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Dragon-Subduing Arhat (Xianglong Luohan) — The Dragon-Taming Arhat
Buddhist Bodhisattvas

Dragon-Subduing Arhat (Xianglong Luohan)

降龙尊者 · 降龍尊者

The Dragon-Taming Arhat

Divine Office

  • Subduing malevolent dragons to ensure harmonious winds and timely rains
  • Attaining the arhat stage of enlightenment and serving as a great field of merit for all sentient beings
  • Quelling floods and safeguarding rivers and waterways from turmoil
  • Manifesting heroic valour to dispel sentient beings’ anger and delusion

Origin & Legend

Xianglong Luohan is one of the Eighteen Arhats. His historical prototype is generally identified as the Venerable Qingyou—the Chinese name for the Indian monk Nandimitra, author of the *Record of the Abiding Dharma*. According to legend, a malevolent dragon once wreaked havoc in ancient India, churning up storms and flooding villages and farmlands; Qingyou subdued it through immense spiritual power, converting it to Buddhism and enlisting it as a guardian of the human realm—thus earning the epithet 'Dragon-Subduing'. During the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, the official list of the Eighteen Arhats was codified, and Xianglong Luohan—as well as Fuhu Luohan (the Tiger-Taming Arhat)—was formally enshrined among them, establishing their canonical status. In Han Chinese Arhat Halls, Xianglong Luohan is typically depicted either seated atop a dragon or cradling one in his hands, embodying awe-inspiring majesty; his most renowned statues are housed in the Arhat Halls of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou and Xiyuan Temple in Suzhou.

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