Vol. 37 No. 2 - Elizabeth Clare Prophet - January 9, 1994
The Buddhas in Winter
2
Introduction to the Five Dhyani Buddhas
and Their Mandala
To the initiate, the mandala of the Five Dhyani Buddhas is at once a cosmic diagram of the world and of himself. It is a tool for spiritual growth and mystical experience—a map to enlightenment alive with divine possibilities.
The Five Dhyani Buddhas:
Guides to Spiritual Transformation
The names of the Five Dhyani Buddhas are Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Amogasiddhi. 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 whom we visualize during meditation. The word Dhyani is derived from the Sanskrit dhyana, meaning “meditation.” The Dhyani Buddhas are also called Jinas (“Victors” or “Conquerors”). They are not historical figures, like Gautama Buddha, but transcendent beings who symbolize universal divine principles or forces. The Dhyani Buddhas represent various aspects of the enlightened consciousness and are great healers of the mind and soul. They are our guides to spiritual transformation.
Traditionally, 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 to transmute the five poisons into their transcendent wisdoms. The Tibetan Book of the Dead recommends that the devotee 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 and 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.
In addition, each Dhyani Buddha is associated with a specific color, mudra (hand gesture), symbolic animal that supports his throne, sacred symbol and bija (seed syllable). The bija represents the essence of the Dhyani Buddha. You can use it with the sacred syllable Om and the Buddha’s name to create a mantra. A mantra is defined as a series of mystic syllables that have an esoteric meaning. In Hinduism and Buddhism, disciples recite mantras to evoke the power and presence of a divine being. In some traditions, devotees use mantras in meditation to help them become one with the deity they are invoking.
“By repeating the mantra and assuming the mudra of any Buddha,” writes Buddhist monk and teacher Sangharakshita, “one can not only place oneself in correspondence or alignment with the particular order of reality which he personifies but also be infused with its transcendental power.” <1>
Mandalas: Maps to Mystic Union
Buddhists often depict the Dhyani Buddhas in a mandala. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning “circle,” translated in Tibetan texts as “center” or “what surrounds.” Some say the word derives from manda, meaning “essence.” The mandala as a circle denotes wholeness, completeness and the perfection of Buddhahood. The mandala is also a “circle of friends”—a gathering of Buddhas. Traditionally mandalas are painted on thangkas (scroll paintings framed in silk), drawn with colored sand, represented by heaps of rice, or constructed three-dimensionally, often in cast metal.
A Dhyani Buddha is positioned in the center as well as on each of the cardinal points of the mandala. Mandalas were originally composed on the ground in front of the meditator and are therefore oriented toward the person who is contemplating them. The point nearest the contemplator, at the bottom of the mandala, is the east. The mandala continues clockwise, following the course of the sun, with south to the left of the contemplator, west at the top and north to the right.
Lama Anagarika Govinda, one of the foremost interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism to the West, explains: “In the same way as the sun rises in the east and thus begins the day, the practitioner enters the mandala through the eastern gate, the door in front of which he sits.” <2>
A mandala is a sacred, consecrated space where no obstacles, impurities or distracting influences exist. Buddhists use it as an aid in meditation and visualization. “All mandalas,” writes Tibetologist Detlef Lauf, “originate from the seed-syllables, or bija-mantras, of the deities. During meditation upon these mantras, an elemental radiance of light develops, from which comes the image of the Buddhas.” <3>
Mandalas are rich in symbolism. The series of circles on the periphery of a mandala symbolizes protection from external influences. The outermost circle of flames signifies knowledge that destroys ignorance or symbolizes the phenomenal world the devotee abandons as he enters the mandala. The flames can also represent the Mountain of Fire that prohibits the uninitiated from receiving the mysteries. The ring of lotus petals inside the circle of fire signifies the spiritual world, spiritual rebirth, the unfolding of spiritual vision, or the purity of heart that is necessary for effective meditation.
The central part of a mandala (signified by the square inside the circle) represents a palace or temple with four gates at the four cardinal points. Outside the palace walls, mandalas often show propitious and victorious symbols, such as the Eight Auspicious Symbols. These eight symbols commemorate the gifts Gautama Buddha received after he attained enlightenment. They are the precious parasol, banner of victory, golden wheel of the Teaching, white conch shell, two golden fish, knot of eternity, vase of great treasures and lotus flower. Buddhists believe these symbols bring good fortune.
The four gates of the palace lead to the innermost circle, the focus of the mandala. “Mandalas appear as circles around a holy center,” write authors Blanche Olschak and Geshe Thupten Wangyal. “These depictions are the ground plan of the visionary heavenly abodes, at whose center is manifested the holy power that is to be invoked. The entire mandala is a fortress built around this Buddha-force.” <4> In his meditation the disciple circles the focus at the center of the mandala until he can finally integrate with that powerful nucleus.
The disciple uses the mandala to find its elements within himself. “As soon as he has entered the mandala,” writes religious historian Mircea Eliade, “he is in a sacred space, outside of time; the gods have already ‘descended’ into the...insignia. A series of meditations, for which the disciple has been prepared in advance, help him to find the gods in his own heart. In a vision, he sees them all emerge and spring from his heart; they fill cosmic space, then are reabsorbed in him....By mentally entering the mandala the yogi approaches his own ‘center.’...The yogi, starting from this iconographic ‘support,’ can find the mandala in his own body.” <5>
Thus with all its symbolism, a mandala is no mere external image of heavenly power. Buddhists believe a mandala is the receptacle of the holy power it portrays. Its purpose, and the goal of every one of its symbolic images, is to help the meditator realize the divine power within himself and achieve his own inner perfection.
“The whole external mandala is a model of that spiritual pattern which the meditating individual sees within himself and which he must endeavour to experience in his own consciousness,” says Lauf. “[The Dhyani] Buddhas are looked upon as beings whose activity will manifest itself through man himself. The mandala thus becomes a cosmic plan in which man and the world are similarly ordered and structured....The meditation Buddhas develop their beneficial activity only in the measure to which the initiate succeeds in recognizing and realizing these characteristics and symbolized forces within himself.” <6>
As renowned orientalist Giuseppe Tucci explains, “The five Buddhas do not remain remote divine forms in distant heavens, but descend into us. I am the cosmos and the Buddhas are in myself. In me is the cosmic light, a mysterious presence, even if it be obscured by error. But these five Buddhas are nevertheless in me, they are the five constituents of the human personality.” <7>
The Dalai Lama teaches: “Mandala, in general, means that which extracts the essence....The main meaning [of a mandala] is for oneself to enter into the mandala and extract an essence in the sense of receiving blessing. It is a place of gaining magnificence.” <8>
For the disciple who knows how to use it, a mandala is therefore a map of the progressive steps to self-transformation and mystic union. It represents the growth of the seed of Buddhahood within him. “The meditator,” says Lama Govinda, “must imagine himself in the center of the mandala as an embodiment of the divine figure of perfect Buddhahood.” And that Buddhahood, he says, “can only be found in the realization of all those qualities which, taken all together, form the richness of the mandala.” <9>
The Sacred Art of Tibet: Bringing Heaven to Earth
Some of the most remarkable sculptures of the Five Dhyani Buddhas were created by Tibetan artists during the thirteenth to early fifteenth centuries. Because the Dhyani Buddhas are celestial not historical beings, they are often portrayed with jewels and a crown rather than the simple robes of a Buddha.
To the Tibetan, creating a work of art is a religious act. At each stage, the artist or a monk or lama offers certain prayers and rituals. He will often place scrolls of religious texts, votive offerings and grains inside statues. When the work is completed, the monk or lama performs a ceremony of consecration.
Tibetans use art as a method of bringing heaven to earth and raising man out of his earthly confines to a realm of peace and harmony. They believe that a statue of a Buddha, for instance, is the living presence of that Buddha, who becomes one with his icon.
Tibetan sculptures of the Dhyani Buddhas convey both elegance and power. This is the singular character, charm and mission of Tibetan sacred art. The real is wed to the transcendent. Grace and purity are fused with vitality and power. Careful detail and precision are united with spontaneity. The result is that the otherworldliness and perfection of enlightened realms comes through with an immediacy that inspires the observer to realize his own divine potential.
Vairochana
The name Vairochana means “He Who Is Like the Sun” or “the Radiating One.” Vairochana represents either the integration of or the origin of the Dhyani Buddhas. His wisdom is the Wisdom of the Dharmadhatu. The Dharmadhatu is the Realm of Truth, in which all things exist as they really are.
Vairochana’s wisdom is also referred to as the All-Pervading Wisdom of the Dharmakaya. The Dharmakaya is the Body of the Law, or the absolute Buddha nature. The Dharmakaya is the term for the Causal Body, which is the Body of First Cause, the Body of the Law and the Body of the Buddha nature.
Vairochana’s transcendent wisdom reveals the realm of highest reality and overcomes the poison of ignorance, or delusion. His wisdom is considered to be the origin of or the total of all the wisdoms of the Dhyani Buddhas.
Vairochana is usually located in the center of the mandalas of the Dhyani Buddhas. According to some texts, he is positioned in the east. His color is white (or blue), symbolizing a pure consciousness. He rules over the element of ether and embodies the skandha of consciousness. In some systems, he is associated with the skandha of form.
His symbol is the dharmachakra, the wheel of the Teaching, or the wheel of the Law. The wheel denotes the teaching of the Buddha. Its eight spokes represent the Noble Eightfold Path, which Gautama revealed in his first sermon after his enlightenment. Vairochana’s lotus throne is supported by the lion, symbol of courage, boldness and an eager, advancing spirit.
Vairochana’s mudra is the dharmachakra mudra. It is the gesture of teaching, which is defined as turning the wheel of the Law. (There are many variations of this mudra. One form Tibetans use is to hold both hands at the level of the heart. The right palm faces outward and the left palm faces inward. One circle is formed by the thumb and index finger of the right hand and a second circle is formed by the thumb and index finger of the left hand. The two circles touch at the tips of the thumbs and index fingers.)
Because he embodies the wisdom of all Buddhas, Vairochana’s bija is the universal sound Om. His mantra is Om Vairochana Om.
Akshobhya
The name Akshobhya means “Immovable” or “Unshakable.” Akshobhya’s Mirrorlike Wisdom reflects all things calmly and uncritically and reveals their true nature. One text says, “Just as one sees one’s own reflection in a mirror, so the Dharmakaya is seen in the Mirror of Wisdom.” <10> Mirrorlike Wisdom antidotes the poison of hatred and anger.
In the mandala of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, Akshobhya is usually positioned to the east (which is at the bottom) but he is sometimes placed in the center. His color is blue. He rules over the element of water and personifies the component of form. In some systems, Akshobhya is associated with the skandha of consciousness. His lotus throne is supported by the elephant, symbol of steadfastness and strength.
His symbol is the vajra, also called thunderbolt or diamond scepter. The vajra denotes enlightenment, the indestructible, adamantine nature of pure consciousness, or the essence of Reality. In some traditions, the vajra signifies the union of man and the Buddha; one end of the vajra symbolizes the macrocosmic realm of the Buddha and the other end the microcosmic realm of man.
Akshobhya’s mudra is the bhumisparsha mudra. It is the earth-touching gesture and denotes unshakability. (The fingertips of the right hand touch the ground or hang over the right knee, with the palm turned inward.) This is the mudra Gautama Buddha used to summon the earth to witness to his right to attain enlightenment when he was challenged by the Evil One, Mara.
Akshobhya’s paradise is Abhirati, the Land of Exceeding Great Delight. Buddhists believe that whoever is reborn there cannot fall back to a lower level of consciousness. Akshobhya’s bija is Hum and his mantra is Om Akshobhya Hum.
Ratnasambhava
The name Ratnasambhava means “the Jewel-born One” or “Origin of Jewels.” The Three Jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. The Buddha is the Enlightened One, the Guru, the hub of the wheel of the Law. The Dharma is the Teaching, or the Law, and the Sangha is the Community.
Ratnasambhava transmutes the poison of spiritual, intellectual and human pride into the Wisdom of Equality. Tibetan Buddhists teach that with the Wisdom of Equality one sees all things with divine impartiality and recognizes the divine equality of all beings. One sees all beings and the Buddha as having the same nature. This is a condition we need, says Tucci, “to spur our spiritual ascension and to acquire the trust to realize in ourselves the status of a Buddha.” <11>
Ratnasambhava is the Dhyani Buddha of the south. His color is yellow, the color of the sun in its zenith. He rules over the element of earth and embodies the skandha of feeling or sensation. Ratnasambhava is sometimes shown holding his symbol, the ratna (jewel) or chintamani (wish-fulfilling jewel that grants all right desires). The chintamani is a symbol of the liberated mind. The ratna is often depicted in a threefold form as the triratna, signifying the union of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
The animal that upholds Ratnasambhava’s throne is the horse, denoting impetus and liberation. Ratnasambhava’s mudra is the varada mudra. It is the gesture of giving, or charity, which portrays him offering compassion and protection to his disciples. (The right palm faces outward and the fingers are directed downward.) His bija is Tram and his mantra is Om Ratnasambhava Tram.
Amitabha
The name Amitabha means “Infinite Light.” Amitabha’s Discriminating Wisdom conquers the poison of the passions—all cravings, covetousness, greed and lust. With this wisdom, the disciple discerns all beings separately yet knows every being as an individual expression of the One.
In the mandala of the Dhyani Buddhas, Amitabha is positioned to the west. His color is rose, the color of the setting sun. He rules over the element of fire and personifies the skandha of perception. Thus, the eye and the faculty of seeing are associated with Amitabha. The peacock, with “eyes” on its plumes, is his throne-bearer. The peacock symbolizes grace.
Amitabha’s symbol is the padma, or lotus. In Buddhism, the lotus can symbolize many things, including spiritual unfoldment, purity, the true nature of beings realized through enlightenment, and compassion, the purified form of passion.
Devotees aspire to be reborn in Amitabha’s Western Paradise, known as Sukhavati, where conditions are ideal for attaining enlightenment. His mudra is the dhyana (meditation) mudra. (Hands rest in the lap, palms up, with the right hand on top of the left.) Amitabha’s bija is Hrih and his mantra is Om Amitabha Hrih.
Some consider Amitabha to be synonymous with Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life. Others honor Amitayus as a form of Amitabha or as a separate Buddha. Amitayus is usually depicted holding a vessel of the elixir of immortal life. A tiny ashoka-tree often sprouts from the cover of his vessel, representing the union of the spiritual and the material.
Amoghasiddhi
The name Amoghasiddhi means “Almighty Conqueror” or “He Who Unerringly Achieves His Goal.” Amogasiddhi’s All-Accomplishing Wisdom, or Wisdom of Perfected Action, antidotes the poison of envy and jealousy. This wisdom confers perseverance, infallible judgment and unerring action.
Amoghasiddhi represents the practical realization of the wisdoms of the other Dhyani Buddhas. He is described as the Dhyani Buddha of the realization of the Bodhisattva Path. A Bodhisattva is one who has forgone the bliss of nirvana with a vow to first liberate all beings.
Amoghasiddhi is the Dhyani Buddha of the north. His color is green, signifying the sun at midnight. He rules over the element of air and embodies the skandha of volition, also called the skandha of mental phenomena or tendencies of mind. His symbol is the vishvavajra, or double vajra. It is made of two crossed vajras and symbolizes the highest comprehension of truth and the spiritual power of a Buddha.
The throne of Amoghasiddhi is supported by garudas. A garuda is a mythical figure, half man and half bird. In relation to Amoghasiddhi, Lama Govinda says the garuda symbolizes “man in transition towards a new dimension of consciousness,...the transition from the human to the superhuman state, which takes place in the mysterious darkness of the night, invisible to the eye.” <12>
Amoghasiddhi’s mudra is the abhaya mudra, the gesture of fearlessness and protection. (Right hand is raised to shoulder height with the palm turned outward and fingers upward.) Amoghasiddhi’s bija is Ah and his mantra is Om Amoghasiddhi Ah.
2. Lama Anagarika Govinda, Insights of a Himalayan Pilgrim (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1991), p. 128.
10. Indrabhuti, Jnanasiddhi, quoted in Govinda, Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism, p. 113.
12. Govinda, Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism, p. 262; Insights of a Himalayan Pilgrim, p. 84.
Mantras to the Five Dhyani Buddhas
and Vajrasattva
Om Vairochana Om!
Flood us with
the All-Pervading Wisdom of the Dharmakaya,
my Mighty I AM Presence.
By thy sacred fire consume in me
the poison of ignorance!
Om Akshobhya Hum!
Flood us with Mirrorlike Wisdom.
By thy sacred fire consume in me
the poison of all
anger and hate and hate creation!
Om Ratnasambhava Tram!
Flood us with the Wisdom of Equality.
By thy sacred fire consume in me
the poison of
spiritual, intellectual and human pride!
Om Amitabha Hrih!
Flood us with Discriminating Wisdom.
By thy sacred fire consume in me
the poison of the passions—
all cravings, covetousness, greed and lust!
Om Amoghasiddhi Ah!
Flood us with All-Accomplishing Wisdom,
the Wisdom of Perfected Action.
By thy sacred fire consume in me
the poison of envy and jealousy.
Om Vajrasattva Hum!
Flood us with the Wisdom
of the Diamond Will of God.
By thy sacred fire consume in me
the poison of non-Will and non-Being:
fear, doubt and non-belief in God, the Great Guru.
COME, VAIROCHANA! COME, AKSHOBHYA!
COME, RATNASAMBHAVA!
COME, AMITABHA! COME, AMOGHASIDDHI!
COME, VAJRASATTVA!
OM HUM TRAM HRIH AH HUM
OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Taken from Ashram Ritual 5, Sacred Ritual for Transport and Holy Work, in Ashram Notes by El Morya.
