Seven Lucky Gods
Veneration of Myōken as a god of war is believed to derive from the practice of worshiping the easternmost star of the Big Dipper, Alkaid (η UMa), known in Chinese as the 'Broken Army' or the 'Destroyer of Armies' (破軍星, Pinyin: "Pòjūn xīng"; Japanese: "Hagunsei") to bring success in battle. The "Sutra of the Big Dipper for Prolonging Life" (北斗七星延命經, Pinyin: "Běidǒu qīxīng yánmìng jīng"; T. 1307) identifies Alkaid with the buddha Bhaisajyaguru (Yakushi Nyorai), so that Myōken is thus sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Bhaisajyaguru. In other traditions Myōken was also associated with Kisshōten (Mahāśrī, one of the Seven Lucky Gods). Indeed, some early depictions of Myōken shared similar attributes to those of Kisshōten that a number of what are commonly believed to be depictions of Kisshōten may have originally been Myōken statues.