Buddhism & Regional Deities

[Ælfred]

Here's a question: When Buddhism became a major religion in East Asian countries, did this change the way the people saw their gods? I'm not too knowledgeable on this subject but were the gods of Tibet, China, and Japan somehow integrated into the Buddhist religion? Did their roles change? How did this affect mythology?

When Christian Church destroyed the heathen religions of Europe often the gods and goddesses were transformed into saints or demons. How did polytheism in Asia fare under Buddhism?

Another question: Could Celtic, Germanic, Slavic, or Greek gods be integrated into the Buddhist worldview? Could one be a Buddhist and also be a true to the gods of their ancestors?

[Agaliha]

Forum Guide Mode:
I think this fits best in Gods & Goddesses as the main focus is deities & myths, though there are components of Eastern Paths in your post--the title of your thread will help distinguish it in G&Gs from the general type of posts there. It should be fine here. And if not, I can move it back. G&Gs gets more activity than Eastern Paths so hopefully you'll have a better chance at getting answers.

Here's a question: When Buddhism became a major religion in East Asian countries, did this change the way the people saw their gods? I'm not too knowledgeable on this subject but were the gods of Tibet, China, and Japan somehow integrated into the Buddhist religion? Did their roles change? How did this affect mythology?I'm not too knowledgeable either, but I do know there are still deities within the Buddhist view.
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/deities.htm Lists a few. There are still Chinese, Japanese and other deities as well. People in Japan still practice Shinto, some along side Buddhism. I think for some, mythology was changed, but not all of them.

The Buddha's teachings and Theravada Buddhism are essentially atheistic, although neither deny the existence of beings that might be called "gods.
In Mahayana Buddhism, however, the universe is populated with celestial buddhas and bodhisattvas who are worshipped as gods and goddesses. The historical Buddha is honored in this way, but most other Buddhist deities are adapted from the cultures Buddhism has encountered — from the pantheon of Hinduism to the indigenous religions of Tibet, China and Thailand.
Among the most popular Buddhist deities are Kuan Yin, the Medicine Buddha, the Laughing Buddha and the Green and White Taras. These and other fascinating figures are explored in this section. The list below links to articles that provide information on the history, meaning, significance and iconography of each deity.
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/deities.htm goes on to describe some.

From: http://www.khandro.net/deities.htm
In Buddhism, the deities perform different types of functions for the practitioner. They may be a focus or aid to individual meditation and transformation, in which case they are called yidams, or they may function as a protector of the dharma and/or of an entire class of being. It is important to understand that the precise meaning varies according to the view of a particular school and/or lineage. In all cases, deities are understood as means for liberation and the enlightenment of all.
Classifying Buddhist Deities in Japanese Buddhism (http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu.7Y_TNHFGEAuY9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE5ZWdqN2s1BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMTYEY29sbwNhYzIEdnRpZANDUzAxXzg2B GwDV1Mx/SIG=12b2ihdim/EXP=1194676056/**http%3a//www.onmarkproductions.com/html/family-tree.shtml)
Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) (http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu.7Y_TNHFGEAv49XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE5NHRlYTNtBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMTkEY29sbwNhYzIEdnRpZANDUzAxXzg2B GwDV1Mx/SIG=126q28uh3/EXP=1194676056/**http%3a//www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/ancientsgrfx.pdf) (PDF)
There are other sites and even books about this topic.

I'd say that yes, they were integrated into the religion. For some their roles changed, perhaps in the past they were a god/dess, with Buddhism they might be a bodhisattvas or something.