Five tathāgatas

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The five tathāgatas.

The five tathāgatas (Skt. pañcatathāgata; T. de bzhin gshegs pa lnga; C. wuzhi rulai/wu fo) are a grouping of buddhas found in Vajrayana that correspond to the five wisdoms of the Sanskrit Mahayana tradition. According to Williams, et al, they are emanations and representations of the five qualities of the primordial buddha (ādibuddha, in the form of Vairocana or Vajradhara) which is associated with dharmakaya.[1]

These are also known as the "five conquerors" (pañcajina). They are also sometimes called, in English, the "five dhyani buddhas."

These five buddhas feature prominently in various Buddhist tantras and are the primary object of realization and meditation in Shingon Buddhism, a school of Vajarayana founded in Japan.

The five tathāgatas are:

  1. Akshobhya
  2. Ratnasambhava
  3. Amitabha
  4. Amoghasiddhi
  5. Vairocana

References

  1. Williams, Wynne, Tribe; Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, page 210.


Sources

Further reading

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