The Five Meditating Buddhas - An Enquiry into Spiritual Aesthetics

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*********************************************************Article of the Month -

July

2003*********************************************************=================================================The

Five Meditating Buddhas - An Enquiry into Spiritual

Aesthetics=================================================Long, long ago,

before the idea called history evolved, thereexisted a sexless entity called

the Adi-Buddha or PrimordialBuddha. From 'Him' emerged the duality which was to

be thepotential progenitor of all creation. This dual element isvisualized in

Buddhist aesthetics either as the deity Vajrasattvaor Vajradhara.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/ZL30/aff10375The significant characteristic

common to them is the bell(female) and

thunderbolt (male), which they hold in their hands.These deities are believed to

be two expressions of the sameprinciple, and the wellspring of all

creation.Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/product/ZO28/aff10375The

above hierarchy is essentially spiritual. It represents anidealized abstract

state, graspable only to those on an elevatedmental plane. Ordinary mortals

like us, require some kind of aconcrete expression to bring forth a heartfelt

response.In Buddhism, the path to spiritual salvation is not envisioned assome

lofty abstract journey, rather it is stressed that theattainment of

enlightenment involves a profound transformation inour innermost being. But how

is such a dramatic transformation tocome about? The answer is said to lie within

those very inherentnegative traits which keep us spiritually imprisoned

andunfulfilled. The same knotted

energy that feeds the poisonousdelusions, when unknotted, empowers and

enlightens the mind.In its typical penchant for classification and

categorization,Vajrayana Buddhism divides the negative delusions plaguing

thehuman form into five categories. These are: ignorance, anger,pride,

attachment, and jealousy. They are said to be the sumtotal of all factors which

keep us away from enlightenment. Buthope lies in the belief that the human mind

holds within itselfthe potential to metamorphose these negative traits into

positiveattributes. In a supreme moment of creative inspiration, whichcan be

counted amongst the highest achievements in the history ofhuman aesthetic

instinct, these transformed emotions arevisualized as five different, beautiful

and resplendent Buddhas.Invariably seated upon their auspicious lotus thrones,

they areknown collectively as the Dhyani Buddhas. This is in consistencywith

their iconographic

representations, where they areinevitably shown seated in the posture of

meditation, known inSanskrit as Dhyana. They are also known as 'jina,'

meaningvictory, signifying a conceptual victory over our unenlightenedminds.All

the five Dhyani Buddhas are said to have originated fromVajrasattva himself. But

it needs to be appreciated here, thatthough they have all sprung from the same

spiritual father, theseBuddhas nevertheless have important physical

differences. Forexample, each displays a different hand mudra, is associated

witha different direction, rides a different animal, denotes aparticular moment

in the life of the historical Buddha, and has adifferent color.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/TC53/aff10375The last is a unique

contribution to the aesthetic heritage whichis shared by all humanity. Indeed,

the link between our

negativeemotions, and the positive qualities into which the DhyaniBuddhas

transform them can be illustrated most directly throughthe medium and

experience of color. It is well known thatchanging the color of our

surroundings can have a profound effecton our state of mind. Color also

expresses our emotions, as whenwe say that we are green with envy or feeling

blue. Color islogically thus one of the significant means through whichBuddhist

art gives a tangible form to human emotions and nowhereis this more explicitly

displayed than in the typical iconographyof the five Dhyani Buddhas.Each of the

five Buddhas first identifies a specific humanfailing and then helps us in

transforming it into a positiveattribute, bringing about the spiritual

evolution required forenlightenment. How they inspire us to achieve this

transitionthrough their traditional iconography is discussed below.The five

Dhyani Buddhas are:1).

Vairochana2). Akshobhya3). Ratnasambhava4). Amitabha5). Amoghasiddhi1).

Vairochana, The King (Tib. Namnang):In the Rigveda (the world's earliest

codified text) the word'vairochana' has the connotation of a brilliant and

luminous sun.Indeed, Vairochana in Tibetan is called 'Namnang, meaning

'Theilluminator.'Vairochana displays the Dharmachakra mudra. Dharmachakra

inSanskrit means the 'Wheel of Dharma'. This mudra symbolizes oneof the most

important moments in the historical life of theBuddha, the occasion when he

preached to his companions the firstsermon after his Enlightenment in the Deer

Park at Sarnath. Itthus denotes the setting into motion of the Wheel of the

teachingof the Dharma.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/ZN87/aff10375Vairochana is an idealization

of this central function of

theBuddha as a teacher, without which there would have been noBuddhism, and no

path to enlightenment open before us.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/PB74/aff10375The wheel he is conceptually

turning was once a solar symbol inancient India and later came to be a

signifier of kinghood. Thelogical reasoning being that as the sun is the

originator andnourisher of the earth, so is a king to his people.

Alsoconsistent with this context is the fact that Vairochana is saidto rule

from the center of the world, with the complete Vajrayanapantheon (including

the other four Dhyani Buddhas) arrayed aroundhim. Similarly, the sun too is the

center of the solar system;likewise a king is the de facto center of his

domain.Significantly, Vairochana is said to be the sum of all the DhyaniBuddhas

and combines all their qualities. He is therefore,

purewhite, since white is a blend of all colors.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 fallsilent. Similar is the roar of Buddha's teachings, in

relation tothe grandeur of which all other voices of our everyday lifebecome

insignificant and fall silent. Not surprisingly,meditating on the image of

Vairochana is specifically believed totransform the delusion of ignorance into

the wisdom preached bythe Dharma. When Gautama Buddha turned the wheel of the

Dharma,it illuminated (like a sun), the hearts of men and women darkenedby

ignorance.Vairochana's distinguishing emblem is the golden or solar wheel.2).

Akshobhya, The Mirror to Our Souls (Tib. Mikyopa):According to the Tibetan

Dhammapada:Those who control their wrath when it rears upAs they would a horse

when it strays loose,I call 'the best trainers,'those

who do not, are common beings.Akshobhya is believed to transform the human

failing of angerinto a clear mirror-like wisdom. With this wisdom, we see

thingsjust as they are, impartially and unaffectedly. Indeed, whetherit be a

red rose or a bloody dagger, a mirror will reflect bothjust as they are. It

will not be judgmental and distinguishbetween the two reds, attempting to hold

to the first and fleefrom the second. No reflection in a mirror sticks to it,

and nonerepels it. The mirror always stands imperturbable and immutable,just as

we should, whether the circumstances be favorable orunfavorable to

us.Akshobhya's blue color is closely linked to the mirror symbolism.Blue is the

color of water, and water has the capacity to act asa clear mirror.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/akshobhya.jpgHe makes the Bhumisparsha

mudra (earth touching gesture). Thisgesture recalls the incident just

before Buddha's enlightenmentwhen he was challenged by Mara, the personification

of evil. Marawas convinced that the spiritual throne where Buddha was

sittingbelonged rightly to him. Accordingly he challenged Buddha toprove his

claim to the seat. Buddha moved his hand to touch theground with his

fingertips, and thus bid the goddess Earth tobear witness to his right to be

sitting where he was. She did sowith a hundred thousand roars, and validated

Buddha's assertion.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/PB69/aff10375More relevant to our interest

here is the fact that this gesturesuggests confidence, deep-rootedness, and the

same kind ofdetermination which carried the Buddha to his enlightenment,inspite

of the numerous hurdles which crossed his path.Akshobhya's emblem is the vajra.

The Vajra is the quintessentialsymbol of Vajrayana Buddhism, which

derives its name from thevajra itself. The Sanskrit term vajra means 'the hard

or mightyone', and its Tibetan equivalent dorje means an indestructiblehardness

and brilliance like the diamond, which cannot be cut orbroken. The vajra

essentially signifies the immovable, immutable,indivisible, and indestructible

state of enlightenment. Thus isVairochana touching the earth with the

fingertips of his righthand, the earth too being a symbol of the immutable, the

solid,and the concrete.Akshobhya's mount is the elephant. An elephant places its

footupon the earth with unshakeable certainty. It has the sameunalterable

quality as the Buddha's fingers touching the ground,and the same determination

that carried Buddha through histribulations.Akshobhya is considered the ruler

over the eastern direction. Itis the direction where dawn takes place. Indeed,

Buddha's victoryover Mara heralded the dawning of a new, spiritual

reality.3). Ratnasambhava, The Gem of a Buddha (Tib. Gyalwa

Rinjung):Ratnasambhava means 'Born from the Jewel,' 'ratna' signifyingjewel in

Sanskrit.Ratnasambhava is believed to transform the negative human traitof

pride into the wisdom of sameness. This wisdom brings out thecommon features of

human experience and makes us see the commonhumanity underlying all men and

women. It makes us see ourselvesas fellow-beings, organically united to the

total stream ofhumanity. In this state of enlightenment, there is

nobodysuperior or inferior to the other, leaving no scope for pride

todevelop.Ratnasambhava displays the Varada mudra.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/ZE99/aff10375This mudra symbolizes charity

and boon granting. Indeed hisdistinct emblem is a jewel (ratna), associating

him with richesand Ratnasambhava is

sometimes described as the Buddha of giving.But he makes no distinction and

gives freely to all (the wisdomof sameness). All beings are equally precious to

him. Whateverour social position, race, sex, or life form, we are all madefrom a

common clay. The grace of Ratnasambhava shines equally onthe palace and dung

heap. Meditating on his wisdom we developsolidarity with all humanity, nay with

all forms of life.The wisdom of sameness gives us the clarity of mind to

perceivein the correct perspective, the eight experiences, arranged intofour

pairs. These are gain and loss, fame and disgrace, praiseand blame, and

pleasure and pain. These experiences always comein pairs. If we chase one we

will lay ourselves open to theother. For example, if we pursue pleasure, we

will undoubtedly atsome time experience pain too. This is a spiritual

expression ofNewton's third law of dynamics namely that 'each and every

actionin the universe

has an equal and opposite reaction.'Ratnasambhava's color is yellow. This is the

color of the earth.The earth too is extremely generous in sharing with us

herriches. Also she gives without any expectation or favor inreturn. She gives

and also receives all equally. The earth isthus the great leveler. Similarly,

Ratnasambhava's radiancedissolves all boundaries of self and the other. We can

then justshare with others - without any associated sense of giving,because

giving requires a 'self' to give and 'others' to receive,a duality which

Ratnasambhava helps us transcend.The animal associated with Ratnasambhava is

the horse, whoferries over the suffering beings with full vigor. It

alsosuggests a journey, a spiritual voyage such as that on which

theBuddha-to-be set forth when he left his life at home, riding onhis faithful

charger.In Tibetan art, the horse is often shown carrying jewels on itsback.

This is a

further reinforcement of its relation withRatnasambhava.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/horsewithjewel.jpgRatnasambhava guards

over the direction south. The sun is in thesouth at noon-time. Its rays are

then a light-golden-yellow, thehue of Ratnasambhava himself.4). Amitabha, The

Gentle and Lovable Buddha (Tib. Opame):Amitabha is undoubtedly the most well

known and popular of thefive Dhyani Buddhas. He is red in color. In Tibetan

Buddhism, redis the color of love, compassion, and emotional

energy.Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/product/TC03/aff10375His

direction is the west. It is in this direction that sunsettakes place and

indeed he is envisioned as the setting sun (red).During sunset, the sun is

gentle, and we can directly look intoits fierce power, without coming to any

harm. As it disappearsinto the

west, the sun is like a proud and fierce king, who atthe end of a hard day of

rigid protocol turns gentle and jovial,and allows anyone to approach him.

Amitabha is thus the supremepower and energy of nature, cast on an earthly

plain, accessibleto all of us. No wonder he is the most popular of all

DhyaniBuddhas.His unique emblem is the lotus. He is thus associated with allthe

attributes of the lotus: gentleness, openness, and purity.Amitabha's mount is

the peacock, which is capable of swallowingpoisonous snakes without coming to

harm. In fact, the peacock isbelieved to derive its rich plumage from the

poison of the snakeson which it feeds. This symbolism, of being open even to

poison,and transmuting it into beauty, gives us a feeling of thepurifying and

transforming power of Amitabha. For us ordinarymortals, it signifies that even

our darkest and most venomousaspects can be transformed by meditating on his

image.Amitabha's image has both a simplicity and archetypal quality toit. His

demeanor is totally relaxed and his hands are in theDhyana mudra, the mudra of

meditation.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/ZN86/aff10375According to tradition, this

mudra derives from the one assumedby the Buddha when he was meditating under

the pipal tree, in thepursuit of Nirvana.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/GC06/aff01375In conformity with his hand

mudra, the essential message ofAmitabha is that of meditation. His association

with the settingsun suggests the withdrawal of our external sense

perceptionsinwards, into higher states of meditative concentration.Elevating

ourselves to such a spiritual level has the ultimateobjective of uniting us

with that intangible

UniversalConsciousness which pervades all tangible reality.Amitabha thus

provides us with the archetypal infinite wisdomthat helps us transmute the

negative trait of obsessiveattachment into a discerning awareness that we are

all made up ofthe same primitive substratum. So contemplating, we are able

torealize that the object we crave for is not separate from us, andalready as

much a part of ourselves as we are of it.5). Amoghasiddhi The Lord of Karma

(Tib. Donyo Drup pa):The fifth Dhyani Buddha is Amoghasiddhi, whose distinctive

emblemis the double dorje, also known as the crossed vajra.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/ZR27/aff10375The hand mudra made by

Amoghasiddhi is the Abhaya mudra. Abhayain Sanskrit means fearlessness. Thus

this mudra symbolizesprotection, peace, and the dispelling of

fear.Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/product/ZN74/aff10375According to

the Buddhist tradition, Buddha's cousin Devadattafelt greatly jealous of him.

His jealousy knowing no bounds, heonce even attempted to murder the Buddha. His

plan involvedloosing a rampaging elephant into the Buddha's path. But as

theelephant approached him, Buddha displayed the Abhaya mudra, whichimmediately

calmed the animal. Accordingly, it indicates not onlythe appeasement of the

senses, but also the absence of fear.Indeed, Amoghasiddhi's whole presence

removes terror and fear.His body is green, the color of the peace and

tranquility ofNature. It is a soothing and relaxing color, which calms

anxiety.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/amoghasiddhi.jpgAmoghasiddhi rides on

Garuda, the half-man and half-eaglecomposite, who feeds on snakes. Blessed with

a telescopic

vision,Garuda can detect the presence of serpent-like negative delusionsplaguing

our mortal frames even from a considerable distance.Also, Garuda is associated

with the Himalayan ranges of thenorth, which is the direction of Amoghasiddhi

too.Amoghasiddhi is particularly associated with energy and is knownas the Lord

of Karma. As a Buddha of action, he represents thepractical achievement of

results using the wisdom of the otherfour Buddhas. His double vajra too is a

symbol of the successiveconclusion of all actions. This is the reason why that

after adeity statue has been completed and consecrated, a crossed vajrais

inscribed upon the metal strip used to seal its base.The goddess Green Tara is

believed to have emanated fromAmoghasiddhi and not surprisingly, she too is

deified as a deityof action in the Buddhist pantheon. Indeed, Green Tara is

alwaysdepicted in a posture with her right leg extended, signifying

herreadiness to spring into action.Illustration:

http://www.exoticindia.com/product/TC83/aff10375Amoghasiddhi is believed to

alter the negative human failing ofjealousy into the positive wisdom of

accomplishment. Jealousy isa positive human emotion in as much that it fuels

our ambitionand prompts us to achieve greater heights. But its

negativenessstems from the fact that it is almost always accompanied by

abitterness towards the one who is the target of our envy. When weare able to

ward off this associated feeling of resentment, andrealize at the same time

that the object of our jealousy is but amedium prompting us to greater karma,

leading to higheraccomplishments, we would have the read the message

ofAmoghasiddhi successfully.Conclusion:The five Dhyani Buddhas represent the

five basic types of humanpersonality and demonstrate the

absolutely perfected form ofthese personality types. Most importantly, each of

themrepresents a negative quality as well as the completelytransformed aspect

of that failing, manifested as a gloriouswisdom. It is an ample demonstration

of the genius of VajrayanaBuddhism that these weaknesses are not denied or

suppressed. Theyare instead worked upon, until their illusory nature

isunderstood and they become aspects of one's inherent

wisdom.===========================================References and Further

Reading:Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs:Boston,

1999.Cooper, J.C. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols:London,

1999.Govinda, Lama Anagarika. Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism: NewDelhi,

1992.Jansen, Eva Rudy. The Book of Buddhas (Ritual Symbolism Used onBuddhist

Statuary and Ritual Objects): New Delhi, 2002.Landaw, Jonathan., and Weber,

Andy.

Images of Enlightenment(Tibetan Art in Practice): New York, 1993.Majupuria,

Trilok Chandra. Sacred Animals of Nepal and India:Kathmandu, 2000.Maxwell, T.S.

The Gods of Asia (Image, Text, and Meaning): NewDelhi, 1997.Menzies, Jackie.

Buddha Radiant Awakening: Sydney, 2001.Sparham, Gareth. The Tibetan Dhammapada

(Sayings of the Buddha):London, 1986.Subhuti, Dharmachari. The Buddhist Vision

(An Introduction to theTheory and Practice): London, 1992.Tresidder, Jack. The

Hutchinson Dictionary of Symbols: Oxford,1997.Vessantara. Meeting the Buddhas

(A Guide to Buddhas,Bodhisattvas, and Tantric Deities), Birmingham,

1993.---------------------------To view the

illustrations along with the text, please read the=== message truncated ===Best

Regards& and Warm Salutations

 

From Dr Nath D.L.P.S

drnath65 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com

 

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