noun
the eight legions; eight kinds of Buddhist guardian deities
Buddhist term referring to eight classes of supernatural beings that protect the Dharma: devas, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas.
天竜八部衆は仏法を守護する八種の神々です。
The Tenryū Hachibushū are eight kinds of deities that protect the Buddhist teachings.
Standard kanji spelling using 竜 (simplified form).
Variant using 龍 (traditional form); both are encountered.
From Chinese 天龍八部衆 (tiānlóng bābùzhòng), a Buddhist term. The Japanese reading is on'yomi.