Amitābha

This article is about the Buddha. For other uses, see Amitabha (disambiguation).

Amitābha
Amitābha statue in gold leaf with inlaid crystal eyes. Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Sanskrit	अमिताभः IAST: Amitābhaḥ अमितायुः IAST: Amitāyuḥ
Chinese	阿弥陀佛, 阿彌陀佛 Pinyin: Ēmítuó fó
Japanese	阿弥陀菩薩（あみだぼさつ） (romaji: Amida Bosatsu)
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Amitābha (Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɐmɪˈtaːbʱɐ]) is the principal Buddha of Pure Land Buddhism. He is also known as Amitāyus, which is understood to be his enjoyment body (Saṃbhogakāya). In Vajrayana Buddhism, Amitābha is known for his longevity, discernment, pure perception, and the purification of aggregates with deep awareness of the emptiness of all phenomena. Amitābha is associated with the Diamond Realm (vajradhātu), whereas Amitāyus is associated with the Womb Realm (garbhakoṣadhātu).

Doctrine

Ming dynasty (1368–1644) statue of Amitābha in Huayan Temple in Datong, Shanxi, China

Buddha Amitābha in Tibetan Buddhism, traditional thangka painting

The Great Buddha of Kamakura in the Kōtoku-in temple

Gilt-bronze statue of Amithabha from 8th century Silla, Korea. Located at Bulguk-sa temple.

Bronze statue of Amitābha Buddha, 17th century, Khải Tường Temple, Vietnam

Statue of the Buddha Amitāyus (Mongolia, 18th century)

Attainment of Buddhahood

According to the Larger Sūtra of Immeasurable Life, Amitābha was, in very ancient times and possibly in another system of worlds, a monk named Dharmākara. In some versions of the sūtra, Dharmākara is described as a former king who, having come into contact with Buddhist teachings through the buddha Lokeśvararāja, renounced his throne. He then resolved to become a Buddha and to create a buddhakṣetra (literally "buddha-field", often called a "Pureland" or "Buddha Land": a realm existing in the primordial universe outside of ordinary reality, produced by a buddha's merit) possessed of many perfections. These resolutions were expressed in his forty-eight vows, which set out the type of Pureland Dharmākara aspired to create, the conditions under which beings might be born into that world, and what kind of beings they would be when reborn there.

In the versions of the sutra widely known in China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan, Dharmākara's eighteenth vow was that any being in any universe desiring to be reborn into Amitābha's pure land (Chinese: 淨土; pinyin: jìngtǔ; Japanese pronunciation: jōdo; Korean: 정토; romaja: jeongto; Vietnamese: tịnh độ) and calling upon his name with sincerity, even as few as ten times will be guaranteed rebirth there. His nineteenth vow promises that he, together with his bodhisattvas and other blessed Buddhists, will appear before those who, at the moment of death, call upon him. This openness and acceptance of all kinds of people has made belief in pure lands one of the major influences in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism seems to have first become popular in Gandhara, from where it spread to China infused with Taoists and Confucian philosophy before spreading to Central and East Asia.

The sutra goes on to explain that Amitābha, after accumulating great merit over countless lives, finally achieved buddhahood and created a pure land called Sukhāvatī (Sanskrit: "possessing happiness"). Sukhāvatī is situated in the uttermost west, beyond the bounds of our own world. By the power of his vows, Amitābha has made it possible for all who call upon him to be reborn into this land, there to undergo instruction by him in the dharma and ultimately become bodhisattvas and buddhas in their turn (the ultimate goal of Mahāyāna Buddhism). From there, these same bodhisattvas and buddhas return to our world to help yet more people while still residing in his land of Sukhāvatī, whose many virtues and joys are described.

References in Sutras

The earliest known reference to Amitābha in a sutra is the Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra, translated into Chinese by Lokakṣema in 179 CE, with the discovery of a Gandhari language fragment of that sutra announced in 2018. Jeff Wilson writes that over a fifth of the sutras in the Taishō Tripiṭaka reference Amitābha, but three sutras in particular have become seen as canonical in East Asian Buddhism:

• Amitayurdhyana Sutra
• Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra
• Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra

Amitābha is understood as the Buddha of comprehensive love. Amitābha's pure land is described as being in the West, and he works for the enlightenment of all beings (represented iconographically as a blessing Buddha). The Amitayurdhyana Sutra recommends and describes at length the practice of visualising Amitābha and the Pure Land. The other two sutras do not detail visualisation practices, and have been interpreted in different ways, such as the nianfo practice of repeatedly saying Amitābha's name. Other practices developed from these sutras include practices at the time of death, such as visualising Amitābha in the heaven (sun) over their head (Western horizon), think his name as a mantra, and leaving the body as a soul through the acupuncture point Bai Hui (百會).

Nianfo

East Asian Buddhist traditions commonly invoke Amitābha's name in a practice known as nianfo (念佛) in Chinese and nembutsu in Japanese. This is the central practice of East Asian Pure Land Buddhism which is focused around Amitābha Buddha. In East Asian Pure Land traditions, the main religious practice is the recitation or chanting of the phrase 南無阿彌陀佛 (Mandarin: Nāmó Ēmítuófó, Japanese: Namu Amida Butsu) which means "Homage to Amitābha Buddha".

Vajrayāna Buddhism

Amitābha is also known in Tibet, Mongolia, Nepal, India and other regions where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced. In the Highest Yogatantra of Tibetan Buddhism, Amitābha is considered one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas known also as the Five Tathagatas together with Akshobhya, Amoghasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, and Vairocana. Amitābha is associated with the western direction and the skandha of saṃjñā, the aggregate of perception, or distinguishing, and the deep awareness of individuality.

His co-equal is the female Buddha Pāṇḍaravāsinī. His two main disciples (the same number as Gautama Buddha) are the bodhisattvas Vajrapani and Avalokiteśvara, the former to his left and the latter to his right. In Tibetan Buddhism, there exist a number of famous prayers for taking rebirth in Sukhāvatī (Dewachen). One of these was written by Je Tsongkhapa, on the request of Manjushri. Amitābha is primarily invoked in Tibet during the phowa practices, or invoked as Amitāyus – especially in practices relating to longevity and preventing an untimely death.

The Panchen Lamas and the bShamarpas are considered to be emanations of Amitābha.

In Shingon Buddhism, Amitābha is seen as one of the thirteen Buddhas to whom practitioners can pay homage. Shingon, like Tibetan Buddhism, also uses special devotional mantras for Amitābha, though the mantras used differ. Amitābha is also one of the Buddhas featured in the Womb Realm Mandala used in Shingon practices, and sits to the west, which is where the Pure Land of Amitābha is said to dwell.

Mantras

Amitābha is the center of a number of mantras in Vajrayana practices. The Sanskrit form of the mantra of Amitābha is oṃ amitābha hrīḥ). An alternative Tibetan mantra is Om ami dewa hri (Sanskrit: oṃ amideva hrīḥ).

Amitabha's main mantra in Shingon Buddhism is Om amirita teizei kara um (Japanese: オン・アミリタ・テイゼイ・カラ・ウン), which represents the underlying Indic form: oṃ amṛta-teje hara hūṃ.

Names in various languages

Tang dynasty Amitābha sculpture, Hidden Stream Temple Cave, Longmen Grottoes, China

Stone statue of Amitābha Buddha, Lý dynasty, Phật Tích Temple, Vietnam

Statues of a Buddha triad in Miu Fat Buddhist Monastery in Hong Kong, enshrining Sakyamuni in the centre, Bhaisajyaguru on the left and Amitābha on the right

The proper form of Amitābha's name in Sanskrit is Amitābha, masculine, and the nominative singular is Amitābhaḥ. This is a compound of the Sanskrit words amita ("without bound, infinite") and ābhā ("light, splendor"). Consequently, the name is to be interpreted as "he who possesses light without bound, he whose splendor is infinite".

The name Amitāyus (nominative form Amitāyuḥ) is also used for the Sambhogakāya aspect of Amitābha, particularly associated with longevity. He is mostly depicted sitting and holding in his hands a vessel containing the nectar of immortality. In Tibetan Buddhism, Amitāyus is also one of the three deities of long life (Amitāyus, White Tara and Uṣṇīṣavijayā). Amitāyus being a compound of amita ("infinite") and āyus ("life"), and so means "he whose life is boundless".

In Chinese, 阿彌陀佛, pronounced "Ēmítuófó", is the Chinese pronunciation for the Sanskrit name of the Amitābha Buddha (Amida Buddha). The "e mi tuo" is the transliteration of the Sanskrit word "amita" which means "boundless" (無量, "wuliang"). "Fo" is the Chinese word for "Buddha".

In Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese, the same Chinese characters used for Amitābha are used to represent his name, though they are pronounced slightly differently:

• Vietnamese: A Di Đà Phật
• Korean: Amita Bul
• Japanese: Amida Bosatsu.

In addition to transliteration, the name Amitābha has also been translated into Chinese using characters which, taken together, convey the meaning "Infinite Light": 無量光 (Wúliàngguāng). In the same fashion, the name Amitāyus ("Infinite Life") has been translated as 無量壽 (Wúliàngshòu). These translated names are not, however, very commonly used.

In Japanese, Amitābha is also called Amida Nyorai (Japanese: 阿弥陀如来, "the Tathāgata Amitābha").

In Tibetan, Amitābha is called འོད་དཔག་མེད་ Wylie: 'od dpag med, THL: Öpakmé and in its reflex form as Amitāyus, ཚེ་དཔག་མེད་ Wylie: tshe dpag med, THL: Tsépakmé. They are iconographically distinct.

Iconography

Statue of Amitabha from the Unified Silla period, Korea. Note the distinct Amitabha mudra (symbolic hand gesture).

Mandala of Amitāyus, Tibet, 19th century, Rubin Museum of Art

Mandala of Amitayus, in union with tantric consort

When in the descending standing position, Amitābha is often shown with left arm bare and extended downward with thumb and forefinger touching, with the right hand facing outward also with thumb and forefinger touching. The meaning of this mudra is that wisdom (symbolized by the raised hand) is accessible to even the lowest beings, while the outstretched hand shows that Amitābha's compassion is directed at the lowest beings, who cannot save themselves.

When not depicted alone, Amitābha is often portrayed with two assistant bodhisattvas, usually Avalokiteśvara on the right and Mahāsthāmaprāpta on the left. This iconography is known as an Amitabha triad, and is especially common in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean art.

Amitābha is said to display 84,000 auspicious and distinguishing marks reflecting his many virtues. Amitābha can often be distinguished by his mudrā: Amitābha is often depicted, when shown seated, displaying the meditation mudrā (thumbs touching and fingers together as in the Great Buddha of Kamakura (鎌倉大仏) at Kōtoku-in or the exposition mudrā, while the earth-touching mudrā (right hand pointed downward over the right leg, palm inward) is reserved for a seated Gautama Buddha alone. He can also be seen holding a lotus in his hands while displaying the meditation mudrā.

There is a difference between Amitāyus and Amitābha. Amitāyus—the Buddha of Infinite Life—and Amitābha—the Buddha of Infinite Light—are essentially identical, being reflective images of one another. Sutras in which Gautama Buddha expounds the glories of Sukhavati, the Pure Lands, speak of the presiding Buddha sometimes as Amitābha and sometimes as Amitāyus. When depicted as Amitāyus he is depicted in fine clothes and jewels and as Amitābha in simple monk's clothing. They are also simply known as Amida in the Chinese and Japanese tradition. The image of the gold colored statue in the article is of Amitāyus as he is wearing a five-pointed crown, which is the easiest way to distinguish them. Amitāyus is an emanation of Amitābha. Amitābha is the head of the Lotus family.

In Vajrayana, Amitābha is the most ancient of the Five Tathagatas. He is of red color originating from the red seed syllable hrīḥ. He represents the cosmic element of "Sanjana" (name). His vehicle is the peacock. He exhibits Samadhi Mudra his two palms folded face up, one on top of the other, lying on his lap. The lotus is his sign. When represented on the stupa, he always faces toward west. He is worshiped thinking that one can have salvation.

History and archeology

Earliest "Amitābha" inscription

Inscribed pedestal with the first known occurrence of the name of "Amitābha Buddha" in "the year 26 of Huvishka" (153 CE, first year of Huvishka) In Brahmi script in the inscription:

"Bu-ddha-sya A-mi-tā-bha-sya"
"Of the Buddha Amitabha"
Art of Mathura, Mathura Museum

The first known epigraphic evidence for Amitābha is the bottom part of a statue found in Govindnagar, Pakistan and now located at Government Museum, Mathura. The statue is dated to "the 26th year of the reign of Huviṣka" i.e., 104 CE. It is a work of Kushan art, made during the Kushan Empire (30–375 CE), and was dedicated to "Amitābha Buddha" by a family of merchants. Gregory Schopen translates the inscription as follows:

The 26th year of the Great King Huveṣka, the 2nd month, the 26th day. On this day by Nāgarakṣita, the (father) of the trader (Sax-caka), the grandson of the merchant Balakatta, the (son of Buddhapila), an image of the Blessed One, the Buddha Amitābha was set up for the worship of all buddhas. Through this root of merit (may) all living things (obtain) the unexcelled knowledge of a buddha.

Another early epigraphic mention of Amitabha (c. 610 CE) is found in Patan (Lalitpur). It is a verse which states:

I praise Amitabha, the best, dispeller of illusion by the light of great prajña.

The light, victor who lives in Sukhavati with Lokesvara,

the destroyer of the fear arising in the world, bearer of the lotus, and

Mahasthamaprapta, the affectionate-hearted one.

Regarding textual evidence, the earliest Buddhist sutra mentioning Amitābha is the translation into Chinese of the Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra (般舟三昧經; Bozhōu Sānmèi Jīng) by the Kushan monk Lokakṣema around 180. This text has been dated to between the 1st century BCE and 2nd century CE by modern buddhologists. Other early Mahayana texts mentioning Amitabha include the Ajitasena Sutra, Samādhirāja Sūtra and Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra.

The appearance of such literature and sculptural remains at the end of the second century suggests that the teachings on Amitābha we becoming popular in the first and second centuries CE. Furthermore, there are sculptures of Amitabha in dhyani mudras as well as bronzes of Amitābha in abhaya mudra from the Gandhara era of the first century, suggesting the popularity of Amitābha during that time. One of the last prayer busts of Amitābha can be found in the trademark black stone of the Pala Empire (c. 750–1161 CE), which was the last Buddhist empire of India.

See also

• Chan Buddhism
• Chinese Buddhism
• Hōnen
• Jōdo Shinshū
• Jōdo-shū
• Neo-Confucianism
• Shinran
• Yuzu Nembutsu

Bibliography

• Karashima, Seishi (2009), JSTOR 24049429 On Amitābha, Amitāyu(s), Sukhāvatī and the Amitābhavyūha], Bulletin of the Asia Institute, New Series, 23, 121–130

External links

• The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra (Pure Land)
• Shingon Buddhism: Amida Nyorai/Buddha of Infinite light and Life