In Chinese Buddhism, Samantabhadra is known as Puxian and is associated with action, whereas Mañjuśrī is associated with prajñā (transcendent wisdom). As such, his name is often prefixed with the epiphet Daheng (大行; Dàhèng), meaning “He of Great Practice”. In the Huayan tradition, he is regarded together with Vairocana Buddha and the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī as one of the “Three Noble Ones of Huayan” (華嚴三聖; Huāyán Sānshèng) due to their preeminence in the Avatamsaka Sutra. In the Chinese Pure Land tradition, the Chapter of the Practices and Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra from the Avatamsaka Sutra where Samantabhadra expounds on his ten vows is often regarded as one of the “Five Pure Land sutras” that are seen as foundational texts. In Japan, Samantabhadra is known as Fugen, and is often venerated in Tendai and Shingon Buddhism. In the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Samantabhadra is also the name of the Adi-Buddha, often portrayed in indivisible union (yab-yum) with his consort, Samantabhadrī. In wrathful form he is one of the Eight Herukas of the Nyingma Mahayoga and he is known as Vajramrtra, but this Samantabhadra buddha and Samantabhadra bodhisattva are not the same.
In the Lotus Sūtra, Samantabhadra is described at length in the epilogue, called the Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra (Template:Zh), with special detail given to visualization of the bodhisattva, and the virtues of devotion to him.<ref>Katō Bunno, Tamura Yoshirō, Miyasaka Kōjirō, tr. (1975), The Threefold Lotus Sutra : The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings; The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law; The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue. New York & Tōkyō: Weatherhill & Kōsei Publishing.</ref>
Samantabhadra is also a key figure in the Āvataṃsaka-sūtra, particularly the last chapter, the Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra. In the climax of the Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra, the student Sudhana meets Samantabhadra Bodhisattva who confirms his awakening. Sudhana then merges into Samantabhadra, and Samantabhadra recites a set of popular verses. These verses are known as the Bhadracaripraṇidhāna (Vows of Good Conduct) or Ārya-samantabhadra-caryā-praṇidhāna-rāja (The Royal Vow to follow the Noble Course of Conduct of Samantabhadra).<ref name=":6">Osto, Douglas. A New Translation of the Sanskrit "Bhadracarī" with Introduction and Notes. New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 12, 2 (December 2010).</ref> This text which concludes the entire Avatamsaka was very popular in India, East Asia and in Himalayan Buddhism, and it is cited in numerous sources. It was considered to be a dhāraṇī and recited individually as a meritorious text.<ref name=":6" />
Ten great vows
The core of Samantabhadra's aspirations in the Bhadracaripraṇidhāna are the ten great vows of Samantabhadra. The ten great vows of Samantabhadra are the following:<ref>Gimello, Robert M. Ch'eng-kuan on the Hua-yen Trinity 中華佛學學報第 9 期 (pp.341-411)：(民國 85年)， 臺北：中華佛學研究所，http://www.chibs.edu.tw Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal, No. 9, (1996) Taipei: Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies ISSN: 1017─7132.</ref>
to pay homage to all the buddhas;
to glorify the qualities of all the tathāgatas;
to make ample offerings to all the buddhas;
to confess and repent of all one's misdeeds;
to rejoice in the merits of others;
to always request the preaching of the dharma;
to entreat enlightened beings to remain in the world;
to dedicate all merits to sentient beings that they may achieve buddhahood.
The ten vows have become a common practice in East Asian Buddhism, particularly the tenth vow, with many Buddhists traditionally dedicating their merit and good works to all beings during Buddhist liturgies.
The Sarvadurgatiparishodana tantra contains the following mantra
om̐ samantabhadre hūm̐ <ref>Skorupski, Tadeusz. The Sarvadurgatipariśodhana Tantra: Elimination of All Evil Destinies : Sanskrit and Tibetan Texts, Motilal Banarsidass, 1983, p. 130.</ref>
Unlike his more popular counterpart Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra is only rarely depicted alone and is usually found in a trinity on the right side of Shakyamuni, mounted on Six-tusked White Elephant. In those traditions that accept the Avatamsaka Sutra as their main text (mainly, the Huayan school), Samantabhadra and Manjusri flank Vairocana Buddha, the central Buddha of this particular sutra.
Known as Puxian in Chinese, Samantabhadra is sometimes shown in Chinese art with feminine characteristics, riding an elephant with six tusks while carrying either a lotus leaf 'parasol' (Sanskrit: chatra), ruyi scepter, or sutra scroll, bearing similar dress and features to some feminine depictions of Guanyin. It is in this guise that Samantabhadra is revered as the patron bodhisattva of the monasteries associated with Mount Emei in western China. Some believe that the white elephant mount of Samantabhadra was the same elephant that appeared to Queen Maya, the mother of the Buddha, to herald his birth.
Mahayana esoteric traditions sometimes treat Samantabhadra as one of the 'Primordial' (Sanskrit: Dharmakaya) Buddhas, but the main primordial Buddha is considered to be Vairocana.
Tibetan Buddhism
In Tibetan Buddhism, Samantabhadra (Tibetan: Kuntuzangpo) is a name that refers to two different beings:<ref>Khenchen Thrangu (2019). Tilopa's Wisdom: His Life and Teachings on the Ganges Mahamudra. p. 174. Shambhala Publications.</ref>
The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, one of the eight main bodhisattva attendants of Shakyamuni Buddha, i.e. one of the "eight close sons."
The Primordial Buddha (Adi-Buddha) Samantabhadra (known as Vajradhara in the Sarma traditions). Samantabhadra Buddha appears in the Kunjed Gyalpo Tantra, as the "All-Creating King", the "embodiment" (Sanskrit: kaya) or "field" (kṣetra) of "timeless awareness, gnosis" (Sanskrit: jñāna). This Buddha is ultimate reality, which according to Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is "the unity of awareness and emptiness, the unity of appearances and emptiness, the nature of mind, natural clarity with unceasing compassion."<ref>Khyentse, Dzongsar (1990). "Introduction: The Significance of This Biography" in: Palmo, Ani Jima (Eugenie de Jong; translator); Nyingpo, Yudra (compilor, et al.) (2004). The Great Image: the Life Story of Vairochana the translator. Shambala Publications, Inc.: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S Template:ISBN (pbk.: alk. paper). p.xxi</ref> This Buddha appears in various Nyingma sources, like The Mirror of the Mind of Samantabhadra, one of the Seventeen Tantras of Dzogchen.<ref>Rigpa Shedra (October, 2009). Seventeen Tantras. Source: [1] (accessed: Monday April 5, 2010)</ref>
Late Nanzhao (738-902) to early Dali period (937-1253) stone carving of Puxian as part of a triad together with the Buddha Piluzhena and the Bodhisattva Wenshu at the Shizhongshan Grottes in Dali Bai, Yunnan, China.
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