View source for Akshobhya

{{Short description|One of the Five Wisdom Buddhas}}
{{Infobox Buddha
| name                     = Akṣobhya
| image                    = File:Bihar, akshobhya, il buddha del'est, da kurkihar, 890 dc ca.jpg
| caption     = Sculpture of Akṣobhya from 890 CE, [[Bihar]], [[India]]
| sanskrit_name   = अक्षोभ्य
<br />Akṣobhya
 | burmese_name    =
 | chinese_name    = 阿閦佛
<br />([[Pinyin]]: ''Āchù Fó'')
 | japanese_name   = 阿閦如来
<br />([[romaji]]: ''Ashuku Nyorai'')
 | karen_name      =
 | khmer_name      = អសុភ្យ<br>(a-sop), <br> អសុភ្យពុទ្ធ
 | korean_name     = 아촉불
<br />([[Revised Romanization of Korean|RR]]: ''Achog Bul'')
 | mongolian_name  = ᠬᠥᠳᠡᠯᠦᠰᠢ ᠦᠭᠡᠢ<br />Хөдөлшгүй<br />[[SASM/GNC romanization|SASM/GNC]]: Ködelüsi ügei
 | okinawan_name   =
 | shan_name       =
 | thai_name       = พระอักโษภยพุทธะ
 | tibetan_name    = <big><big>མི་བསྐྱོད་པ་</big></big><br><small>Wylie: mi bskyod pa<br>THL: mikyöpa</small>
 | vietnamese_name =  A Súc Bệ Phật, Bất Động Phật
 | sinhalese_name  =
 | veneration      = [[Mahāyāna]], [[Vajrayāna]]
}}
[[File:Akshobhya.jpg|alt=Akshobhya|thumb|Akshobhya]]
[[File:蓮華院多宝塔のアシュク如来.jpg|thumb|[[Renge-in Tanjō-ji]]]]
[[File:华严寺大雄宝殿殿内明代西方阿弥陀佛造像组.jpg|thumb|Statue of Akṣobhya in [[Huayan Temple (Datong)| Huayan Temple]] in [[Shanxi]], [[China]], one out of a set depicting the [[Five Tathāgatas]]]]
{{Buddhism}}

'''Akshobhya''' ({{langx|sa|अक्षोभ्य}}, ''Akṣobhya'', "Immovable One"; {{CJKV|p=Āchùrúlái|t=阿閦如来|r=Ashuku Nyorai}}) is one of the [[Five Wisdom Buddhas]], a product of the [[Adibuddha]], who represents consciousness as an aspect of reality. By convention he is located in the east of the [[Diamond Realm]] and is the lord of the Eastern Pure Land [[Abhirati]] ('The Joyous'). His consort is Lochanā and he is normally accompanied by two elephants. His color is blue-black and his attributes include a bell, three robes, and staff, as well as a jewel, lotus, prayer wheel, and sword. He has several emanations.
[[File:'The Dhyani Buddha Akshobhya', Tibetan thangka, late 13th century, Honolulu Academy of Arts.jpg|thumb|'The Dhyani Buddha Akshobhya', Tibetan thangka, late 13th century, Honolulu Academy of Arts]]

==Textual history and doctrine==
Akshobhya appears in the [[Akṣobhyatathāgatasyavyūha Sūtra]] ({{lang-zh|t=阿閦佛國經|p=Āchùfó Guó Jīng|links=no}}), which was translated during the  second century CE and is among the oldest known Mahayana or Pure Land texts.<ref>Strauch, Ingo (2008). [https://www.academia.edu/25779968/The_Bajaur_collection_A_new_collection_of_Kharo%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADh%C4%AB_manuscripts_A_preliminary_catalogue_and_survey?email_work_card=title The Bajaur collection: A new collection of Kharoṣṭhī manuscripts – A preliminary catalogue and survey]</ref> According to the scripture, a monk wished to practice the [[Dharma]] in the eastern world of delight and made a vow not to harbor anger or malice towards any being until he achieved [[enlightenment (Buddhism)|enlightenment]]. He duly proved "immovable" and when he succeeded, he became the [[Buddhahood|buddha]] Akshobhya. Recently, newly discovered [[Gāndhārī language|Gāndhārī]] texts from Pakistan in the [[Gandhāran Buddhist texts#The Bajaur Collection|Bajaur Collection]] have been found to contain fragments of an early Mahāyāna sutra mentioning Akshobhya. Preliminary dating through paleography suggests a late 1st century to early 2nd century CE provenance. More conclusive radiocarbon dating is under way. A preliminary report on these texts has been issued by Ingo Strauch, with a paper on Akshobhya texts published in 2010.<ref>Strauch, Ingo (2010). ''More missing pieces of Early Pure Land Buddhism: New evidence for Akṣobhya and Abhirati in an early Mahāyāna sūtra from Gandhāra;'' Eastern Buddhist 41, 23-66.</ref>

In the [[Shurangama Mantra|Śūraṅgama mantra]] ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 楞嚴咒; [[pinyin]]: ''Léngyán Zhòu'') taught in the [[Śūraṅgama Sūtra|Śūraṅgama sutra]] ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 楞嚴經; [[pinyin]]: ''Léngyán Jīng''), an especially influential [[dharani]] in the [[Chan Buddhism|Chinese Chan tradition]], Akshobhya is mentioned to be the host of the Vajra Division in the East, one of the five major divisions which controls the vast demon armies of the five directions.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Śūraṅgama sūtra : a new translation|date=2009|publisher=Buddhist Text Translation Society|others=Hsüan Hua, Buddhist Text Translation Society|isbn=978-0-88139-962-2|location=Ukiah, Calif.|oclc=300721049}}</ref>

Akshobhya is sometimes merged with [[Acala]], whose name also means "immovable" in Sanskrit. Prior to the advent of [[Bhaiṣajyaguru]], Akshobhya was the subject of a minor cult in Japan as a healing Buddha, though both are currently venerated within [[Shingon Buddhism]].{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

==Iconography==
Akshobhya is the embodiment of 'mirror knowledge' ({{langx|sa|{{IAST|ādarśa-jñāna}}}}; refer [[Panchajnana]]). This may be described as a knowledge of what is real, and what is illusion, or a mere reflection of actual reality. The mirror may be likened to the mind itself. It is clear like the sky and empty, yet luminous. It holds all the images of space and time, yet it is untouched by them. Its brilliance illuminates the darkness of ignorance and its sharpness cuts through confusion. Akshobhya represents this eternal mind, and the Vajra family is similarly associated with it.

The [[Vajra]] family, is also associated with the element of water, hence the two colours of the Vajra being blue, like the depths of the ocean; or bright white, like sunlight reflecting off water. Even if the surface of the ocean is blown into crashing waves, the depths remain undisturbed, imperturbable. Although water may seem ethereal and weightless, in truth it is extremely heavy. Water flows into the lowest place and settles there. It carves through solid rock, but calmly, without violence. When frozen, it is hard, sharp, and clear like the intellect, but to reach its full potential, it must also be fluid and adaptable like a flowing river. These are all the essential qualities of Akshobhya.

Many wrathful, [[tantra|tantric]] beings are represented as blue in colour because they embody the transmuted energy of hatred and aggression into wisdom and [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]].

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

== General and cited references ==
* Jordan, Michael, ''Encyclopedia of Gods'', New York, Facts On File, Inc. 1993, pp.&nbsp;9–10
* Nattier, Jan (2000). [http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/jiabs/article/view/9167/3026 "The Realm of Aksobhya: A Missing Piece in the History of Pure Land Buddhism"]. Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 23 (1), 71–102.
* Sato, Naomi (2004). [https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ibk1952/52/2/52_2_937/_article Some Aspects of the Cult of Aksobhya in Mahayana], Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 52 (2), 18-23
* {{cite web|last=Strauch |first=Ingo |year=2008 |title=The Bajaur collection: A new collection of Kharoṣṭhī manuscripts. A preliminary catalogue and survey (in progress) |url=http://www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de/e/indologie/bajaur/publication/strauch_2008_1_1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003041954/http://www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de/e/indologie/bajaur/publication/strauch_2008_1_1.pdf |archive-date=2011-10-03 }}
* Vessantara, ''Meeting the Buddhas'', Windhorse Publications 2003, chapter 9

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090308000000/http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/5_dhyani_buddhas.html Symbolism of the five Dhyani Buddhas]
* [https://dharmaebooks.org/kagyu-monlam-book/ The Sutra of Akshobya Buddha]
* [https://kagyuoffice.org/akshobya/ The 17th His Holiness Gyalwang Karmapa taught about the Buddha Akshobya and his benefits and meanings (with the Dharani of Akshobhya Buddha)]

{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Chinese Buddhist Pantheon}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Buddhas]]

[[de:Adibuddha#Akshobhya]]