San shi qi zun, Sān shí qī zūn: 4 definitions

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

三十七尊 [san shi qi zun]—The Thirty-seven Deities — [Nomenclature] are the core of the Vajradhātu Maṇḍala (金剛界曼陀羅 [jin gang jie man tuo luo]). Within the one thousand sixty-one deities of the First Fundamental Attainment Assembly (根本成身會 [gen ben cheng shen hui]), these include the Five Buddhas (五佛 [wu fu]), the Four Pāramitā Bodhisattvas (四波羅蜜菩薩 [si bo luo mi pu sa]) belonging to the Central Mahāvairocana (中央大日 [zhong yang da ri]), the Sixteen Great Bodhisattvas (十六大菩薩 [shi liu da pu sa]) belonging to the other Four Buddhas, the Eight Offerings (八供 [ba gong]) (comprising the Four Inner Offerings (內四供養 [nei si gong yang]) and Four Outer Offerings (外四供養 [wai si gong yang])), and the Four Bodhisattvas of Attraction (四攝菩薩 [si she pu sa]). Among these, the Sixteen Great Bodhisattvas represent wisdom virtue (慧德 [hui de]), while the Four Pāramitā, Eight Offerings, and Four Bodhisattvas of Attraction represent samādhi virtue (定德 [ding de]). This number naturally corresponds to the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment (三十七菩提分法 [san shi qi pu ti fen fa]). Refer to the section on the Nine Assemblies Maṇḍala (九會曼陀羅 [jiu hui man tuo luo]). In Esoteric Buddhism (密教 [mi jiao]), there are various numerical dharma-gates based on the establishment and abolishment of deities, leading to numerous groupings: one deity, eight deities, nine deities, ten deities, fifty-three deities, seventy-three deities... (abridged) ...deities as numerous as the dust motes in ten buddha-lands (十佛剎微塵數尊 [shi fu sha wei chen shu zun]). (Nine Assemblies Maṇḍala)