Vairocana
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox Buddha Vairocana ("The Sun", "Solar" or "Shining" in Sanskrit <ref>Meaning of Sanskrit word "Vairocana" in Mahayana Buddhism</ref>), also known as Mahāvairocana (Great Sun), is a major Buddha from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. He is often compared to the Sun, because both bestow their light impartially upon all beings. However, unlike the Sun, whose light can be blocked, and which disappears at night, Vairocana's light is omnipresent, impossible to block, and shines eternally. Hence, he is called the "Great Sun".<ref>佛學大辭典 -【大日如來】(The Great Buddhist Dictionary - "Great Sun Thus Come One" entry)</ref> In East Asian Buddhism, Vairocana is called "大日如來" (Great Sun Thus Come One) or "毘盧遮那佛" (Vairocana Buddha).
In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, Vairocana is the Dharma-Body of all Buddhas (Dharma-Body is the true body of all Buddhas, equivalent to the Ultimate Reality), which is formless, omnipresent, self-existent, eternal, indestructible, unable to be defiled, and is the source of all manifestations.<ref>佛光大辭典增訂版隨身碟,中英佛學辭典 -【三身】 (Fo Guang Great Dictionary Updated USB Version, Chinese-English Dictionary of Buddhist Studies - "Trikāya" entry)</ref><ref>佛學大辭典 -【四種法身】(The Great Buddhist Dictionary - "The four types of Dharma-Body")</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>佛學大辭典 -【實相】(The Great Buddhist Dictionary - "True Reality")</ref> The historical Gautama Buddha is one of the emanation bodies of Vairocana Buddha.<ref>佛學大辭典 -【法報應三身】(The Great Buddhist Dictionary - "The Three Types of Bodies: Dharma Body, Enjoyment Body, and Emanation body")</ref><ref>Trikaya - Nirmāṇakāya</ref>
Three Types of Bodies
According to the Three-Bodies teaching, every Buddha has three types of bodies,<ref>Trikāya - General definition (in Buddhism)</ref><ref>Nichiren Buddhism Library - three bodies</ref> which are:
- Dharma Body - the true nature of all phenomena, the Ultimate Reality, visible only to those with the highest Awakenment, namely the Buddhas.
- Enjoyment Body - often of super-cosmic size and with supreme beauty, visible only to those whose Awakenment level is not lower than the first Bodhisattva stage.
- Emanation Body - physical forms projected into mundane worlds, visible to all common living beings.
In Mahayana Sutras, the name Vairocana can refer to both the Dharma-Body and Enjoyment-Body of Vairocana, while in Vajrayana, Vairocana represents the Dharma-Body which is identical to Dharma Realm, and sometimes the Dharma-Body and Enjoyment-Body of Vairocana are undifferentiated, Mahāvairocana is considered to be a Cosmic Buddha whose body is the entire universe.<ref>佛學大辭典 -【毘盧舍那】(The Great Buddhist Dictionary - "Vairocana" entry)</ref>
| Three Types of Bodies | Mahayana | Vajrayana | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dharma Body | Vairocana | Vairocana | Vairocana |
| Enjoyment Body | Vairocana | Vairocana | |
| Emanation Body | Sakyamuni Buddha | Sakyamuni Buddha | Sakyamuni Buddha |
Five Buddhas
Among the Five Buddhas of the Five Directions, Vairocana is the central figure, symbolizing both the source and destination of all the other four.
| Five Directions | East | West | South | North | Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five Buddhas | Aksobhya Buddha | Amitabha Buddha | Ratna-sambhava Buddha | Amogha-siddhi Buddha | Vairocana Buddha |
| Five Families | Vajra Family | Padma (Lotus) Family | Ratna (Jewel) Family | Karma Family | Buddha Family |
| Five Wisdoms | Grand Round Mirror Wisdom (大圓鏡智) |
Miraculous Observing Wisdom (妙觀察智) |
Equality Wisdom (平等性智) |
Achievement of actions Wisdom (成所作智) |
Dharm Realm's body and nature Wisdom (法界體性智) |
| Five Wisdom Kings | Trailokyavijaya | Yamantaka | Kuṇḍali | Vajrayakṣa | Acala |
Vairocana is not to be confused with Vairocana Mahabali, son of the asura Virochana, a character in the Yoga Vasistha. Vairocana Buddha is also not to be confused with another Buddha that appears in some Mahayana sources called "Rocana".
Manifestations
| File:WLA haa Dainichi Nyorai Great Buddha of.jpg Vajra Realm Vairocana |
Vairocana from Vajra Realm Mandala is called Vajra Realm Vairocana (金剛界大日如來), depicted as sitting in lotus position while making the Wisdom-Fist Mudra (智拳印) with both hands. This form of Vairocana, as well as Womb Realm Vairocana, are widely seen in Japanese and Korean Buddhism. |
| File:Womb Realm Vairocana.jpg Womb Realm Vairocana |
Vairocana from Womb Realm Mandala is called Womb Realm Vairocana (胎藏界大日如來), sitting in lotus position with the Dharma Realm Dhyana Mudra (法界定印). |
| File:Vairocana Buddha in an ancient temple in China.jpg Vairocana with Vairocana Mudra |
Vairocana Buddha with Vairocana Mudra (毗盧印) is a commonly seen manifestation of Vairocana in Chinese Buddhism. |
| File:Saravid Vairocana.jpg Omniscient Vairocana |
Omniscient Vairocana (Sanskrit: Sarvavid Vairocana) is a supreme manifestation of Vairocana seen in Tibetan Thangkas and some ancient Chinese temples. This form of Vairocana has four heads, sitting in lotus position with Dharma Realm Dhyana Mudra. |
| File:Buddha Vairocana - Google Art Project.jpg Vairocana with Dharma-Wheel Mudra |
Vairocana with Dharma-Wheel Mudra (Sanskrit: Dharma-chakra Mudra) is a form of Vairocana often seen in Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhist artworks. |
| File:Hermitage Museum XX-2374 Achala.jpg Immovable Wisdom King |
Immovable Wisdom King (Sanskrit: Acala Vidyā-Rāja) is a wrathful form of Vairocana. "Immovable" refers to True Thusness which is eternally changeless while manifesting all phenomena of the universe. |
| File:20250118 Longxing Temple - Hall of Vairocana 03.jpg Vairocana's cosmic form |
Artworks demonstrating Vairocana's cosmic form or Dharma-Body can be found in some ancient Chinese temples.
Some of these artworks display Vairocana's cosmic form as a multi-layered complex, forming a fractal-like structure to demonstrate the cosmology of wholeness taught by Avatamsaka Sutra. |
Overview
In Mahayana sutras
The bronze has three layers, each with four large Vairocana Buddhas facing the four directions and sitting on countless emanation Buddhas (nirmanakayas). Such a layer repeats three times to display a fractal-like structure, demonstrating the three types of bodies (trikaya) of Vairocana and the cosmology of wholeness taught by Avatamsaka Sutra.
Vairocana ("Radiance" or "The Illuminator") is introduced in the Brahmajāla Sūtra (traditional Chinese: 梵網經; pinyin: Fànwǎng jīng), which states:
In the Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra, Vairocana is described as having attained enlightenment immeasurable eons ago and residing in a world purified by him while he was a bodhisattva. He also presides over an assembly of countless other bodhisattvas.<ref name="Concept">Template:Cite book</ref> The Buddhāvataṃsaka also sees Vairocana as a supreme cosmic Buddha who contains all world systems within his all-encompassing cosmic body.<ref name="Takeuchi Yoshinori page 161">Takeuchi Yoshinori (editor). Buddhist Spirituality: Indian, Southeast Asian, Tibetan, and Early Chinese, page 161</ref> The Avatamsaka sutra also states that the wisdom of the Buddha (the Tathagata) is present everywhere in the universe, indeed, it is present within every living being. Thus, the sutra states (in chapter 32, Manifestation of the Tathagata):
Son of Buddha, the wisdom of Tathagata is present everywhere. Why? Son of Buddha, in the class of living beings there is no place where the wisdom of Tathagata is not present. Why is it that? The wisdom of Tathagata is not established due to grasping the discrimination/consciousness, because the omniscient wisdom, the self-existent wisdom and the non-obstructed wisdom perfectly appear in total disconnection with discrimination.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
According to Paul Williams, the Buddha "is said or implied at various places in this vast and heterogeneous sutra to be the universe itself, to be the same as 'absence of intrinsic existence' or emptiness, and to be the Buddha's all-pervading omniscient awareness."<ref name="Williams, Paul page 122">Template:Cite book</ref> The very body of Vairocana is also seen as a reflection of the whole universe:
The body of [Vairocana] Buddha is inconceivable. In his body are all sorts of lands of sentient beings. Even in a single pore are countless, immeasurable vast oceans.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
According to the Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra, the whole universe is a vast pure buddha-field which has been purified by Vairocana. This is the view of Pure Land which is found in the Chinese Huayan tradition.<ref>Prince, Tony (2014). Universal Enlightenment, An introduction to the teachings and practices of Huayen Buddhism, pp. 222-223. . Kongting Publishing Company Ltd. Taiwan.</ref> According to this view, our world is just one small part of this universal Pure Land which is named: "Ocean of worlds, whose surface and inside are decorated with an arrangement of flowers" (Sanskrit: Template:Transliteration).<ref>Susumu, Otake, "Sakyamuni and Vairocana", in Gimello et al. (2012). Avataṃsaka Buddhism in East Asia: Huayan, Kegon, Flower Ornament Buddhism ; origins and adaptation of a visual culture, p. 37. Asiatische Forschungen: Monographienreihe zur Geschichte, Kultur und Sprache der Völker Ost- u. Zentralasiens, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, Template:ISBN</ref> It is also called the "Lotus Treasury World" (Chinese: Template:Lang, Skt. Template:Transliteration), since it is an array of billions of buddha-lands (Skt. buddhakṣetra) located in a massive lotus flower shape.Template:Cn
In the cosmology of the Avatamsaka sutra, our Universe is just one of the immeasurable number of universes in a Multiverse called "Ocean of worlds, whose surface and inside are decorated with an arrangement of flowers" (Kusumatalagarbha-vyuhalamkara-lokadhatu-samudra).<ref>Susumu, Otake, "Sakyamuni and Vairocana", in Gimello at al. (2012), p. 37.</ref> The Avatamsaka states that this entire cosmos has been purified by the Buddha Vairocana through his bodhisattva practices for countless aeons, after having met countless Buddhas. The sutra also states that our world is in Vairocana's buddhafield.<ref>Susumu, Otake, "Sakyamuni and Vairocana", in Gimello at al. (2012), p. 38.</ref> Vairocana is closely associated with Shakyamuni Buddha, in some cases he is even identified with him in the Avatamsaka Sutra.<ref>Susumu, Otake, "Sakyamuni and Vairocana", in Gimello at al. (2012), p. 39.</ref> Huayan generally sees Shakyamuni as an emanation body (nirmanakaya) from the ultimate Buddha Vairocana ("The Illuminator").<ref>Lin, Weiyu (2021). Exegesis-philosophy interplay : introduction to Fazang's (643-712) commentary on the Huayan jing (60 juans) [Skt. Avataṃsaka Sūtra; Flower garland sūtra] — the Huayan jing tanxuan ji [record of investigating the mystery of the Huayan jing]. p. 32. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Library.</ref>
In the Śūraṅgama mantra (Template:Lang-zh) taught in the Śūraṅgama sutra (Template:Lang-zh), an especially influential dharani in the Chinese Chan tradition, Vairocana is mentioned to be the host of the Buddha Division in the centre, one of the five major divisions which dispels the vast demon armies of the five directions.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Vairocana is the central Buddha of numerous esoteric sutras (sometimes also called tantras), and he appears in sutras like the Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra (Vairocana’s Awakening), the Vajrasekhara Sutra (Vajra Peak) and the Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra (Summation of Essential Principles).
Helen Hardacre, writing on the Mahavairocana Tantra, comments that Mahavairocana's virtues are deemed to be immanently universal within all beings: "The principle doctrine of the Dainichikyo is that all the virtues of Dainichi (Mahāvairocana) are inherent in us and in all sentient beings."<ref>Helen Hardacre, 'The Cave and the Womb World', in Tantric Buddhism in East Asia (Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2006), p. 215</ref>
Relationship with Śākyamuni
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In the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra, Śākyamuni Buddha is a magical emanation (nirmāṇakāya) of the cosmic Buddha Vairocana.<ref name="Williams, Paul page 122" /> Vairocana is certainly seen as a more cosmic and transcendent existence of Śākyamuni, who came to be seen as Vairochana's earthly manifestation.<ref name="Concept" /> Similarly, the Brahmajala Sutra also states that Śākyamuni was originally named Vairocana, regarding the former as a physical incarnation (nirmāṇakāya) of the latter.<ref name="Concept" />
Vairocana is also mentioned as an epithet of Śākyamuni Buddha in the Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra (part of the Threefold Lotus Sutra).<ref name="Reeves">Template:Harvnb</ref> Thus, in Tiantai and Tendai, Vairocana is seen as synonymous with the Original Buddha of the Lotus Sutra's 16th chapter. The Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra states:
Śākyamuni is called Vairocana, who pervades all places. This Buddha’s abode is called Eternally Quiescent Light: a place which is Template:Sic the Pāramitā of Permanence (nitya-pāramitā); a place which is established on the Pāramitā of Self (ātma-pāramitā); a place [where] the Pāramitā of Purity (śuddha-pāramitā) extinguishes the characteristics of existence; a place [where] the Pāramitā of Bliss (sukha-pāramitā)[leads to] the non-abiding of the characteristics of body and mind. It is a place [wherein] the existence or non-existence of the characteristics of all dharmas is not perceived. It is like the quiescence of liberation (i.e. nirvāṇa) and the culmination of the Prajñā Pāramitā because the phenomena (rūpa) there are permanently abiding dharmas; in like manner, you should contemplate the Buddhas of the ten directions.<ref>Dehn, Tyler (Rev. Jikai) (2023). "Buddha-Nature” (Foxing 佛性) in Zhanranʼs (湛然) Adamantine Scalpel Treatise (Jinʼgangpi Lun 金剛錍論), with special focus on its congruence with the Saddharmapundarika (Miaofalianhua Jing 妙法蓮華經) and Mahaparinirvana Sutras (Niepan Jing 涅槃經)", p. 78. Dissertation, Macquarie University</ref>
In East Asian Buddhism
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Vairocana is the Original Buddha (本佛 běnfó, Jp. honbutsu) in the Chinese Buddhist schools of Tiantai, Huayan and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, as well as in the Japanese traditions of Kegon, Shingon and Tendai. In Huayan Buddhism, the entire universe is seen as the very body of Vairocana, who is seen as a supreme cosmic reality. Vairocana is infinite, his influence and light is limitless, pervading the entire universe.<ref>Cook (1977) pp. 90-91</ref> Furthermore, Vairocana is really the ultimate principle (li), the Dharmakaya, Suchness and "the substance underlying phenomenal reality".<ref name=":113">Cook (1977), pp. 93-104.</ref> However, while Vairocana as ultimate principle is eternal, it also transforms and changes according to the needs and conditions of sentient beings. Furthermore, Vairocana is empty, interdependent and interfused with all phenomena in the universe.<ref name=":113" /> Thus, Vairocana is both immanent (due to its dependent and interfused character) and transcendent (as the immutable basis of all things).<ref>Cook (1977), p. 105.</ref>
According to Fazang, while the nirmanakaya Shakyamuni taught the other Mahayana sutras, Vairocana teaches the Avatamsaka Sutra through his ten bodies which are: the All-Beings Body, the Lands Body, the Karma Body, the Śrāvakas Body, the Pratyekabuddha Body, the Bodhisattvas Body, the Tathāgatas Body, the Wisdom Body, the Dharma Body, and the Space Body.<ref>Lin, Weiyu (2021). Exegesis-philosophy interplay : introduction to Fazang's (643-712) commentary on the Huayan jing (60 juans) [Skt. Avataṃsaka Sūtra; Flower garland sūtra] — the Huayan jing tanxuan ji [record of investigating the mystery of the Huayan jing]. p. 33. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Library.</ref> Fazang sees these ten bodies as encompassing all phenomena (animate and inanimate) in the "three realms", i.e. the entire universe.<ref>Lin, Weiyu (2021). Exegesis-philosophy interplay : introduction to Fazang's (643-712) commentary on the Huayan jing (60 juans) [Skt. Avataṃsaka Sūtra; Flower garland sūtra] — the Huayan jing tanxuan ji [record of investigating the mystery of the Huayan jing]. p. 34. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Library.</ref>
In Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, Vairocana was gradually superseded as an object of reverence by the popularity of Amitābha, due in large part to the increasing popularity of Pure Land Buddhism, but veneration of Vairocana still remains popular among adherents and remains a central object of devotion in Tendai, Shingon, and the Huayan schools.
During the initial stages of his mission in Japan, the Catholic missionary Francis Xavier was welcomed by the Shingon monks since he used Dainichi, the Japanese name for Vairocana, to designate the Christian God. As Xavier learned more about the religious nuances of the word, he substituted the term Deusu, which he derived from the Latin and Portuguese Deus.<ref name="Ropps">Francis Xavier and the Land of the Rising Sun: Dainichi and Deus, Matthew Ropp, 1997.</ref><ref name="Ellisonas">Template:Cite book</ref>
Relationship with Amitabha
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The Shingon monk Dohan regarded the two great Buddhas, Amitābha and Vairocana, as one and the same Dharmakāya Buddha and as the true nature at the core of all beings and phenomena. There are several realizations that can accrue to the Shingon practitioner of which Dohan speaks in this connection, as James Sanford points out:
Template:QuoteThe identification of Vairocana with Amitābha can also be seen in the Huayan school. During the Qing dynasty, Huayan figures like Peng Shaosheng (1740–1796) also equated Amitābha Buddha with Vairocana.<ref name="Liu2">Template:Cite journal</ref> According to Peng, Vairocana and Amitabha are actually the same Buddha, Amitabha's pure land of Sukhavati is the same as Vairocana Buddha's Lotus Treasury World.<ref name=":303">Liu, Kuei-Chieh (劉貴傑). On the Synthesis of Huayan Thought and Pure Land Practice by Early Qing Dynasty Buddhist Scholars (清初華嚴念佛思想試析——以續法與彭紹升為例). Journal of Chinese Buddhist Studies, Volume 20.</ref> Peng saw the Huayan principle of the interpenetration of principle and phenomena as indicating that these Buddhas and their pure lands were mutually interfused and non-dual with all worlds in the universe.<ref name=":303" />
Mantras and dharanis
Numerous mantras, seed syllables and dhāraṇī are associated with Vairocana Buddha.
A common basic mantra is the following:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Oṃ Vairocana Vaṃ
Mantra of Light
Template:Main A popular mantra associated with Vairocana in both the Chinese Buddhist and Japanese Buddhist traditions is the Mantra of Light (光明真言, pinyin: guāngmíng zhēnyán, rōmaji: kōmyō shingon; Sanskrit: prabhāsa-mantra), alternatively (毗盧遮那如來所說不空大灌頂光真言, pinyin: pílúzhēnà rúlái ruǒshuō bukōng dà guàndǐng guāng zhēnyán).
Chinese Buddhism
In Chinese Buddhism, one primary usage of the mantra since the Song dynasty has been in regular ritual services carried out by monastics. For instance, an early reference to the mantra is found in the Lebang wenlei (樂邦文類) by Zongxiao 's (1151–1214), which discusses how the Tiantai monk Zhiyuan 智圓 (976–1022) in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) used the mantra on sand to attempt to save his deceased mother.<ref name=":32">An, Saiping. 2023. "The Reception of the Mantra of Light in Republican Period Chinese Buddhism" Religions 14, no. 7: 818. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070818</ref> Another key example of the mantra's employment in Chinese Buddhism is found in the manual Baizhang qinggui zhengyi ji (百丈清規證義記; lit: "Baizhang’s Pure Rules for Large Chan Monasteries with Orthodox Commentary"), which is a summary of general mainstream monastic vinaya rules in Chinese Buddhist temples within China compiled during the late Qing dynasty (1644 - 1912).<ref name=":5">《百丈清規證義記》卷3(CBETA 2025.R1, X63, no. 1244) https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/zh/X1244_003</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In the subsection detailing the ritual for celebrating Śākyamuni Buddha's Birthday (釋迦佛誕; Shìjiā Fó dàn), the manual states that the ritual's participants should chant the Mantra of Light seven times in front of a statue of the infant Buddha before bathing the statue of the Buddha with water (浴佛 Yùfó).<ref name=":5" />
Most notably, the mantra is commonly used during the Shuilu Fahui ceremony (水陸法會),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an elaborate, multi-day ritual that was first compiled during the Northern and Southern dynasties period and subsequently further extended during the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6" /> During the Shuilu Fahui ceremony, all enlightened and unenlightened beings in saṃsāra are invoked and invited to attend and partake in the physical and spiritual nourishment provided. In the most widely used version of the liturgy for the ceremony, the Shuilu fahui yigui ben (水陸儀軌會本), the Mantra of Light is recited seven times in succession by the officiating monastics while setting up the inner altar during a specific subsection where Vairocana is invoked into the ritual space.<ref>《法界聖凡水陸勝會修齋儀軌》卷1 (CBETA 2025.R1, X74, no. 1497) https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/zh/X1497</ref> Today, the mantra and the liturgy remains in use during Shuilu Fahui ceremonies, which continues to be one of the most popular Chinese Buddhist rituals in contemporary times.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref>
In addition, the mantra is also traditionally grouped as one of the "Four Great Blessings" (四大祝延) or "Praises of Blessings" (祝延讚), which is a quartet of mantras and prayers consisting of the Mantra of Light, the "Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐" mantra, the Dhāraṇī of the Holy Tathāgata of Immeasurable Lifespan, King of Determined Radiance as well as a prayer for the health and longevity of the emperor (which has been updated in modern times to pray for the people instead). When considered within this grouping, the Mantra of Light is usually referred to by its first few syllables "Ong Amujia" (唵 阿穆伽), and its transliteration in most common Chinese liturgical texts such as the Chanmen Risong (禪門日誦; lit: "Daily Recitations of the Chan Gate") and the Fomen Bibei (佛門必備, lit: "Essentials of the Buddhist Gate") is transliteration version 3 in the Mantra section above, with only minor differences between texts. In modern times, the "Four Great Blessings", inclusive of the Mantra of Light, continue to be recited by monastics during events such as the Buddha's birthday and during retreats.
Japanese Buddhism
In Japan, the mantra was introduced by Kukai, who brought over a copy of Amoghavajra's sutra from China in the 9th century, although there are no records that he ever utilized it in tantric practices.<ref name="unno" /> Records show gradually increasing use in the Heian Period (794–1185). Some of the earliest reports of the regular use of the mantra come from 10th century Tendai societies on Mount Hiei, specifically that of the Twenty-Five Samādhi Assembly (二十五三昧会; Nijūgo zanmai e), which included the monk Genshin and focused on birth in Amitābha's pure land.<ref name=":1" />
In the 13th century, the Mantra of Light was widely popularized by the monk Myōe (1173–1232),<ref name="unno" /> and later by Shingon monks Eison and Ninshō in their ministries.<ref name="tanabe">Template:Cite book</ref> Myōe famously taught the Mantra of Light as a way to purify bad karma and to achieve birth in Sukhavati (or other pure lands if one wished), seeing it as an alternative to the nembutsu.<ref>Unno (2004), pp. 21-26.</ref> He even wrote a work on it, Recommending Faith in the Sand of the Mantra of Light (光明真言土砂勸信記; Kōmyō shingon dosha kanjinki).<ref name=":3" /> He recommended the mantra widely to his followers, especially to laypersons. Eison (1201–1290) is known for convening "Mantra of Light Assemblies" at Saidaiji, which were joined by male and female monastics and laypersons who took the eight precepts for seven days and recited the Mantra of Light.<ref name=":1" /> Both the Mantra and the nembutsu were often incorporated by medieval Buddhists at one time or another, often in the same service. A common practice for the Mantra of Light was to sprinkle pure sand, blessed with this mantra, on the body of a deceased person or their tomb, based on teachings expounded in the Sutra. The belief was that a person who had accumulated much bad karma, and possible rebirth in Hell would be immediately freed and allowed a favorable rebirth into the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. This practice is known as Template:Nihongo in Japanese.
Today, the mantra remains one of the most popular mantras in Shingon Buddhism and is also used in Tendai, Zen and Kegon liturgy.
Five element mantras
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Five syllable mantras (Japanese: goji shingon) symbolize how all things in the universe (here: the five elements) are modes and emanations of Vairocana. One such mantra which is used in the Shingon school is:<ref>Stone, Jacqueline I. (2016). Right Thoughts at the Last Moment: Buddhism and Deathbed Practices in Early Medieval Japan, p. 499. University of Hawaii Press.</ref><ref name=":3">Giebel, Rolf W.; Todaro, Dale A. (2004). Shingon Texts, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, pp. 247-248. BDK English Tripi†aka 98-I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII.</ref>
aḥ vi ra hūṃ khaṃ
Each syllable is correlated with earth, water, fire, air, space respectively, while Vairocana is the sixth element - consciousness (vijñana). In the Mahavairocana sutra the mantra appears as: Namaḥ samanta-buddhānām a vi ra hūṃ khaṃ. According to East Asian mantrayana writers like Kakuban, this mantra can lead to enlightenment.<ref name=":3" /> According to translator Dale A. Todaro, the mantra's syllables have numerous symbolic correlations aside from the five elements, including: "the Five Buddhas (Mahavairocana, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi respectively); the five colors yellow, white, red, black, and blue; five organs (liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, spleen); five Chinese elements (wood, metal, fire, water, earth); and so on."<ref name=":3" />
A slightly longer variation of this mantra, also found in Shingon is:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Oṃ a vi ra hūṃ khaṃ vajra dhātu vaṃ
This version includes another mantra associated with the Vajra Realm Mandala. There is another five element mantra of Vairocana, which is:<ref name=":1">Soothill, William Edward; Hodous, Lewis. A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms: With Sanskrit and English Equivalents and a Sanskrit-Pali Index, p. 293. 1977. Motilal Banarsidass Publ.</ref><ref name=":2">Snodgrass, Adrian. The Matrix and Diamond World Mandalas in Shingon Buddhism, p. 748. Aditya Prakashan, 1988</ref><ref name=":3" />
A vaṃ raṃ haṃ khaṃ
An alternate version sometimes appears with a Buddha vandana (homage) as follows:<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Namaḥ samanta-buddhānām A vaṃ raṃ haṃ khaṃ
"A" is the seed syllable mantra (bījamantra) of Vairocana in the Garbhadhatu mandala, while "Vaṃ" is the seed syllable of Vairocana in the Vajradhātu mandala. Thus, this five element mantra contains both main seed syllables of Vairocana in the East Asian Esoteric tradition. Furthermore, these two seed syllables are sometimes combined into one mantra: "A-Vaṃ".<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
Dharani
A longer dharani associated with Vairocana is the Sarvadurgatiparishodana dharani (Complete removal of all unfortunate rebirths), also known as Kunrig mantra in Tibetan Buddhism. This dharani is found in the Sarvadurgatiparishodana tantra which depicts Vairocana at the center of a mandala surrounded by the other four tathagatas.<ref>Huntington, John C.; Bangdel, Dina. The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, p. 106. Serindia Publications, Inc., 2003.</ref>
The dharani is as follows:<ref>FPMT, 2021. Ten Powerful Mantras for the Time of Death.</ref><ref>Baruah, Bibhuti (2000) Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism, pp. 205-206. Sarup & Sons.</ref>
OṂ namo bhagavate sarva durgati pariśodhana rājāya tathāgatāyārhate samyaksambudhāya tadyathā
OṂ śodhane śodhane sarva pāpam viśodhani śuddhe viśuddhe sarvakarmāvarana viśodhani svāhā! <ref>Skorupski, Tadeusz. The Sarvadurgatipariśodhana Tantra: Elimination of All Evil Destinies : Sanskrit and Tibetan Texts, Motilal Banarsidass, 1983, p. 126.</ref>
Statues
The massive size and brilliance of Vairocana statues serve as a reminder that all conditioned existence is empty and without a permanent identity, whereas the Dharmakāya is universal and beyond concepts.
The Spring Temple Buddha of Lushan County, Henan, China, depicts Vairocana. With a height of 126 meters, it is the second tallest statue in the world (see list of tallest statues).Template:Citation needed
The Daibutsu in the Tōdai-ji in Nara, Japan, is the largest bronze image of Vairocana in the world.
The larger of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan that were destroyed by the Taliban was also a depiction of Vairocana.
In Java, Indonesia, the ninth-century Mendut temple near Borobudur in Magelang was dedicated to the Dhyani Buddha Vairocana. Built by the Shailendra dynasty, the temple featured a three-meter tall stone statue of Vairocana, seated and performing the dharmachakra mudrā. The statue is flanked with statues of the bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara and Vajrapani.
Gallery
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Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279 CE) cliff carving of Vairocana (centre), with Manjushri (left), and Samantabhadra (right) among the Dazu Rock Carvings at Mount Baoding, Dazu District, Chongqing, China.
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Ming dynasty statues of Vairocana (center), flanked on the far left by Amitabha and on the right by Bhaisajyaguru. Projecting tongues from Vairocana's throne are petals that symbolize his radiance in infinite directions.
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Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) statue of Vairocana in Shanhua Temple in Datong, Shanxi, China, one out of a set of statues of the Five Tathāgatas.
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Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) statue of Vairocana with two attendant Bodhisattvas in Longxing Temple in Yuncheng, Shanxi, China.
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Tang dynasty bronze statue of Vairocana. 8th century.
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Copper alloy statue of Vairocana, made in China during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Displayed at the Cantor Center for Visual Arts.
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Ming dynasty bronze statue of Vairocana. Displayed at the Buddhism Sculpture Gallery in Aurora Museum, Pudong, Shanghai.
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Statue of Vairocana, made in China during the Qing dynasty. 19th century. Made of jade, gilt bronze, enamel, pearls and kingfisher feathers. Displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum.
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Vairocana statue in Sam Poh Wan Futt Chi, a Chinese Buddhist temple in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia.
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Shrine to Vairocana in Zhusheng Temple, Hunan, China.
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Seated iron statue of Vairocana in Borimsa Temple, on Gaji mountain in Jangheung County, South Jeolla, South Korea.
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A gilt-bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha, one of the National Treasures of South Korea, at Bulguksa.A gilt-bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha, one of the National Treasures of South Korea, at Bulguksa.
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Multi-headed Sarvavid Vairochana, Central Tibet, circa late 13th – early 14th century.
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Vairocana statue in Northern Vietnam, 19th century AD, Nguyễn dynasty.
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See also
Sources
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Bibliography
- Birmingham, Vessantara (2003). Meeting The Buddhas, Windhorse Publications, Template:ISBN.
- Cook, Francis H. (1977). Hua-Yen Buddhism: The Jewel Net of Indra, Pennsylvania State University Press.
- Cook, Francis H. (1972). 'The meaning of Vairocana in Hua-Yen Buddhism, Philosophy East and West 22 (4), 403-415
- Park, Kwangsoo (2003). A Comparative Study of the Concept of Dharmakaya Buddha: Vairocana in Hua-yen and Mahavairocana in Shingon Buddhism, International Journal of Buddhist Thought and Culture 2, 305-331
- Template:Cite book
External links
- Sacred Visions: Early Paintings from Central Tibet, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Vairocana (see index)
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