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Akshobhya

This version was saved 13 years, 11 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by nathan.bosso@colorado.edu
on April 9, 2010 at 12:46:45 pm
 

Aksobhya

Akshobhya

"Immovable One"

Japanese: 阿閦如来 Ashuku nyorai

Chinese: 阿閦如来 āchùrúlái

Mongolian: Ködelüsi ügei

 

 

Overview

Akshobhya Buddha symbolizes the overcoming of passions such as anger. This buddha originates from the blue mantra "Hum" and when he became a Buddha he was given charge over over the eastern paradise Abhirati. Sankskrit for this land translates to the joyous, so it is the land of the joyous. It is believed that those who are reborn in this realm can never fall back to lower realms of consciousness. therefore it is said all believers should seek to follow and fulfill the vow of Akshobhya. Akshobhya's bija is Hum and his mantra is Om Akshobhya Hum.

 

 

http://www.manjushri.com/Buddha-List/Akshobhya.html

 

Origins

In at least one legend Akshobhya was a Bodhisattva that vowed to never give into anger or disgust towards anyone. This is how he received his name meaning the "immovable one." It is said he pursued enlightenment for an endlessly long amount of years and finally obtained it and along with it he obtained the Abhirati Paradise.

 

Pure Land

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The Five Wisdom Buddhas

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Iconography

Akshobhya is one of the five Dhayani buddhas, which are icons of the Mahayana Buddhism. Each icon represents the different stages of the path to spiritual enlightenment. Akshobhya is usually shown blue, but sometimes gold as well.  Akshobhya is most often portrayed with his right hand touching the earth.  Touching the earth is a symbol for using the earth as a witness to enlightenment. In his left hand he holds his eblem; a vajra which is the symbol of shunyata, or emptiness. All beings are unmanifested.

Akshobhya is known as the immovable one because he was immovable at keeping his vow which was to never feel anger or disgust at another being. Therefore, he is often used in meditation to overcome hatred and anger.  (http://buddhism.about.com/od/thetriyaka/ig/Five-Dhyani-Buddhas/Akshobhya-Buddha.htm)

 

Picture Analysis

Akshobhya is one of the five dhyani

buddhas (wisdom buddhas), along with Vairocana, Amitabha, Ratnasambhava, and Amoghasiddhi.

This depiction of the wisdom buddha, Akshobhya, shows him calling the earth as his witness by forming touching the earth mudra with is right hand. Through this stance, Akshobya, tells us that he is an Enlightened being and conveys his "Unmovable" reputation. Akshobya supposedly said that he would never give into hatred or anger. Interestingly enough, this image shows him as intimidating by his blue skin and holding a diamond in his left hand. This buddha is also commonly seen riding a blue elephant, but this image shows his skin being blue instead. His emphasis is on the significance of the presence and one's actions 'now' in order to cleanse one's past. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this ancient painting of Akshobhya, he is forming the earth mudra with his right hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this picture Akshobhya is sitting in a calm manner, he is painted in gold and has a smile on his face. His right had is extending out and touching the ground, this is his touching the earth mudra that he is known for. Akshobhya's left hand is on his lap facing upwards forming the mudra of meditation. Wearing a crown of gold and jewels, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, he also has on him different colored cloths draped around his body. With the legs folded in vajra posture which is normal in the form for meditation, he is sitting on top of a  multi-coloured lotus which is on top of two elephants on both sides of the lotus. on both sides of him by his arms there are elephants, snow lions, and naga's all on top of each other. The human figures on the sides are supposed to be Bodhisattva's displaying various mudra's. Above Akshobyha to the right and left of him, there are four more seated Bodhisattva's. There are 191 golden buddha's that are the surrounding pictures in this image.

 

 

 

 

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://dharmaflower.net/_buddha/_images/akshobhya.jpg&imgrefurl=http://dharmaflower.net/_buddha/akshobhya.aspx&usg=__QG1k9hVl_QU8HBjMml2RZzMp4Pw=&h=246&w=180&sz=30&hl=en&start=9&sig2=dD4SG4b9QM_5FFiFCeas-w&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=5nssLmIq5_ZOiM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=80&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dakshobhya%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Den-us%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=Wom7S8jaHZj6tAOInfS-BA

http://www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/373.html

 

 

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