without the other...there would not be a "tall" if there wasn't a "short". Taoism is the "yin" religion, while Confucianism is the "yang" religion.

Now, taking into account that Confucianism stresses the five relationships, Buddhism stresses reincarnation without caste system, and Taoism stresses Wu Wei, the Way, let it be, it's no wonder that their dragons are as complex as their religious structures. Their dragons are seen as benevolentand "giving" but rageful.

Confucianism is the major religion to look at. In the five relationships, Confucius discussed a "ruler to subject" relationship. The subject is to be loyal and the ruler is to be benevolent. This demonstrates the connections between dragons and humans.

Interesting information for Christians and Jewish believers also.

The various sects of Christianity have created a similar impact on mythology as far as dragons go, and Judaism, contected to Christianity, also effected dragons this way. Some examples include Ireland's Ollipeist and Lithuania's Aitvaras. Aitvaras happens to be the best example, as the mythology held the most drastic switch. Prior to the presences of Christianity, the Lithuanians viewed the Aitvaras as a type of Gaurdian angel, but later, as Chrisitanity touched the region, the Aitvaras became more and more evil.

The dragons and serpents in the Christian religions were associated with the devil, and thus they were evil. This is why, as Christianity spread, many of the dragons were viewed as evil, or, as in the case of Aitvaras, the dragons were set in a more evil light.

In the Bible, the difference between good and evil, unlike the Chinese religion, were plainly set. There was a right and a wrong way to live. Hence, the creatures within the Bible were seen as such as well. Moreover, as the story of Daniel and the dragon Bel, dragons were often seen as false gods, and thereby making them more evil.

Notice!!!

Please be aware that I am not here to say that there is a right and wrong influence here, I am simply pointing out the effects of different religions on dragons. If you think that some of this information is erronious, do not hesitate to contact me and point out the flaw, but please provide me with some solid facts, or a place where I can get some solid facts, to prove your point.

The Leviathan
Appearances: The Bible, Legends
Symbolism: ego, evil, end of the world

Sometimes referred to as Oroborus, this giant serpent of the water is one of the oldest and most menacing of dragons. In different versions of legend, this dragon has different appearances. Sometimes he has many heads, sometimes he has just one that is constantly devouring its tail in an endless cycle around nd the earths oceans.

In the bible, the leviathan is one of the first creatures to be created in the depths of the ocean.
Generally associated with evil and satan, this beast is said to be one of the Devil's warriors that will rise up to fight against the Good in the final battle. Other tales tell that the Leviathan will circle the earth until the end of the world when it will devour everything in the universe.

The symbolism of the eternal circle makes the Leviathan a reminder of the infinite, but the break that comes at his teeth as it devours his tail shows that change is constant and harsh. The Leviathan is an ancient myth of the sea, and has been a fear for sailors for many generations. The fear is both that they may be attacked and eaten by it, and that it signals the end of the flat earth and missing it may cause them to fall off the edge

Shichimen Daimyojin is the guardian deity of Kuonji, the headquarters of Nichirenshu, which is in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Legend holds that a young lady, beautifully dressed, often appeared out of nowhere when Priest Nichiren was reciting the Lotus Sutra in Kuonji and she enthusiastically listened to his recitation.

One day, the Priest asked her who she was. She said she was a celestial nymph living in a pond near Mt. Shichimen [next to Mount Minobu] and would like to get salvation from various sins and agonies through listening to his Lotus Sutra.

But, Priest Nichiren had known who she was. When Nichiren put a vase in front of her, her reflection on the vase revealed that she was a red dragon. Priest Nichiren instructed her to get back to the pond and to be a guardian deity of Kuonji.

Hearing this, the red dragon went back to the pond. Ever since, she or the red dragon became a guardian deity of Kuonji, guarding at the southwestern corner (believed to be the rear Demon's Gate) of the temple.

Thank you very much sir for this information!!! Goose bumps on my arms reading this.

The Black Dragon Empire is the second-largest of four states struggling to survive in China. It lies in central China along the banks of the Huang Ho river, though it's ancient capital is still at Zhu Zhou in Wu Hai.
Famous for its introduction of Buddhism into China, and its support of the arts and sciences, the Black Dragon Empire also has long historical links with both the Mahayana Buddhist sect and the Shaolin religious order. It has fought many wars in its history, and is one of the few Chinese nations to have survived the entirety of the last two centuries.

At the close of the seventh century, The Black Dragon Empire has a new leader, a new player and a new-found sense of purpose.

For its history please highlight link below and paste in your webbrowser.

http://users.erols.com/nolan/LOTE/L27/Black%20Dragon%20Empire.htm

Very intersting smiless, although i am a great admirer of dragon's, unicorn's, and other, i have no historic account's as you have of their use in ancient belief's. I just find them to be or the painting's / drawing,s etc., to be magical and wonderful to view and see man's mind at his best in a fantastic fantasy way so to say.
I wish there were still great wonderful benevolent dragon around to see and talk with. one's who were thousand's of milennial years old, their wisdom is much needed in this present day, salamat my friend.

tribo

Belief system: Christian
Time Period: Unknown
References in Literature:
Sources: Dragons and Dragon Lore

Tale:

This lengthy tale begins with Luke the Evangelist moving John the Baptist's hand from Casesarea to Antioch and then eventually to Rhodes.

During the time it was in Antioch, the city was plagued by a dragon that demanded yearly sacrifices, which the villagers gave. But when it came time for one man's daughter to go, the man bit off part of the hand and threw it into the dragon's mouth. It choked and immediately died

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Region: France
Time Period: Unknown
References in Literature: None Found
Sources: Dragons and Dragon Lore


St. Bernard and nine pilgrims came upon a dragon and a giant. Bernard stopped them with the sign of the cross, then took his cloak put it around the dragon's neck. Magically, the cloak turned into chains that held the dragon long enough for the pilgrims to kill it.

The ends of the chain, which remained silken, were kept as holy relics in the abbey of St. Maurice-en-Valais.

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Region: ?
Time Period:
References in Literature: Revelations 12: 3-4, Revelations 12: 15-16

Sources: XDrac, Windseeker, Illiana, Pantheon, Dragon Cove, Book of Dragons and Other Mythical Beasts

Notes:

Speaks like a dragon

Has the number 666 on its head - the number of the devil.

Number of horns varies, depending on the version you read.

Spews water and may be a Hydra-like dragon.

Described as part serpent and part salmon in Ireland

People would worship it

Relative of the Hydra of Lerna

7 Heads

10 Horns, each w/ a crown

Defeated by St. Michael and his angels.

Tale:

St. Michael and his angesl fought and ousted the dragon Satan and his minions from Heaven. The Devil now lives on earth.

Satan went after the mother of the man God took to heaven, and nearly overcame her, but eh earth opened and helped the woman escape.

Variations:

Getty Museum presents this summary:

"After the woman clothes with the sun gives birth to her child, understood by medieval commentators to represent Jesus, she is pursued by a great red dragon with seven heads and 10 horns. As the dragon leaps from the earth, the woman looks back over her shoulder, visibly frightened. Before the dragon reaches her, however, an angel gives her 2 eagle's wings so she can fly away to safety." In another version, there are 3 dragons.

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The story of the dragon for atheists!

The Savage Dragon is a self-described Atheist. This character's classification as an Atheist seems peculiar to some readers because the character has actually met God.

In an unusual and memorable story (issue #31 of The Savage Dragon), the Savage Dragon went the afterlife. The Savage Dragon actually met God, but but he told God that he is an Atheist. The Savage Dragon believed that his entire after-death experience was a hallucination. God told the Savage Dragon that if he does not believe in an afterlife, there would be none for him, because the afterlife people experience is based on their beliefs during mortality. In response, the Savage Dragon said that upon returning to his mortal life, he would cultivate within himself a belief in what he regarded as a paradisiacal afterlife (involving intimate relations with leggy supermodels).

After God returned him to his "normal" life on Earth, the Savage Dragon was forthcoming about what happened to him and openly told people that he met God. However, the experience had no discernible effect on how the Savage Dragon lives his life.

This entiry storyline was depicted as something that really happened to the Savage Dragon, yet there were also clues (such as the faces of God and the Devil being based on Savage Dragon's own face) that suggest the experience was in the character's mind. On the other hand, God told the Savage Dragon facts about his parents which the Savage Dragon didn't know at the time. But then again, those facts could have come from the character's subconscious. On the whole, the story can be read two ways: either these events really did happen, or they were somehow fabricated by the character's mind in such a way that they seemed absolutely real.

Is the Savage Dragon really still an atheist, even after he met God? The answer would seem to be yes, even though the character does not seem certain whether his experiences were real or imagined?

However, another way to interpret the outcome of this story is to take the Savage Dragon at his word and conclude that he really is trying to believe in an afterlife with leggy supermodels. But his comments about that seem more like an off-handed remark. Regardless of his intention when he said it, a single statement of intent to believe can hardly change a person's basic belief system or character. A person's true religion is not what they state they believe or claim to believe, but what they really believe, even if they do not refer to their most deeply held beliefs as a "religion." Regardless of what the Savage Dragon told God he planned to begin believing in, the human psyche simply doesn't alter its core beliefs so quickly and easily, particularly when the Savage Dragon's proposed new belief system would be totally lacking in outside reinforcement, such as fellow believers, spiritual experiences or childhood upbringing. Subsequent issues of The Savage Dragon never showed the character mentioning or attempting to cultivate a belief in an afterlife filled with beautiful supermodels. One must conclude that this is not actually the character's religious belief and that he simply made the comment in jest, has forgotten about it, or has consciously disregarded that plan.

The Savage Dragon's experiences with God were used to illustrate certain aspects of his character. The Dragon is not simply a nominal atheist or an atheist by default of how he was brought up or because of what his peers believe. Rather, he is a somewhat hard-boiled skeptical "non-believer". (Or, more accurately, he is a staunch believer in the non-existence of God.) This is part of who he is, and this belief system is apparently impervious to any outside experiences or rationality. While someone less set in their ways might be bent toward belief in God (or at least toward agnosticism) by these experiences, the Savage Dragon remained unmovable, illustrating that faith, belief and his innate nature (rather than any systematic analysis of available facts) are at the heart of his atheistic worldview.

So, yes, the Savage Dragon remains an atheist, simply because that's who he is at heart. He remains an atheist even though he has subsequently told people he met God and he appears to believe that it's at least possible that these experiences really happened.

They had once on the History Channel a show on how some researcher try to figure out why so many countries talk of dragons before sea travel was even possible. Even though many civilizations haven't met they each had stories about them. How is that possible is one of the questions they had?

Could it be that they were once dinosaurs and bones were found showing they had wings?

Could it be another reason unknown to us?

Well in the long run many religions also use the dragon in their books.

The Dragon and its religions!

Those who would like to believe that dragons really lived (and who wouldn?t?) might seriously consider a possible link between dinosaurs, the Loch Ness monster, and a great flood (or the Great Flood).

Dragons around the world

Both Old and New Testaments talk about monsters?the books of Job, Psalms, Isaiah, and Revelation. Dragons appear in the Babylonian creation story; Nebuchadnezzar built the city of Babylon with carvings of dragons all over the walls, and put a dragon on his seal. Ancient Egyptians used images of dragons to protect their palaces. Both ancient Greeks and Romans had dragon mythologies, as do China and Japan, Mesopotamia and India.

Europe has an especially rich tradition of dragons. The Vikings carved dragons on their ships. Celtic kings in Britain were called ?dragons.? Pendragon means ?chief dragon,? or head of all chiefs among the ancient Britons. Scotland and France have dragon connections. Wales has the dragon as its national symbol. Britain alone has nearly 200 sites identified with dragon lore.

As a land comprised of islands, Great Britain has an obvious appeal to creatures that thrive in or near water, which may explain its particularly strong association with dragons?an association that makes sense in the Flood scenario. Several local festivals of ancient origin continue to re-enact the killing of the resident dragon. All over England are places named for dragon slayings. Dragon Hill is where St. George, patron saint of England, is said to have killed a dragon. Legend says that grass has never since grown where the dragon?s blood was spilled.

North America has its share of dragons. Mexican history has Quetzalcoatl?part serpent and part beautiful bird?the god of wind, wisdom, and life. The Algonquin Indians of North America worshipped a dragon named Piasa; the Apache tribe had one called Chiricahua.

According to dragon lore, many and varied types of dragons once graced the earth. Some have two legs, some have four, some none. Some have wings. Some breathe fire, some have poisonous stingers on their tails. Some have body parts of another animal or of a human. Some have scales; some have smooth, leathery skin. They come in all colors and a range of sizes. Oral history is important here, as features like color and skin texture cannot be determined from fossil examination. These descriptions could be superimposed upon those of dinosaurs without taxing the imagination.

Interestingly, while Western dragons are portrayed as man-eating and evil, Eastern dragons are considered good, kind, and intelligent.

then count me in as an eastern dragon lover!!! the movies i've seen of dragon's must have all been eastern even though some were set in england arena's - or european. they must have migrated there after they run out of dragon food. laugh. good info though
what of unicorn's? all i know for the most part is that they were a symbol of truth and righteousness in medievil times and used as a symbol for christ? of course that is what iread- don't know for sure - i used it as a logo on my shop for fantasy finishes back in the early 80's.

The Invisible Pink Unicorn

The Invisible Pink Unicorn (IPU) is the goddess of a satiric parody religion aimed at theistic beliefs, which takes the form of a unicorn that is paradoxically both invisible and pink. These attributes satirize the contradictions in properties that some attribute to a theistic deity; this makes her a common rhetorical illustration used by atheists and other religious skeptics.

The IPU is commonly used to mock supernatural beliefs as arbitrary by, for example, replacing the word god in any theistic statement with Invisible Pink Unicorn. A quotation from the alt.atheism FAQ sums up this use of the Invisible Pink Unicorn: "The point of this silliness is to prod the theist into remembering that their preaching is likely to be viewed by atheists as having all the credibility and seriousness of [the atheists'] preaching about the IPU."

It has become popular, especially on atheist websites and online discussion forums, to feign belief in the Invisible Pink Unicorn both for the sake of humor and as a form of critique or satire of theistic belief. These professions of faith intend to demonstrate the difficulty of refuting avowals of belief in phenomena outside human perception.

For more information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Pink_Unicorn

I was raised as a Catholic and I tried to be a pretty devout one I must say as a child up to the age of 14 when I went on a search which led me to Buddhism. I was taught a Buddha is not a deity or a supreme being,it is an enlightened human being and all humans possess the capacity to become enlightened.
I have been a Buddhist for thirty something years. Buddhism originated in India where Siddhartha(Shakyamuni) (circa 3000B.C.) an Ashoka prince was destined to become king of a small country in India. His father shielded him from the ugly side of life but one day wandered from the palace and observed instances of birth, old age, sickness and death. He was so moved he left to become an ascetic and discover the true meaning of life. For a brief (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakyamuni)Fastforward to his last days, Shakyamuni preached his last sermon and told his disciples that all his other teachings could be discarded and were preparing his disciples for his final teaching the Lotus Sutra which encompassed all of his teachings.

Like many religions Buddhism has splintered into Hinayana, Mahayana, Zen, and over 80,000 different sects because just as there are many churches or religious sects based on different parts of the bible or certain scriptures, there are many sects dependent upon the sutra or teaching the followers chose to adopt. These teachings were, as mentioned, splintered and adopted vicariously until Nichiren Daishonin a Buddhist monk in Japan visited various temples from different sects and pieced the teachings together over his life span. He announced that all of the teachings were (as Shakymuni defined) were actually encompassed in the Lotus Sutra and its essence was captured by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. I adopted Buddhism because it was open, taught me to accept all religions and learn from them. I also liked it because it taught me that I should not feel guilty about my wrong causes but that I could make amends by doing greater good causes and lighten or alleviate my bad causes.

The main reason I like Buddhism is the tale of the Dragon Kings daughter who became an enlightened women. This was an era when women were not considered equal or were too unclean to become enlightened. Buddhism changed that thought process for me and has fitted very nicely in my life. Another good thing is there is no pressure to force our religious belief on others. If asked or see someone who is suffering, we share. For a wealth of information try www.sgi-usa.org

Thank you my great friend Francis! You share great wisdom and a fabulous story. I to at one time have practiced Buddhism when I felt weak at that moment in life. You are probably familiar with the chant "Nam myoho reng ge kyo". It was a great spiritual guidance at the time and my teacher was very kind and patient with me. Today I don't practice anymore of this philosophy, yet I am still fascinated with its teachings. I must say dragons is also something that draws me close for some reason. There is something magical with them, yet I know in the end that I just have a huge imagination to share.

If you have more stories of dragons please share them with us!

John

The Study of China's last dynasty and the meaning of the Dragon symbol.


Dragon is one of the Twelve Symbols of Sovereignty, the dragons are symbols of the natural world, adaptability, and transformation. The dragon and the pheasant represent the animal and bird kingdoms and thus the entire natural world. When two dragons are placed together but turned away, the dragons symbolize eternity via the Yin and the Yang.

Twelve Symbols of Sovereignty Twelve Chinese symbols representing imperial authority, that appeared on the sacrificial robes of the emperor since the Western Zhou Dynasty (1050-771 B.C.). The twelve symbols include the sun, moon, constellation of three stars, dragons, pheasant, mountains, a pair of bronze sacrificial cups, waterweed, grain, flame, ax, and fu.

http://www.sdmart.org/dragonrobes/contents.html

The Chinese Dragons

Eastern dragons, or Lung as they are known in China, are reptilian dragons often combined with parts from other animals. Unlike the negative energies associated with Western Medieval dragons, most Eastern Chinese dragons are beautiful, friendly, wise, intelligent and are considered to be energetic, decisive, optimistic and even quite ambitious in general. Chinese Dragons are also protectors of the weak and bringers of good luck and good fortune. In fact, in China almost everything connected with dragons is thought of as being blessed. Dragons are worshiped and greatly loved by the Chinese people. In Chinese history, dragon were believed to be in total control of the lakes, oceans and the rain.

Sairys-Dragon of Air


This dragon governs the eastern quarter of the circle. Its dragon ruler is Sairys (sair'-iss), who oversees the dragons of breezes and winds. Its color is pure yellow; it is considered warm and moist (eww).

The positive associations of air are: sunrise, spring, incense, the wand, the gong or bell, clouds, breezes, the breath, optimism, joy, intelligence, mental quickness, etc...

Negative associations: frivolity, gossip, fickleness, inattention (ADD), bragging, forgetfulness, windstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, destructive air of any form etc...

Dragons of air belong to a family or draconic subspecies includes that of wind, storm, and weather. At times they can also join forces with fire and volcanoes, seas and waters, mountains and forests, and chaos. Just as no element works alone, elemental dragons join their great powers to accomplish tasks. Sometimes there is conflict of elemental powers, producing great atmospheric and environmental disturbances, but for the most part the elemental dragons work in harmony.



Fafnir- Dragon of Fire


This dragon governs the southern quarter of the circle. Its dragon ruler is Fafnir (faf'-near) who oversees the dragons of Fire and sunbeams. Its color is pure red; it is considered warm and dry.

Positive Associations: noon, summer, the dagger and sword, candles, incense burner, any kind of helpful fire, the Sun, blood, enthusiasm, activity, change, passion, courage, daring, will power, leadership.

Negative Associations: hate, jealousy, fear, anger, war, ego, conflicts, lightning, volcanoes, harmful fire of any kind.

Subspeices of the fire element dragon family are those of fire and volcanoes. The subspecies of desert and arid region dragons, and those of chaos and destruction, often work closely with draconic entities of the element.



Naelyn-Dragon of Water


This dragon governs the western quarter of the circle. Its dragon ruler is Naelyan (nail'-yon), who oversees dragons of the seas, springs, lakes, ponds and rivers. Its color is pure blue; it is cold and moist.

Positive Associations: sunset, autumn, the water chalice, any form of helpful water, compassion, peacefulness, forgiveness, love, intuition, calmness, peace of mind.

Negative Associations: floods, rainstorms, whirlpools, any kind of harmful water, laziness, indifference, instability, lack of emotional control, insecurity.

The subspecies of the element of water are those of the seas and various waters. It is not unusual to find this element working in conjunction with dragons of wind, storm, and weather, moutains, and forests, or destruction.



Grael-Dragon of Earth


This dragon rules the northern quarter of the circle. Its ruler is Grael (grail), who oversees the dragons of mountains, land, minerals, gems, and moonbeams. Its color is clear, dark green; it is cold and dry.

Positive Associations: midnight, winter, the wine chalice, ritual salt, dragon bowl, gem bowl, dragon mirror, gemstones, mountains, caves, soil, respect, endurance, responsibility, stability, prosperity, thoroughness, purpose in life.

Negative Associations: rigidity, unwillingness to change of see another side of a problem, stubbornness, lack of conscience, vacillation, earthquakes, slides.

Earth Element Dragons are the most placid unless they are required to stir up great disruptive energies such as earthquakes. The subspecies belonging to this element are the dragons of the mountains and forests and those of desert and arid regions. As might be easily guessed the element of earth often works closely with dragons of fire and volcanoes and those of chaos and destruction.

So beautiful