Ādi-Buddha,
among some sects of Mahāyāna Buddhism, the first, or self-existing, Buddha,
from whom are said to have evolved the five Dhyāni-Buddhas (see Dhyāni-Buddha). Though
the concept of an Ādi-Buddha was never generally popular, a few groups,
particularly in Nepal, Tibet, and Java, elevated Vairocana to the position of
Ādi-Buddha or named a new deity, such as Vajradhara or Vajrasattva, as the
supreme lord. The Ādi-Buddha is represented in painting and sculpture as a
crowned Buddha, dressed in princely garments and wearing the traditional
ornaments of a bodhisattva (“buddha-to-be”).
Encyclopedia
Britannica
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Adi-Buddha, or Adibuddha (Tibetan: Dang-po'i
sangs-rgyas), is the "Primordial Buddha." The term refers to a self-emanating, self-originating Buddha, present
before anything else existed. Samantabhadra/Samantabhadri and Vajradhara are the
best known names for Adi-Buddha, though there are others. Adi-Buddha is usually
depicted as dark blue.
The concept of Adi-Buddha is the closest to monotheism any form
of Buddhism comes. Even then, Adi-Buddha is recognized as the center of an
extended array of Peaceful and Wrathful Deities, which are considered
reflections of it. All famous sages and Bodhisattvas are said
to be reflections of Adi-Buddha, and many are identified as the
"personality" of it.
Adi-Buddha is better compared to the abstracted forces of Brahman, Ayn Sof or Arche rather than a personal creator God in the mold of Yahweh or Ishvara. Also,
Adi-Buddha is not said to be the creator, but the originator of all things.
Adi-Buddha is a deity in an Emanationist sense.
Names of Adi-Buddha
Though all Buddhist figures are said to be emanations of the Adi-Buddha,
certain Bodhisattvas are revered as its actual personality. This personality is
often referred to as Dharmakaya, or
"buddha-body of reality."
Samantabhadra/Samantabhadri
The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who, according to the Avatamsaka Sutra made ten
great vows, is revered as Adi-Buddha in the Nyingma school of Vajrayana, along with his consort Samantabhadri. The two are
usually depicted in union together in Tantric union. Samantabhadra is dark blue, while Samantabhadri is white. They
appear together as Adi-Buddha in the Bardo Thodol (Tibetan
Book of the Dead), at the center of the assembly of Peaceful Deities. Their
wrathful forms are Mahotta Heruka and Krodheshvari.
There is some confusion over whether or not the Adi-Buddha Samantabhadra
and the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra are in fact the same. Both appear as separate
figures in the Bardo Thodol.
Vajradhara
Vajradhara (Dorje Chang) is regarded as Adi-Buddha in the Gelug and
Kagyu schools. Vajradhara is also considered the Tantric form of Sakyamuni, the Great Sage of Humans. He also is depicted as dark blue in color.
His esoteric doctrines were said to have been handed down to Marpa Lotsawa.
Vairocana
In Mahayana Buddhism, Vairocana is interpreted as the Bliss Body of
Shakyamuni, and appears as such in the Avatamsaka Sutra. However, in the Vajrayana text the Mahavairocana
Tantra, Vairocana is depicted as the Adi-Buddha. The Mahavariocana Tantra is
the basis for Shingon Buddhism, the oldest esoteric school of Buddhist thought in Japan, where
Vairocana is called Dainchi Nyorai (大日如來). Francis Xavier used the word "Dainchi" for the Christian God when he met
with Shingon monks in the 16th Century. Upon learning that the word applied to
Vairocana, Xavier dropped it.
Other
Adi-Buddhas
Ati Yoga
Ati Yoga (or
Primordial Yoga), which is another name for the Tibetan tradition of Dzogchen, employs an Adi-Buddha sadhana, or practice. NB: Ati and Adi are different orthographic
representations of phonemes of the language of Uddiyana which equate to 'primordial' according to Chögyal Namkhai
Norbu.
In Hinduism
In Vaishnavism, the
term Adi-Buddha applies to original form of Shakyamuni as an avatar of Vishnu. Shakyamuni is included as
one of the ten avatars [1] See
also: Sugata Buddha
Wikipedia
Adi Buddha a
Buddhist deity, also referred to as Adinath (God, Creator, First Saviour) and
Swayambhu Lokanath (He who saves the world through self-incarnation) or
Swayambhu (Self-incarnated Lord). In Chinese Adi Buddha is called 'Pen-Chu-Fo'
or 'Seng-Chu-Fo' which means 'First Buddha' or 'Progenitor Lord'. In Tibetan he
is called 'Don Pohi-Sans-Ragyas' which means 'He is the Buddha of all Buddhas'
or 'Machog-Gi-Don Pohi Sansa-Ragyas' which means 'He is the self-incarnated
first Buddha' or 'Thogamahi-Sans-Ragyas' which means 'He is the first true
Buddha'.
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The Buddha did not
include the divine in his teachings. buddhism is
thus generally called an atheistic religion. The mahayana cult,
however, introduced the divine in the form of Adi Buddha. According to this
cult, Adi Buddha is the cause of creation, thunder, and of the void. He
is described as omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. The idea of Adi
Buddha is believed to have originated in Bengal, from where it spread to
other parts of India, Nepal and Tibet.
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The cult of Adi Buddha was at first accepted by the Kalachakrayana
group of the vajrayana sect belonging to the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. The principal temple
situated on the Swayambhu Mountain near Kathmandu has been consecrated to Adi
Buddha. According to a legend narrated in Swayambhupurana, Adi Buddha
was first manifested in the shape of a flame. Buddhist creation myths describe
how Adi Buddha created the Avalokiteshvar, Maheshvar, Brahma, Narayan,
Saraswati, the moon, the sun, the wind, the earth, and the ocean.
Adi Buddha is considered to be the incarnate symbol of the void and the
possessor of five kinds of virtue from which five kinds of meditation
originated. From these meditations the five medidating Buddhas appeared. When
Adi Buddha is represented in human form, he is called Vajradhar.
Representations of Adi Buddha Vajradhar show him in a seated position, with his
legs crossed in a meditative vajrasan or in the sitting posture known as
vajraparyanka.
With his bodhisattva crown,
fine dress and jewels, the deity looks like an Indian prince. His two hands are
folded across his chest. He holds a lightning bolt in his right hand and a bell
in the left.
Vajradhar has also been represented as a pair, especially when he is
paired with power. This power of Vajradhar is named 'prajnaparamita'. These
single and paired images have been variously explained. For example, the single
image symbolizes the void, while the paired image symbolizes enlightened
intellect; one is the living soul, the other is the eternal soul, etc. [Bhikhhu Sunithananda]
Undoubtedly the universal
Buddha (ADI BUDDHA) of the Kalachakra Tantra exhibits all the
characteristics of a universal god, a world ruler (pantocrat), a messiah
(savior) and a creator; he undoubtedly possesses monotheistic traits.
The idea of an
omnipotent divine being, many of whose characteristics match the Near East
concept of a creator god, was already accepted in Mahayana Buddhism and
was taken up from there by the early tantras (fourth century C.E.). It first
found its maturity and final formulation in the Kalachakra teachings
(tenth century). Many western researchers are led by the monotheistic traits of
the ADI BUDDHA to suspect non-Buddhist, primarily Near Eastern influences here.
Convincing references to Iranian sources have been made.
Samantabhadra
[Universal Kindness]
Samantabhadra is regarded as Adi-Buddha and as first Dhyani -
Bodhisattva
Among the ancient Northern Buddhist sects and the unreformed Lamaist
sects in Tibet, SAMANTABHADRA was looked upon as Highest Intelligence, a
primordial Buddha, or Adi-Buddha. He is figured seated with the legs locked;
but unlike the other representations of Adi-Buddha, he has neither crown nor
ornaments, and in his esoteric form was represented nude in blue color
embracing his Sakti [consort] in white color.
An Adi-Buddha infinite, omniscient, self-existing, without beginning and
without end, the source and originator of all things, who by virtue of five
sorts of wisdom [jnana] and by the exercise of five meditations [dhyana]
evolved five Dhyani Buddhas. When this Adi-Buddha is represented with his
female energy, he is called Yogambara and the sakti Digambara [Jnanesvari].
Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Adi-Buddha, the primordial and
highest being, created the Dhyani Buddhas by his meditative powers.
The Five Dhyani Buddhas are celestial Buddhas visualized during
meditation. The word Dhyani is derived from the Sanskrit dhyana, meaning
"meditation." The Dhyani Buddhas are also called Jinas
("Victors" or "Conquerors") and are considered to be great
healers of the mind and soul. They are not historical figures, like Gautama
Buddha, but transcendent beings who symbolize universal divine principles or
forces. They represent various aspects of the enlightened consciousness and are
guides to spiritual transformation.
Each Dhyani Buddha is associated with certain attributes and symbols.
Each one embodies one of the five wisdoms, which antidote the five deadly
poisons that are of ultimate danger to man's spiritual progress and keep him
tied to worldly existence. Buddhists teach that the Dhyani Buddhas are able
transmute the five poisons into their transcendent wisdoms. The Tibetan Book of
the Dead recommends that the devote meditate on the Dhyani Buddhas so that
their wisdoms will replace the negative forces he has allowed to take hold
within.
Each Buddha rules over one of the directions of space al one of the
cosmic realms of ether, water, earth, fire and air. The Dhyani Buddhas also
personify the five skandhas, components that make up cosmic existence as well
as human personality. These components are consciousness, form, feeling,
perception and volition.
Vajradhara
Vajradhara (Sanskrit: वज्रदेहर Vajradhāra, Tibetan: རྡོ་རྗེ་སེམས་དཔའ།
rdo rje
'chang (Dorje Chang); Chinese: 多杰羌佛; Javanese: Kabajradharan;
Japanese: 執金剛神; English: Diamond-holder) is the
ultimate primordial Buddha, or Adi Buddha, according to the Gelug and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Vajradhara displaced Samantabhadra who
remains the 'Primordial Buddha' in the Nyingma, or 'Ancient School' and the Sakya school. However the two are metaphysically equivalent.
Achieving the 'state of vajradhara' is synonymous with complete realisation.
According to Kagyu Vajradhara, the primordial buddha, is the dharmakaya buddha,
depicted as dark blue in color, expressing the quintessence of buddhahood
itself and representing the essence of the historical Buddha's realization of
enlightenment.[1].
As such Vajradhara is thought to be the supreme essence of all (male) Buddhas (his name means the bearer of the thunderbolt).
It is the Tantric form of
Sakyamuni which is called Vajradhara. Tantras are texts specific to Tantrism and are believed to have been originally
taught by the Tantric form of Sakyamuni called Vajradhara. He is an expression
of Buddhahood itself in both single and yabyum form.[2].
Vajradhara is considered to be the prime Buddha of the Father tantras [3] (tib.
pha-rgyud) such as Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, and so
on [4].
From the primordial Vajradhara/Samantabhadra were manifested the Five Wisdom
Buddhas (Dhyani Buddhas):
Vajradhara and Samantabhadra are cognate deities in Tibetan Buddhist cosmology with different names, attributes, appearances and iconography. Both are
Dharmakaya Buddhas,
that is primordial Buddhas, where Samantabhadra is unadorned, that is depicted
without any attributes. Conversely, Vajradhara is often adorned and bears
attributes, which is generally the iconographic representation of a Sambhogakaya Buddha.
Both Vajradhara and Samantabhadra are generally depicted in yab-yum unity with their respective consorts and are primordial buddhas,
embodying void and ultimate emptiness.
Dharmakaya as part of the
Trikaya
The Trikaya doctrine (Sanskrit, literally "Three bodies or personalities"; 三身 Chinese: Sānshén,
Japanese: sanjin) is an important Buddhist teaching both on the nature of
reality, and what a Buddha is. By the 4th century CE the Trikaya Doctrine had
assumed the form that we now know. Briefly the doctrine says that a Buddha has
three kayas or bodies: the nirmanakaya or created
body which manifests in time and space; the sambhogakaya or body
of mutual enjoyment which is an archetypal manifestation; and the Dharmakaya or reality
body which embodies the very principle of enlightenment and knows no limits
or boundaries.[5] In the
view of Anuyoga, the 'Mindstream'
(Sanksrit: citta santana) is the 'continuity' (Sanskrit: santana;
Wylie: rgyud) that links the Trikaya.[5] The
Trikaya, as a triune, is symbolised by the Gankyil.
Literature
'Shining Relics
of Enlightened Body' (Tibetan: སྐུ་གདུང་འབར་བ; Wylie: sku gdung 'bar ba) is numbered amongst the 'Seventeen Tantras of Menngagde' (Tibetan: མན་ངག་སྡེའི་རྒྱུད་བཅུ་བདུན; Wylie: man ngag sde'i rgyud bcu bdun) within Dzogchen discourse and is part of the textual support for the Vima Nyingtik. In the
Dzogchen tantric text rendered in English as "Shining Relics" (Tibetan: སྐུ་གདུང་འབར་བ; Wylie: sku gdung 'bar ba), an enlightened personality entitled Buddha
Vajradhara and a Dakini whose name may be rendered into English as "Clear
mind" engage in discourse and dialogue which is a common convention in
such esoteric Buddhist literature and tantric literature in general.[6]
Vajradhara (Sanskrit: वज्रदेहर Vajradhāra, Tibetan: རྡོ་རྗེ་སེམས་དཔའ།
rdo rje
'chang (Dorje Chang); Chinese: 多杰羌佛; Javanese: Kabajradharan;
Japanese: 執金剛神; English: Diamond-holder) is the
ultimate primordial Buddha, or Adi Buddha, according to the Gelug and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Vajradhara displaced Samantabhadra who
remains the 'Primordial Buddha' in the Nyingma, or 'Ancient School' and the Sakya school. However the two are metaphysically equivalent. Achieving
the 'state of vajradhara' is synonymous with complete realisation.
According to Kagyu Vajradhara, the primordial buddha, is the dharmakaya buddha,
depicted as dark blue in color, expressing the quintessence of buddhahood
itself and representing the essence of the historical Buddha's realization of
enlightenment.[1].
As such Vajradhara is thought to be the supreme essence of all (male) Buddhas (his name means the bearer of the thunderbolt).
It is the Tantric form of
Sakyamuni which is called Vajradhara. Tantras are texts specific to Tantrism and are believed to have been originally
taught by the Tantric form of Sakyamuni called Vajradhara. He is an expression
of Buddhahood itself in both single and yabyum form.[2].
Vajradhara is considered to be the prime Buddha of the Father tantras [3] (tib.
pha-rgyud) such as Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, and so
on [4].
From the primordial Vajradhara/Samantabhadra were manifested the Five Wisdom
Buddhas (Dhyani Buddhas):
Vajradhara and Samantabhadra are cognate deities in Tibetan Buddhist cosmology with different names, attributes, appearances and iconography. Both are
Dharmakaya Buddhas,
that is primordial Buddhas, where Samantabhadra is unadorned, that is depicted
without any attributes. Conversely, Vajradhara is often adorned and bears
attributes, which is generally the iconographic representation of a Sambhogakaya Buddha.
Both Vajradhara and Samantabhadra are generally depicted in yab-yum unity with their respective consorts and are primordial buddhas,
embodying void and ultimate emptiness.
Notes
5.
^ a b Welwood,
John (2000). The Play of the Mind: Form, Emptiness, and Beyond. Source: http://www.purifymind.com/PlayMind.htm (accessed: Saturday January 13, 2007)
6.
^ Martin, Dan (1994).
'Pearls from Bones: Relics, Chortens, Tertons and the Signs of Saintly Death in
Tibet'. Numen, Vol. 41, No. 3. (Sep., 1994),
p.274.
Wikipedia
Among the many endowments with which Nepal Mandala is blessed, few are
more significant than its Buddhist heritage. The closely packed Viharas
distinguishing the townscapes, the glittering Stupas add lustre, and the glory
of stone sculptures is everywhere. Bronzes, paintings, and manuscripts on
Buddhist themes have spread the Valley's name far afield. But it is perhaps of
great significance that here alone Mahayana Buddhism has survived as a living
tradition. The Kathmandu Valley is not an immense museum of Buddhist antiques,
but it is unique oasis of surviving Mahayana Buddhist doctrine, cultural
practices and colorful festivals. These opening remarks of Mary Shepherd
Slusser in Nepal Mandala, vol. 1, chapter 10, need no commentary as her sharp
observation with academic understanding is a well established factor among the
Nepalese Buddhism-scholars. Buddhism in the Valley, is believed to have
influence people from the Buddha's time as there is ample evidence of Ananda's,
the dearest disciple of the Buddha, visit of the Valley. But the traditional
Buddhists believe that this Valley-a big lake in the pre-historic time was
chosen by the Adi-Buddha-the Primordial or the Self-existent Buddha- who had
revealed himself in the form of a flame issuing out of a lotus (Swayambhu
Purana-a Buddhist chronicle- supports this belief). This Adi Buddha concept was
conceived by Vajrayana-tantric sect in Mahayana- as an afterthought to five
Dhyani Buddhas (meditating Buddhas). But he was accepted as the progenitor of
the five Dhyani Buddhas and their families. In Nepal he is worshipped as
Swayambhu-unborn or self-created- and the main stupa in Kathmandu is devoted to
him.
Originally, since there were no divinities in Buddhism, there were no
objects of worship, but during Hinayani phase the symbolic stupa, foot-prints,
empty throne, bodhi tree, and the Dharma chakra filled this void and, at
length, the image of Buddha himself-the credit for image cut goes to Mathura
Art School of India, started most probably during the 1st century B. C. and 1st
century A. D. As time went on, the orthodox Mahayana was superseded by more
humane and liberal tantric aspect resulting in the powerful Vajrayana Buddhism
which swept the religion-culture scene of India since 7th century A. D. Because
of the free communications between India, Nepal and Tibet, this Vajrayana
spread in the same century with changes as in Tibet it accepted the native Bon
shamanism and the result was a powerful Lamaist tradition- hitherto maintained
with great respect. In Nepal it seemed to have accepted the local Shivite cult.
The rituals performed by the tantric Buddhist Priests of Nepal, Tibet and
Shingon sect of Japan are based on the same tantric texts. Anyway, from 7th
century onwards, we have ample evidence of this influential tantric Buddhism
flourishing in the Valley. Lord Buddha had revealed the path of Mantra- later
it was termed as Vajrayana- to his disciples having exceptional power as a
shorter path to achieve enlightenment of buddhahood in a single life-span.
If we place Buddha in his
unique time and culture in which he was raised, we will come to appreciate why
his teachings were not theo-centric. The hindu religious tradition in which
Buddha was born already had a very mature understanding of all pervading Brahma
(Divine). Buddha rephrased the absolute transcendence aspect of Brahma which is
non-describable, which is beyond word and called it the Ultimate Reality, the
Ultimate Goal, the Ultimate Void or Sunnyata. As a mystic Buddha very well knew
that the Ultimate Reality is beyond word; every attempt to describe that
Reality must come to fail, hence he maintained his silence on the direct
question of God. But in his teaching, the concept of Sunnyata, the Great Void
(Emptiness) is the pointer to That Which is Unspeakable….
In some major traditions of
Mahayana Buddhism (the Tathagatagarbha and Pure Land streams of teaching) there
is a notion of The Buddha as the Omnipresent, Omniscient, Liberative Essence of
Reality (not the historical Buddha, but The Buddha). The Buddha is
spoken of as generators of vast "pure lands", "Buddha
lands", or "Buddha paradises", in which beings will unfailingly
attain Nirvana.
The concept of Adi-Buddha
or Primordial Awakened One is present there in Buddhism which is also notion of
the Divine. The concept of Adi-buddha is from the Kalachakra (Cycle of Time)
teachings in Buddhism. As presented in the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya schools of
Tibetan Buddhism, Adi-buddha is beyond words, beyond concepts, unimaginable.
That exactly is the Transcendence attribute of the Divine, its just the
difference in terminology but in essence the concept of the Divine Reality is
there.
Shakyamuni Buddha was the first human being who was awakened to the
Dharma. Although we ordinary people can hardly grasp it, when we think of it in
the form of the Buddha who communicates to us and regards all of us with
compassion, we can form an image clearly in our minds. Through the image of the
Buddha, we can be aware of the loving power of the Dharma, which is the
life-force sustaining all of us.
For Buddhists, it is most natural to symbolize the Dharma with an image
of Shakyamuni Buddha, who appeared in the world and not only preached what
became Buddhism but was a living example of it. He is called the Eternal Buddha
Shakyamuni, Great Benevolent Teacher, the World-honored One. Rissho Kosei-kai
members express reverence before his image.
The Eternal Buddha is omnipresent in the universe and is the life-force
that sustains and guides everything-human beings, animals, plants, and all
other living and nonliving beings. To support and guide them, the Buddha
appears in various forms appropriate to the particular time and place for their
salvation by means suited to their capacity to understand his teachings.
Thus, the Eternal Buddha exists permanently everywhere from the infinite
past to the infinite future, ready to help and relieve all living beings in the
universe. He saves them in such a way that all can fully develop and manifest
all the good potential they have within themselves. Since the Eternal Buddha is
one with the truth of the universe, we have only to adjust the wavelength of
our minds to that of the Buddha, and the Buddha will then appear to us. In
other words, we become aware of the Buddha's calling us and working for us.
Il-Won (O) is the circular
symbol of the Dharmakaya Buddha and the Buddha Nature of all beings. In Won
Buddhism, the image of the human Buddha is replaced by Il-Won (O) which
represents the perfect nature of the Buddha’s heart and mind that is not
different from our original nature.
Master Sotaesan said,
"In our order, we enshrine Il-Won-Sang in the same way that Buddhists in the past have enshrined Buddha images. However, a Buddha image manifests the physical form of the Buddha, but Il-Won-Sang manifests the mind-essence of the Buddha. The physical form represents only his human form, but the mind-essence is vast and infinite, combining being and nonbeing and sustaining itself through the three times periods of past, present, and future. Hence, it is the original source of the myriad things in heaven and earth and the realm of Samadhi beyond all words and speech. Confucianism calls it the grand ultimate or the ultimate of nonbeing; Daoism calls it nature or the Way; Buddhism calls it the pure Dharmakaya Buddha. In principle, however, all of these are different expressions for the same thing."
Therefore Il-Won Symbol is like a picture of Buddha’s mind. Through the Il-Won symbol Master Sotaesan showed the world's essential Truth.
Eternal Buddha
The idea of an eternal
Buddha is a notion popularly associated with the Mahayana scripture, the Lotus Sutra, and is also
found in other Mahayana sutras.
The Eternal Buddha in the
Lotus Sutra and Other Mahayana Sutras
The Lotus Sutra portrays
the Buddha as indicating that he became awakened countless, immeasurable,
inconceivable myriads of trillions of aeons ("kalpas") ago and that
his lifetime is "forever existing and immortal". From the human
perspective, it seems as though the Buddha has always existed. The sutra
itself, however, does not directly employ the phrase "eternal
Buddha"; yet similar notions are found in other Mahayana scriptures,
notably the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which presents the Buddha as the ultimately real, eternal
("nitya"/ "śāśvata"), unchanging, blissful, pure Self (Atman) who, as the Dharmakaya, knows
of no beginning or end.
Commenting on this sutra, Dr. Guang Xing writes:
'One of the main themes of the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra is
that the Buddha is eternal, a theme very much in contrast with the Hinayana
idea that the Buddha departed for ever after his final nirvana. The Mahayanists
assert the eternity of the Buddha in two ways in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra.
They state that the Buddha is the dharmakaya, and hence eternal. Next,
they re-interpret the liberation of the Buddha as mahaparinirvana
possessing four attributes: eternity, happiness, self and purity. In other
words, according to the Mahayanists, the fact that the Buddha abides in the mahaparinirvana
means not that he has departed for ever, but that he perpetually abides in
intrinsic quiescence. The Buddha abiding in intrinsic quiescence is none other
than the dharmakaya ... This dharmakaya is the real
Buddha. It is on this doctrinal foundation that the Mahaparinirvana Sutra
declares:"the dharmakaya has [the attributes of] eternity (nitya),
happiness (sukha), self (atman) and purity (subha) and is
perpetually free from birth, old age, sickness, death and all other sufferings ...
It exists eternally without change ..."'[1]
The All-Creating King Tantra additionally contains a panentheistic vision
of Samantabhadra Buddha as the eternal, primordial Buddha, the Awakened Mind of
bodhi, who declares: "From
the primordial, I am the Buddhas of the three times [i.e. past, present and
future]."
The Eternal Buddha in Shin
Buddhism
In Shin Buddhism, Amida Buddha is viewed as the eternal Buddha who manifested as Shakyamuni in
India and who is the personification of Nirvana itself. The Shin Buddhist
priest, John Paraskevopoulos, in his monograph on Shin Buddhism, writes:
'In Shin Buddhism, Nirvana or Ultimate Reality (also known as the
"Dharma-Body" or Dharmakaya in the original Sanskrit) has
assumed a more concrete form as (a) the Buddha of Infinite Light (Amitabha)
and Infinite Life (Amitayus)and (b) the "Pure Land" or
"Land of Utmost Bliss" (Sukhavati), the realm over which this
Buddha is said to preside ... Amida is the Eternal Buddha who is said to have
taken form as Shakyamuni and his teachings in order to become known to us in
ways we can readily comprehend.'[2]
John Paraskevopoulos elucidates the notion of Nirvana, of which Amida is
an embodiment, in the following terms:
'... [Nirvana's] more positive connotation is that of a higher state of
being, the dispelling of illusion and the corresponding joy of liberation. An
early Buddhist scripture describes Nirvana as: ... the far shore, the subtle,
the very difficult to see, the undisintegrating, the unmanifest, the peaceful,
the deathless, the sublime, the auspicious, the secure, the destruction of
craving, the wonderful, the amazing, the unailing, the unafflicted, dispassion,
purity, freedom, the island, the shelter, the asylum, the refuge ... (Samyutta
Nikaya)'[3]
This Nirvana is seen as eternal and of one nature, indeed as the essence
of all things. Paraskevopoulos tells of how the Mahaparinirvana Sutra
speaks of Nirvana as eternal, pure, blissful and true self:
'In Mahayana Buddhism it is taught that there is fundamentally one
reality which, in its highest and purest dimension, is experienced as Nirvana.
It is also known, as we have seen, as the Dharma-Body (considered as the
ultimate form of Being) or "Suchness" (Tathata in Sanskrit)
when viewed as the essence of all things ... "The Dharma-Body is eternity,
bliss, true self and purity. It is forever free of all birth, ageing, sickness
and death" (Nirvana Sutra)'[4]
To attain this Self, however, it is needful to transcend the 'small
self' and its pettiness with the help of an 'external' agency, Amida Buddha.
This is the view promulgated by the Jodo Shinshu founding
Buddhist master, Shinran Shonin. John Paraskevopoulos comments on this:
'Shinran's great insight was that we cannot conquer the self by the
self. Some kind of external agency is required: (a) to help us to shed light on
our ego as it really is in all its petty and baneful guises; and (b) to enable
us to subdue the small 'self' with a view to realising the Great Self by
awakening to Amida's light.'[5]
When that Great Self of Amida's light is realised, Shin Buddhism is able
to see the Infinite which transcends the care-worn mundane. John
Paraskevopoulos concludes his monograph on Shin Buddhism thus:
'It is time we discarded the tired view of Buddhism as a dry and
forensic rationalism , lacking in warmth and devotion ... By hearing the call
of Amida Buddha we become awakened to true reality and its unfathomable working
... to live a life that dances jubilantly in the resplendent light of the
Infinite.'[6]
Sources
- The Threefold Lotus Sutra (Kosei Publishing, Tokyo 1975), tr. by B.
Kato, Y. Tamura, and K. Miyasaka, revised by W. Soothill, W. Schiffer, and
P. Del Campana
- The Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra (Nirvana Publications, London, 1999-2000),
tr. by K. Yamamoto, ed. and revised by Dr. Tony Page
- The Sovereign All-Creating Mind: The Motherly
Buddha (Sri Satguru
Publications, Delhi 1992), tr. by E.K. Neumaier-Dargyay
- Access to Insight
Wikipedia
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