earth goddess

In Hinduism the goddess of the earth is Bhumidevi, in Buddhism she is Mae Phra Thoranee. In Buddhism she was called before the demon Mara to bear witness to the merit the Buddha accumulated in his previous lives. She is often depicted in Thai and Cambodian iconography wringing water from her long hair which drowns the armies of the demon Mara.

Egg of Brahma

Name for the entire solar system, also known as the Surya-system. Seen from outer space as an ovoid body of light, an egg-shaped irresolvable nebula. This includes the entire solar world, from the very heart of the Sun to beyond the confines of what astronomers call the farthermost planets. It is composed of concentric spheres with at the heart of each one of them the Sun. Each one of these spheres is a cosmic world, including our Earth. In Sanskrit called Brahmanda. See also Brahma.

Eight Immortals

See Ba Xian.

Eightfold Path

The last of the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha's teaching which outlines the eight steps one must follow in order to eliminate suffering and thus attain Enlightenment or nirvana. The eight steps are: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. In iconography often portrayed by a wheel with eight spokes. See also dhammachakka.

ekamukhalinga (एकामुखलिङ्ग)

Sanskrit. Representation of a linga with a single face.

Ekatanta (एकादन्त)

Sanskrit. 'Single tusk'. A name for Ganesha. According to legend his broken tusk is a souvenir from the event when his mount the rat, tired of carrying him, threw him off. The moon who witnessed this laughed mockingly and Ganesha in anger broke off his tusk and threw it at the moon.

elixir of immortality

The amrita or elixir of immortality that arose during 'the churning of the Ocean of Milk' by the gods and demons in the Indian epic the Ramayana. The legend also occurs in the Mahabharata, a heroic poem from Hinduism. Often identified with soma, the nectar of life.

Erawan (เอราวัณ)

The Thai name given to the multi-headed elephant Airavata.