Buddhist Studies deities and bodhisattvas
 
Scratched Ear Lohan: Nagasena

NAGASENA

Leisurely and contented,
Happy and knowledgeable.
Full of wit and humour,
Exuberant with interest.
His Sanskrit name is Nagasena, which means an army of dragons and symbolizes strong supernatural power.
Nagasena was an eloquent speaker and debater. He was famous all over India for his preachings on the "hear no evil" maxim. The senses of hearing is one of the six sources through which mankind become aware of the world. Therefore a practitioner of Buddhism should avoid listening to decadent sounds and in particular other people's secrets. Thus he is often portrayed as scratching his ear, a gesture symbolizing the purification of the sense of hearing in the search for peace and quiet.
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