The term, deity, comes from the Latin word “deitas”, and can be used as a synonym for the god or the gods of a religion. Deities are beings to whom attributes of a divinity are attributed. In the Asian world, over the years, a large list of deities has been worshiped, such as the goddess of rice or the god or spirit of the mountain, among others.
In India many deities are worshiped, one of them is Shiva, who is also known as Maheshvara, meaning “the affectionate”, or “from whom luck is born. It is pure cosmic consciousness, it is a god in manifestation of love. It is one of the oldest gods in India. As a master of the airs and the winds, he is also master of the breath of life, the Lord of Prana. In this sense, he reigns over life and death.
Vishnu, is another deity in India. He is also known as Narayan, the conservative, as a cosmic force, and it is known in many incarnations, among which the most important are Rama and Krishna. It is omnipresent and above all it is the balance between creation and dissolution. It represents strength of conservation. He is the god of peace and justice.
A deity of the first level, Indra was a lethal warrior among the more than a thousand ancient wars proclaimed in the Vedas texts. It is the god that dominates the middle region, the atmosphere and appears with more anthropomorphic features than most divinities.
Another the Asian country that has a diversity of deities is China. This variety is due to the influence of different religions in the area such as the Islam, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, in addition there are also Christians, Orthodox, Catholics, followers of shamanism and the Dogba religion.
In spite of all the mentioned currents, in China, a traditional religion predominates, which is based on spiritual doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, including veneration to the ancestors, cult to natural gods and to stars like the Sun and the Moon.
The most important deities of China are “The Three Pure Ones”, this trilogy is composed of The Pure Jade, The Pure Top and The Great Pure. They are also known as the Three Pure Diaphanous, the Three Pristine, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities or the Three Purities. These gods are Primordial Celestial Energy, they have no form. However, to symbolize the Creation, they are represented as old deities with robes in three colors (red, blue and yellow or green).
Asia was the precursor of many religions such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, which led to their having a diversity of deities they venerate.
The deities are respected and admired, generally they can be adored, blessed and sanctified. They are considered sacred and immortal, and their followers also tend to pay tribute through various rites, prayers, songs, offerings, among others.
ALFA