Vaishravana ［毘沙門天・多聞天］ (;  Bishamon-ten or Tamon-ten): Also known as Hearer of Many Teachings. One of the four heavenly kings of Buddhist mythology, this god is said to live halfway up the northern side of Mount Sumeru and protect the northern quarter, accompanied by the two classes of demons called yaksha and rākshasa. Among the four heavenly kings, he is often regarded as foremost. Vaishravana’s name was rendered in Chinese as “Hearer of Many Teachings.” This god is said always to protect the place where the Buddha preaches. In the “Dhāranī” (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, he pledges to protect the votaries of the sutra. In Japan, as one of the seven beneficent deities, he is called Bishamon-ten. Vaishravana is known as Kubera in Hindu mythology, the king of yakshas and the god of wealth.