Five Wisdom Buddhas
|
|
| Missing image Dharma_wheel_1.png Dharma wheel Buddhism |
| Culture |
| History |
| List of topics |
| People |
| By region and country |
| Schools and sects |
| Temples |
| Terms and concepts |
| Texts |
| Timeline |
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Wisdom Buddhas (Jp. 五智如来 gochinyōrai), also known in older Western language books on Buddhism as the Five Dhyani Buddhas (dhyani being Sanskrit for "meditator") though it should be noted that this term does not occur in any Buddhist text, the Five Great Buddhas (Jp. 五大如来 godainyōrai) and the Five Jinas (Skt. for "conqueror" or "victor"), are representations of the five qualities of the Buddha. The Buddhas inhabit the Diamond Realm and are a common subject of Vajrayana mandalas.
The Five Wisdom Buddhas are a later development, based on the Yogācāra elaboration of concepts concerning the jñāna of Buddhas, of the Trikaya theory, which posits three bodies for the Buddha. The Wisdom Buddhas are all aspects of the dharmakaya or "reality-body", which embodies the principle of enlightenment. Initially two Buddhas appeared which represented wisdom and compassion - they were, respectively, Akshobhya and Amitabha. A further distinction embodied the aspects of power, or activity, and the aspect of beauty or spiritual riches. In the Sutra of Golden Light (an early Mahayana Sutra) the figures are named Dundubishvara, and Ratnaketu, but over time their names changed to become Amoghasiddhi, and Ratnasambhava. The central figure came to be called Vairocana.
When represented in a Vairocana mandala, the Buddhas are arranged like this:
Amoghasiddhi
|
|
Akshobhya --- Vairocana --- Amitabha
|
|
Ratnasambhava
There are a huge number of associations with each figure, so that the mandala becomes a cipher for remembering, and understanding the whole of the Dharma.
Some of the associations include:
| Akshobhya | Amoghasiddhi | Amitabha | Ratnasambhava | Vairocana | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direction | east | north | west | south | center |
| Colour | blue | green | red | yellow | white |
| Wisdom | mirror-like | accomplishing | sameness | discriminating | dharmakaya |
| Mudra | earth-touching | fearlessness | meditation | giving | teaching the Dharma |
The Five Wisdom Buddhas are protected by the Five Wisdom Kings, and in Japan are frequently depicted together in the Mandala of the Two Realms.
See also
External link
- Five Dhyani Buddhas (http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/deities/five_dhyani_buddhas.htm) - chart of the Five Buddhas and their associations.ja:五智如来