This article is about the primordial Buddha Vairocana. For the Tibetan translator, please see Vairotsana This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Daibutsu of Todaiji, a Kegon Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. A representation of Vairocana.

According to the Buddhist Trikaya doctrine, Virocana is king of asura,Vairocana (also Vairochana or Mahavairocana; 大日如來 or 毘盧遮那佛 Chinese: Dàrì Rúlái or Piluzhenafo, Japanese: Dainichi Nyorai) is a Buddha who is the embodiment of Dharmakaya, and which therefore can be seen as the universal aspect of the historical Gautama Buddha. In the conception of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, Vairocana is at the center. The Vairocana statue in Nara's Todaiji is the largest bronze image of Vairocana Buddha in the world. The larger of the monumental statues that were destroyed at Bamyan in Afghanistan was also a depiction of Vairocana. Image File history File links The bronze Daibutsu of Todai temple in Nara is 16 meters high and weighs 500 tons. ... Image File history File links The bronze Daibutsu of Todai temple in Nara is 16 meters high and weighs 500 tons. ... Main hall of Tōdaiji Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. ... Kegon ([kegõɴ], or in some dialects, [keŋõɴ]) is the name of the Japanese transmission of the Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism, via the Korean Hwaeom tradition. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Nara ) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan, near Kyoto. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a life-enhancing system of psychology. ... 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. ... Media:Example. ... 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. ... Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ... In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Wisdom Buddhas (Jp. ... Nara ) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan, near Kyoto. ... Main hall of Tōdaiji Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. ... One of the Buddhas of Bamyan as it stood in 1963. ... Bamiyan province is one of the thirty_four provinces of Afghanistan. ...

Vairocana is the central figure of many early schools of Buddhism in Japan, including esoteric Shingon Buddhism and Kegon Buddhism. The doctrine of Vairocana Buddha is based largely on the teachings of the Mahavairocana Sutra. In addition, Vairocana is often tied to the Hua-Yen school of Buddhist philosophy that was prominent during the Tang Dynasty. Hua-Yen Buddhism strongly emphasized the importance of Emptiness and interdependent co-arising, and because Vairocana is seen as pervading all of existence, Vairocana is in-turn also associated with Emptiness. Shingon (真言宗) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and the most important school of Vajrayana Buddhism outside of the Himalayan region. ... Kegon ([kegõɴ], or in some dialects, [keŋõɴ]) is the name of the Japanese transmission of the Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism, via the Korean Hwaeom tradition. ... Huayan (華嚴, Pinyin: huáyán, Sanskrit: Avatamsaka) or Flower Garland is a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that flourished in China during the Tang period. ... The Tang Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: Tángcháo) (June 18, 618–June 4, 907), lasting about three centuries, followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Song Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ... Huayan (華嚴, Pinyin: huáyán, Sanskrit: Avatamsaka) or Flower Garland is a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that flourished in China during the Tang period. ... Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit, Pali: suññatā), or Emptiness, is a term for an aspect of the Buddhist metaphysical critique as well as Buddhist epistemology and phenomenology. ... Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit, Pali: suññatā), or Emptiness, is a term for an aspect of the Buddhist metaphysical critique as well as Buddhist epistemology and phenomenology. ...

Vairocana was gradually superseded as an object of reverence by Amitabha Buddha in Japan, but his legacy still remains in Shingon Buddhism and Todaiji temple with its massive bronze statue. Amitabha Buddha and his two acolytes, Mahasthamaprapta and Avalokitesvara Amitābha is a celestial Buddha described in the scriptures of Mahāyāna Buddhism. ... Shingon (真言宗) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and the most important school of Vajrayana Buddhism outside of the Himalayan region. ... Main hall of Tōdaiji Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. ...

Doctrine

In the Rigveda the word ‘vairocana' has the connotation of a brilliant and luminous sun. Indeed, Vairocana in Tibetan is called ‘Namnang' (rnang.par snang.mdzad), meaning ‘the illuminator'. The Rigveda (Sanskrit: , a tatpurusha compound of praise, verse and knowledge) is a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns dedicated to the gods. ... The Tibetan language is spoken primarily by the Tibetan people who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, as well as by large number of Tibetan refugees all over the world. ...

Vairocana often displays the Dharmacakra mudrā. Dharmacakra in Sanskrit means the Wheel of Dharma. This mudra symbolizes one of the most important moments in the historical life of the Buddha, the occasion when he preached to his companions the first sermon after his Enlightenment in the Deer Park at Sarnath. It thus denotes the setting into motion of the Wheel of the teaching of the Dharma. A statue of Gautama Buddha showing a dharmacakra mudra In Hinduism, a mudra (Sanskrit, literally seal; 印相 inzō in Japanese) is a symbolic gesture made with the hand or fingers. ... The Dharmacakra (Sanskrit) or Dhammacakka (Pāli), Tibetan , Chinese fălún 法轮, Wheel of Dharma is an auspicious Buddhist symbol representing a Buddhas teaching of the path to enlightenment. ... The Sanskrit language ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. ... Dharma (Sanskrit धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli) means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. ...

Vairocana is an idealization of this central function of the Buddha as a teacher, without which there would have been no Buddhism, and no path to enlightenment. While Amitabha Buddha is seen as a personification of Compassion (balanced by Wisdom), Vairocana is often seen as a personification of Wisdom. Amitabha Buddha and his two acolytes, Mahasthamaprapta and Avalokitesvara Amitābha is a celestial Buddha described in the scriptures of Mahāyāna Buddhism. ...

Iconography

Another image of the Daibutsu of Todaiji, in Nara, Japan.

Significantly, Vairocana is said to be the sum of all the Dhyani Buddhas and combines all their qualities. He is therefore, pure white, since white is a blend of all colors. Image File history File links Nara_daibutsu. ... Image File history File links Nara_daibutsu. ... Main hall of Tōdaiji Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. ... Nara can refer to: The city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan The Nara Period of the History of Japan Nara prefecture, part of the Kansai region of central Honshu, Japan Nara is a major Manchu clan. ... In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Wisdom Buddhas (Jp. ...

Indeed, his lotus seat is supported by a pair of two great lions. The lion is the king of beasts and when he roars all others fall silent. Similar is the roar of Buddha's teachings, in relation to the grandeur of which all other voices of our everyday life become insignificant and fall silent. Not surprisingly, meditating on the image of Vairocana is specifically believed to transform the delusion of ignorance into the wisdom preached by the Dharma. When Gautama Buddha turned the wheel of the Dharma, it illuminated (like a sun), the hearts of men and women darkened by ignorance. A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating The term Meditation describes a variety of practices with a variety of goals. ... Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ...

With regard to Emptiness, the massive size and brilliance of Vairocana statues is intended to serve as a reminder that all existence is empty, and without a permanent identity. Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit, Pali: suññatā), or Emptiness, is a term for an aspect of the Buddhist metaphysical critique as well as Buddhist epistemology and phenomenology. ...

Vairocana's distinguishing emblem is the golden or solar wheel.

Sources

Hua-Yen Buddhism: The Jewel Net of Indra (Pennsylvania State University Press, December 1977) by Francis H. Cook

External links

• The Five Meditating Buddhas

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