On July 12, 2026, Hua Zang Si, a Buddhist temple located in the Mission District of San Francisco, held a Dharma Assembly to celebrate the birthdays of it’s two greatest Dharma Protectors–Mahasiddha Skanda and Bodhisattva Guan Yu.
Ven. Skanda is an Indian Buddhist Dharma Protector who serves as a guardian of monasteries, protecting against demons and external threats.
Guan Yu (160-220 CE) was a real 3rd century famous Chinese general who was deified across Chinese folk religion, Daoism, and Buddhism. In Buddhism, Guan Yu is venerated as the Sangharama Bodhisattva (伽藍菩薩) — a guardian spirit who protects monasteries, practitioners, and sacred spaces.
CLICK for article on Ven. Skanda Mahasattva with photos and related couplets by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
CLICK for article on Ven. Guan Yu Bodhisattve with photos and related couplets by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. It also explains the Chinese tradition of seeking advice from Guan Yu.
Guan Yu Bodhisattva watches over worldly matters while Skanda Bodhisattva watches over dharma affairs.
CLICK is an article that provides more background on Dharma Protectors and has links to even more details about the pantheon of Dharma Protectors who look over us.
CLICK for article on Bodhisattvas with a list of many of the best known Bodhisattvas and their human incarnations.
Apologies for awkward formatting of these articles from our temple website. The software used for this website has been discontinued and we have not yet been able to correct the resulting problems.
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