Hārītī (Buddhist deity)

Hārītī (Sanskrit), also known as Chinese: 鬼子母(神); pinyin: Guǐzǐmǔ(shén), Japanese: 鬼子母神, romanized: Kishimojin, is revered as a fierce Dharma Protector in the Vajrayana tradition of Nepalese Buddhism, and revered both as a goddess and demon in other Mahayana Buddhist traditions where she is one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities. In the Mahayana tradition, her positive aspects are regarded for the protection of children, easy delivery and happy child rearing, while her negative aspects include the belief of her terror towards irresponsible parents and unruly children. In both Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, she is venerated as a protector deity, but in many folk traditions is often recognized as a female demon of misery and unhappiness towards children and parents.