#amitābha

[tielt]

.

[acalarakta]

Sri Amitābha Buddha, the embodiment of pure perception and Sunyata through infinite light.

[zegalba]

The monk Kuya reciting the nembutsu or invokation of Amitābha Buddha, depicted as six figures of the Buddha coming from his mouth.

Statue by Kosho, early 13th century.

[yet-another-haven-of-dollya]

when i first saw lyah’s title i didnt know what emancipated meant and i thought it was a synonym for constipated

Lol no, apparently it's not. And just to provide a little more context, all my PC's titles are Kiara-referenced

"Lya the Blossom" - from one of Kiara's Noble Phantasm lines "Now, return to the lotus flower's blossom / Amitābha Amidala - Heaven's Hole..." and also I simply love flowers and I think of her development like how a flower going from a bud to full bloom.

"Lyah the Emancipated" - from Kiara's bond 2 description "She is the emancipated Devilish Bodhisattva." You might remember how I created Lyah to be free from Lya's sufferings, hence the "Emancipated". Looking back, Kariya might be more suitable with this title now.

"Kariya the Alter Ego" - Kiara's servant class and literally FGO mechanic lol. Kariya was created using one of Lya's old save files, so technically speaking they are an altered future Lya could've be, an Alter Ego. Even Kariya's name came from Kiara's full name: Sesshouin Kiara -> Sesshouin Kariya

Heck, even Dollya - my avatar/sona's design was inspired by Kiara's third ascension.

I think I just love Kiara as a character too much-

[ikeromantic]

Ikesen Boys React to a Tattooed MC pt 5

Thank you again to @otomedad for this fantastic idea ^_^ This one has Kennyo, Motonari, and Kicho! Approx. 2300 words of tattoo and MC appreciation!

Kennyo

Kennyo stops, his mouth opening and then closing again. It isn’t often that you get to see the abbot at a loss for words. You file the expression away to savor later. 

“What is it,” you ask, gentle laughter in your voice. You know what it is, of course. Though you hadn’t expected quite this reaction. It’s really quite precious.

“Is that -” His gravelly voice gives out and he takes a moment to clear his throat. “Is that a buddha?” He gestures to your bare shoulder. 

You glance at the tattoo and suppress a grin. “Oh! No, this is a portrait of my auntie.” 

Kennyo’s eyebrows rise and a small divot forms in between. “Your auntie?”

The image is clearly an Amitābha Buddha surrounded by the petals of a lotus flower. While you aren’t the type to randomly tattoo religious iconography, the buddha always meant something special to you. Seeing your ink brings back memories of copying out sutras and meditating with your grandmother. The peace and serenity, the promise of better things . . . but you can’t help yourself teasing the abbot. 

“Mmm. Did I say auntie? Maybe it’s my uncle. What do you think?” You look back at him, entertained by the series of emotions crossing his face. Some find Kennyo hard to read, but you’ve learned his little quirks. The slight shift of his lips or brows, the depths of his grey eyes. 

Kennyo crosses the distance between you and peers at your tattoo closely. His eyelashes brush your skin just a breath before his lips follow. “I think you’re teasing me. Wicked woman.” The air between you thickens with tension from the intensity of his gaze and the subtle humor in his voice. 

“Wicked?” You turn to face him, your eyes wide and pretending at innocence. 

His eyes crinkle at the corners from the wide smile that lights up his harsh features and turns them soft and kind. “You mock me.”

Your cheeks grow warm under his regard. The gentle admonition of his words leaves you feeling a tiny bit guilty. “Ok, yes. It’s not a family member.” You look away, trying to think of how best to explain the tattoo, what it means to you. Why you got it done. Honest expression is hard, especially with someone like Kennyo. 

His rough thumb brushes your cheek. “You need not explain yourself.” His fingertips drift along the curve of your neck to brush the inked skin of your shoulder. “It is beautiful. Unexpected. Like you.”

You cannot help the shiver of pleasure that runs through you at his touch. He is so decently indecent that it is maddening. “I want you to understand though,” you reply, and pull yourself together. “I got it a few years after my grandmother died. She - she wouldn’t have approved of a tattoo but . . . I wanted something special. A way to remember her, and the things she brought to my life. Faith and peace and . . . just that feeling I would get, at the temple with her.”

Kennyo nods, and presses a kiss to your shoulder. “Admirable intent.” 

“Do you really like it?” You can’t help the way your insecurity infects your words. You don’t often open up to anyone, preferring to deflect and joke. 

“I do. Though I wonder if it is heretical to find you so . . . intoxicating.” 

You glance over your shoulder to meet his gaze. The heat in his eyes sends another shiver through you. “I should probably -” you gesture toward the door and all the work awaiting both of you on the other side.

“Probably,” he agrees, pulling you into his arms.

Motonari

Your head breaks the surface of the water with a splash. You splutter and gag, spitting out the salty taste of the sea as you try to get your bearings. None of which is helped by the smirking laughter of a certain pirate as he bobs in the water nearby. 

“I really hate you sometimes,” you mutter, glaring at him from under the ruins of your wet hair. The weight of your wet kimono is pulling you down, so you wriggle out of it. 

Motonari grabs your floating clothes. “Don’t much care how you feel right now, princess. We gotta swim to shore.” 

“Obviously,” you huff. “But I’m pretty sure we could have taken one of your little boats. You didn’t have to throw me overboard.”

He chuckles. “‘Course not. That part was for fun.”

You sigh, realizing your glare is getting you nowhere. “Fine.” You start for shore with Motonari at your side. Despite saying he didn’t care, you can feel his gaze on you as he stays by your side until your feet touch the sand. And once you arrive, he guides you over to a shady spot to rest. 

“Have a sip o’ this.” Motonari holds out a flask.

“What is it?” You reach for the proffered drink. “Rum?” Afterall, pirates drink rum, right?

“Aguardente de medronho. Try it.” 

Just as your hand reaches the flask, Motonari grabs your arm, gloved fingers wrapping around your wrist. “What’s that, princess?” 

You instinctively pull back, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he turns your arm to look at the inner side. You realize he must have noticed your tattoo, small as it is. There at the crook of your elbow is a line in the shape of a wave. Easy to overlook, as you intended. Something for you, not to share. 

“Would you let go?” You pull again, but to no avail.

Motonari squints at the design, leaning close. “Didja steal something and get caught?”

“What? No!” You can’t help the horrified expression on your face. “I’m not a criminal!”

His gloved fingertip traces the delicate lines and whorls of the wave. The sensation is oddly intimate, and you feel a rush of unexpected warmth. “Nothin’ wrong with being a thief. It’s the getting caught part. Disappointin’.”

“Motonari! I didn’t get caught. I paid for that tattoo. On purpose. From an artist!” 

He turns his head to regard your expression, a playful smirk hiding in the corners of his lips. You realize right then that he’s teasing you. “Huh. I’m tempted to believe ya. Your head’s too full of flowers to be a criminal mind.” 

You find yourself pulled into his garnet gaze, unable to look away. He’s so close, and you are suddenly very aware of how little clothing you have on, and how little it conceals when its sopping wet. You are half naked on a beach with a mad pirate that thinks he owns you. And instead of being afraid or angry, you are enjoying the banter. 

“What’s the matter? All them flowers getting in the way of talking?” The smirk breaks free, turning into a broad, carefree smile. 

“N-no!” You take a breath and look away. “Just trying to find the smallest words I can use to explain a tattoo to you.”

Motonari laughs again, the sound a pleasant and low. “I’ve seen plenty of tattoos. Just never one on a woman.”

“Well, where I come from it’s not uncommon.” You glance back at him and realize he hasn’t moved. If anything, he seems even closer now. 

“Huh. So why’d you get one?” 

You nod, trying to gather your thoughts. Motonari is so frustratingly distracting. It isn’t fair that he is so pretty. And to be honest, you’d rather think about that than explain your tattoo. But he asked.

“I . . . umm. I went through some rough times. Me and my dad. There were times after mom died that I - I felt like we would never be happy. That -” You swallow, remembering the feelings of helplessness. The sense that there was no point to anything. Waking up and just wishing you were still asleep because it hurt to be awake. 

Motonari’s thumb strokes the side of your arm, far more gentle a gesture than you would have expected from the brash pirate. 

“A-anyway, I wanted to remind myself that storms come and go. Something small and just for me, that I would always have. So I could look at it when I feel hopeless and just remember that this will pass and things will get better.” You clear your throat, trying to pretend telling him this is no big deal. Hoping the dampness in your eyes doesn’t give you away. 

“Huh.” 

You catch his gaze again and there is something unexpectedly soft in the scarlet depths of his eyes. The smirk has fallen away, and his lips part as if he is about to speak. Instead, Motonari lets out a slow breath, and then he looks away. For a long moment, neither of you says anything.

There is tension in the silence between you, but also a sense of comfort. A few breaths to give you a chance to get a hold of your emotions. To relax, held closer to the pirate captain than ever before. 

“So . . . anyway, umm, should we keep moving?” You swallow, hoping to move on to a less emotional topic.

He lets go of you and takes a swig from the flask. “To gettin’ through storms.”  He holds it out to you and this time you take it. 

The liquor heats on its way down your throat, the slight bitterness lingering on your tongue. 

Kicho

“Aaah!” You let out a surprised shout as your door slides open. Your kimono is only half on and it’s still dark outside your shuttered windows. You struggle to pull it on as you turn around to see who invaded your room at this ungodly hour. 

Kicho stands in the doorway, his light green eyes almost glowing in the dim lantern light. His jaw is set in a familiar frown, though you aren’t sure why. 

“Sorry for shouting,” you murmur, trying to quickly tie your kimono shut. 

He ignores your apology. “Is that a tattoo?”

You blink, confused for a moment before you realize he must have spotted the ink on your shoulder blades. “Oh. Umm. I’m not a criminal or anything.” You swallow, feeling the full force of his regard as he crosses the room to close in on you. 

“I did not suggest you were. Yet.” He raises one, perfectly arched brow. “Let me see it.”

You nod, realizing a refusal would not look good about now. “So, if I can ask, why did you come to get me? Do you . . . normally wake the maids?”

His response is a soft, impatient sniff. A dismissal of your question as silly. “Stop delaying.”

With a sigh, you lower the back of your kimono again to show your upper back. Three sunflowers cluster just below the nape of your neck, spreading their bright petals over your shoulder blades. “See? Clearly not irezumi kei.” You start to pull your kimono back up, but his cool hand on your shoulder stops you.

“These are . . . I haven’t seen tattoos like this since -” You feel the brush of his hand along your spine, and the accompanying shiver isn’t from the cold. 

“They are common where I’m from. More or less.” You turn your head to see his expression. Is he suspicious, you wonder. But his gaze is softer than you’ve seen since coming to his manor, his lips curved in a smile more sensual than cynical. 

Kicho’s hand rests between your shoulders as if trying to grasp the inked blossom. “And where is that? There is no village with a horishi so skilled.” His eyes snap to yours, the gentleness gone behind an icy wall. 

You can’t tell him the truth, but a lie might get you in as much trouble. “It’s, umm, I . . .” Panicked, you try to look away to give yourself a moment to think.

His other hand catches your chin, holding your head still. “Where?”

“I - I told you before. A small village. It’s not important. I didn’t get it there. A nanban trader did it for me here, in Sakai. Because I - I saw one like it and I thought it was pretty.” You swallow, unsure if he’ll buy it. 

Kicho’s eyes narrow as he studies your expression. “A nanban trader?”

You realize that you need to say something to derail this line of questioning. Your eyes go wide. “Does it look bad? I was so worried and since it’s on my back . . . but I thought . . .” Your panic helps bring a damp teariness to your eyes and a genuine worry to your voice. 

“It -” He looks down at the tattoo again. “It is very lovely. On you.” His voice carries an unexpected gentleness, and you feel the touch of his finger tracing the line of your jaw. “Lovely.”

The touch and his words bring heat to your face, and you feel your pulse take off at a gallop. You remind yourself again that Kicho is the enemy, but it’s hard to keep that at the forefront of your thoughts in this oddly intimate moment. “Thank you.”

“Why did you get this? Merely for the look of it?”

You didn’t particularly want to have this discussion, but he’s asked and you see no harm in admitting the reason. “Well . . . someone told me this flower means admiration. And that three of them together are a - a confession. Of love.” You can feel the heat in your cheeks as you speak, though you aren’t sure if it’s because of how close he is, or what you’re saying. “The colors and type of sunflowers give them additional layers of meaning but . . . I got them to remind myself I am loved. And that I love myself.” 

“You are . . . a strange woman,” he says after a moment. “And we are late. Finish dressing and meet me at the entrance.” Despite the sharp words, he seems reluctant to let you go, only doing so when you step away. 

“I’ll see you there? It won’t take me a minute.” You hurriedly pull up the kimono and finish tying it off. 

He nods, still focused intently on you. “Don’t dally.” His gaze flits to your now covered ink. “And don’t be ashamed of something you should that has such meaning and beauty.”

[talonabraxas]

Om Mani Padme Hum

Avalokiteśvara Talon Abraxas

Avalokiteśvara – “The Lord Who Looks Down” also known as Padmapāni, “Holder of the Lotus”.– is the Bodhisattva who embodies the Buddha’s compassion as it functions in the world. He, or sometimes she, takes on myriad forms throughout the many countries where this Bodhisattva is venerated.

The six-syllable mantra associated with the Bodhisattva is the classic oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ, which is recited 108 times in a single sitting – usually with a mala, a string of 108 prayer beads – to call upon the power of Avalokiteśvara.

Avalokiteśvara is an attendant of Amitābha, one of the ‘meditation’ Buddhas, who endowed the Bodhisattva with eleven heads in order to hear the cries of all the beings in the six realms, as well as a thousand arms with which to be of assistance to them. Sometimes he is also pictured with a thousand eyes.

A detailed description of the Bodhisattva is given in Chapter 24 of The Lotus Sutra; sometimes this short text appears as a stand-alone scripture known as “The Avalokiteśvara Sutra”. (The Bodhisattva is also the protagonist of The Heart of Wisdom Sutra.) In the chapter, he is depicted as superhuman, and fantastical claims are made as to the power of the Bodhisattva to aid those who call upon him:

For what reason, O Lord, is the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Avalokitesvara called Avalokitesvara? So he asked, and the Lord answered to the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Akshayamati: All the hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of creatures, young man of good family, who in this world are suffering troubles will, if they hear the name of the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Avalokitesvara, be released from that mass of troubles. Those who shall keep the name of this Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Avalokitesvara, young man of good family, will, if they fall into a great mass of fire, be delivered therefrom by virtue of the lustre of the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva. In case, young man of good family, creatures, carried off by the current of rivers, should implore the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Avalokitesvara, all rivers will afford them a ford. In case, young man of good family, many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of creatures, sailing in a ship on the ocean, should see their bullion, gold, gems, pearls, lapis lazuli, conch shells, stones, corals, emeralds, pearls, and other goods lost, and the ship by a vehement, untimely gale cast on the island of Giantesses, and if in that ship a single being implores Avalokitesvara, all will be saved from that island of Giantesses. For that reason, young man of good family, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Avalokitesvara is named Avalokitesvara.

Saddharma-Pundarîka, or The Lotus of the True Law [The Lotus Sutra], vol. XXI

[megyulmi]

➠ Binding vow and invoking Fudō in Pure Land Buddhism:

I have been seeing posts on the nature of binding vows since Chapter 258, so I decided to share my notes on it in hopes they could be of use to a fellow reader.

Considering Akutami Gege’s consistency in incorporating practices and beliefs of different Buddhist schools into the storyline, personally, performing a binding vow reminds me of the process of invoking Fudō, as well as Amitābha’s ‘Primal Vow’. Here, I am specifically addressing the vows made with oneself as I believe they are significantly different from the vows made with others.

Fudō is an esoteric Buddhist deity for rebirth (from Pure Land worship). He was invoked by reciting his incantation as a deathbed practice to attain proper mindfulness at death allowing rebirth into the Pure Land, particularly Miroku’s Heaven, from the late Heian into the Kamakura period. He is a manifestation of the cosmic Buddha Dainichi (大日, Mahāvairocana) sent to assist Buddhist practitioners and to arrest those who would impede the Buddhist path. Fudō was most popular among the nobility for his efficacy in propitious birth, restoration of health and resurrection from death, and the subjugation of adversaries.

He is associated with the ‘Mantra of Compassionate Help’, which helps remove the hindrances at death. The mantra loosely translates as “Homage to the All-Encompassing Vajra, the Manifestation of Great Wrath. Eliminate [all hindrances].”

There are different instances of invoking Fudō. The first one is, invoking him for Miroku’s Heaven. It is related to Sōō, a monk of the Tendai school. According to the legend, while Sōō was performing ascetic practices before a waterfall on the Katsuragawa river, he prayed to Fudō to take him to Miroku’s Heaven. Fudō did indeed carry Sōō to Miroku’s Heaven, but when they arrived at the gate to the inner palace, Sōō was not allowed in because he could not yet recite the Lotus Sutra from memory. But when Sōō later recited the Lotus Sutra before the image of Fudō at his temple, he was able to gain entry.

The second one is invoking Fudō at Death. According to the court diary Chūyūki (中右記) by Fujiwara no Munetada (藤原宗忠), Emperor Horikawa on his death bed, “first chanted the titles of the larger Hannya and Lotus sutras, as well as the august name of the venerable Fudō; then chanted the august names of Śākya[muni] and [A]mida and faced the west.”

There is another story, according to which there was a sculpture of Fudō in Nara that used to appear to a nun at Higashiyama in Kyoto because she recited Fudō’s Mantra of Compassionate Help twenty-one times every day praying for proper mindfulness at death. In the time of death, when she became seriously ill, she put her hands together to form Fudō’s mudra and seated properly, her breath stopped, and without sickness, she came to the end with proper mindfulness. Here it is noteworthy that she was a member of the Ungoji nenbutsu group.

Additionally, it is useful to look into the concept of ‘Primal Vow or Fundamental Vow (本願, hongan)’, which in Japanese Pure Land Buddhism is the 18th vow that is part of a series of 48 vows that Amitābha made in the Infinite Life Sutra that in certain aspects (depending on the school) can be connected with invoking Fudō.

Nenbutsu is the invocation ‘namu amida butsu’ (南無阿弥陀仏, ‘I take my refuge in the Buddha Amitābha’) chanted in the hope of rebirth into Amida's Pure Land. It is important to note that Nenbutsu were not only directed to Amitābha but other Buddhas as well. Myōe, a famous priest of the Kegon school, is known to have invoked Fudō on his deathbed seeking rebirth in Miroku’s Heaven. It is said that at the time of Myōe’s death, “two or three times he intoned the invocation Namu Miroku Bosatsu, raising his hands in prayer and devoutly reciting the nenbutsu.”

The sutra reads: “If, when I attain Buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten quarters who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my land, and call my Name, even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.”

In the sutra, we see clearly what Amitābha’s ‘exchange’ is: “If they should not be born there, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.” The vow is made at the risk of not being able to attain Enlightenment. Personally, it directly relates to the binding vow made with oneself in JJK: give up something, gain something; or, break the binding vow, lose what you have gained. Nanami is the easiest example to understand in this regard. His binding vow limits the amount of cursed energy he can access to about 80-90% while on the clock. Once his normal shift ends and he begins working overtime, Nanami’s cursed energy increases and by invoking Overtime, he is able to utilise 110-120% of his maximum power. He gains something while giving up something in exchange, and if he were to break the vow, he would lose what he has gained.

The practice itself is complex and depending on the accounts (and the schools) can be different, but personally, I can see how it could relate to the concept of binding vows made with oneself in JJK. In exchange for ‘devotion’, one can invoke the help of Fudō, who by landing his strength can help the invoker overcome the hindrance or the adversity they are facing. When summed up in this simple way, it does resonate with the concept of the binding vow made with oneself. Although the conditions naturally have to be completely different (i.e. what ‘devotion’ entails in JJK terms).

It might offer us a bit of perspective on why Sukuna seems the most efficient (well-versed) in performing the binding vow as well. We see from the examples I provided that invoking Fudō requires the knowledge of certain sutras and a long period of practice. Sukuna, coming from the Heian period (assuming that binding vows were more common like the practice of invoking Fudō that declined over time and is almost extinct in the modern day), would have been able to accumulate such knowledge and would be more familiar with the process of invoking it than your average modern-day sorcerer. He may as well have an understanding of ‘incantations’ that might otherwise not have survived the time.

Considering Akutami Gege’s incorporation of Buddhist practices, personally, it might not be too far off that he might have drawn inspiration from combining the two when creating the concept of binding vows.

[daily-hyosatsu]

A beautiful autumn afternoon walk (Tokyo is just now starting to feel something like October) and a beautiful inscription that I can just barely read: 南無妙法蓮華経 Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. I was very sure about the 南無 and 蓮, and I got the rest from context and comparison, knowing that it's a chant from Nichiren Buddhism.

南無 【なむ】 is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word námas, which means obeisance, adoration, or salutation. You may also have heard it in 南無阿弥陀仏 Namu Amida Butsu, or Hail to Amitābha Buddha. It's written with the characters for 南 south and 無 nothingness.

妙法 【みょうほう】 means, literally, exquisite law (of Buddha), and it often refers specifically to the Lotus Sutra. In other contexts, it can also mean mysteries or excellent methods.

蓮華 【れんげ】 is very straightforward: lotus flower. It's also the name for a type of soup spoon, the flat bottomed ones with the curved handle, which are shaped like the petal of a lotus flower.

経 【きょう here】 means sutra. It can also mean pass (through), longitude/warp, or expire.

[renegade-hierophant]

Buddha Amitābha (“Infinite Light”)

In Shingon Buddhism the mantra associated with this Buddha is:

oṃ amṛta tejehara hūṃ

Amṛta means “deathless”.

Tejehara is a compound of tejas, “bright”, and hara, “bringer”. This is close to the meaning of Latin Lucifer, the “Light Bringer”.

Amitābha is the ruler of a parallel universe, a pureland called Sukhāvatī, the “Sweet Realm”.

[grayrazor]

The diversity of Buddhism is fascinating. All the way from “there are no gods, there are no miracles, there’s no such thing as an immortal soul, karma and reincarnation are just metaphors,”

to “Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha was one human incarnation of the omnipotent multiversal being Mahāvairocana who came to give supernatural powers to his Enlightened followers, one of whom, Amitābha, made a Pure Land where you can go after you die if you call upon his name.”

Granted you could also kind of say the same thing about Christianity, but that’s always been a lot more self-policing of deviance, after all if you think there’s only one truth you want to nail down what exactly it is. Groups like Gnostics or Unitarian Universalists have always been marginalized, with the possible exception of the Mormons, who were isolated enough to actually build up some population.

[dollya-robinprotector]

I love lya religiously ☹️☹️

I migjtve drawn something wrong (your arts and pc's are very pretty!!)

What a cute little fellow you are~

Yes, yes you're all very welcome to join me! After all, we are in search of the prismatic tranquility offered by the Deity of pleasure. Great enlightenment and deliverance will be given at the touch of our fingers together. We shall embrace life to grant our wishes.

But be warned, once you've emerged into the flowers' blossom, there's no going out. No matter where you run, you will never truly escape my embrace.

That's the Nirvana of Amitābha Amidala~

[mahayanapilgrim]

The mind that is single, is the true cause, of birth, in the pure, fulfilled land.

 

May all accept Amida's gift of shinjin. And obtain birth in his land of peace and bliss.

Wherever the Name

Japanese: Namo Amida Butsu

English: Namo Amitabha 

Chinese: Namo Amituofo 

Korean: Namu Amita Bul

Vietnamese: Nam mô A Di Đà Phật

Tibetan: Om Ami Dewa Hri

is present, the Buddha is one with it and all the virtues of the Tathagata are embodied within it.

This is the reason why the Name has the power to save sentient beings.

The logic of the nature of Amida Buddha and the perfection of his Vows leads to the conclusion that one is saved whether or not he consciously knows about it, or whether he is good or evil.

 

Namo Amida Butsu Namo Amida Butsu Namo Amida Butsu

Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo Amitabha Buddha. Namo Amitabha Buddha.

Namo Amitoufo, Namo Amitoufo, Namo Amitoufo

 

Guiding Principles

Faith in, and acceptance of, Amitabha's deliverance

Single-minded recitation of Amitabha's name

Aspiration to rebirth in Amitabha's Pure Land

Comprehensive deliverance of all sentient beings.

Shinjin

Shinjin is a central concept in Shin Buddhism which indicates a state of mind which totally entrusts oneself to Amitabha Buddha's other-power, having utterly abandoned any form of self-effort or calculation. The term is variously translated as "entrusting mind", "true entrusting", "true faith", "trusting heart-mind".

 

Nembutsu

In Pure Land Buddhism, the practice of nembutsu is believed to lead to rebirth in the Pure Land of Perfect Bliss. Nembutsu can mean "to recite aloud". This practice involves calling the Buddha's name, either orally or mentally. The Japanese phrase for the oral invocation of the Buddha Amitābha is Namu Amida Butsu, which means "Hail to Amitābha Buddha. Nembutsu as meditation is the Japanese term which means to think on or contemplate the Buddha. It has a long history in Buddhism and has been considered the central core of practice to gain enlightenment Sakyamuni Buddha used this practice in order to gain enlightenment.

 

Bombu

Bombu is a Buddhist term that means "ordinary beings" or "ordinary person". It refers to the human condition of being ignorant or unenlightened, as opposed to being awakened or enlightened like Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In Shin Buddhist philosophy, the recognition of one's bombu nature is a key part of the religious awakening. This recognition occurs when one awakens to the unconditional love and compassion of Amida Buddha, who saves all beings without discrimination. The bombu paradigm is a feature of Pure Land Buddhism that teaches that total reform is impossible in the world of conditions. It also teaches that the effort to achieve perfection can be counterproductive, leading to spiritual pride.

 

May all practitioners of deep mind single-heartedly accept the Buddha's words and hold fast to the Nembutsu practice, even at the risk of their own lives.

[acalarakta]

Sri Amitābha Buddha, the embodiment of pure perception and Sunyata through infinite light.

[codumofr]

Voici une statue bouddhique représentant Maitreya ou aussi connu suite à son rôle de "Maître" et de "Protecteur" du bouddhisme comme Maitreyanatha. Fait de Bronze Dorée et fabriqué en Chine, cette statue date de l'an 536, durant la période chinoise des Dynastie des Jin orientaux (317 à 420). Nous allons donc parler tant de la culture et de la religion de cette période de la Chine que de la représentation de cette statue.

La personne représentait sur la statue est donc Maitreya qui est un "Mahāsattva" ou "Grand Être" en Sanskrit. Le Mahāsattva est un "Bodhisattva" (un Bouddha avant d'atteindre l'éveil) et pratiquant depuis très longtemps le bouddhisme tout en atteignant un niveau très élevé sur le chemin de l'éveil. Maitreya est censée devenir le Bouddha lorsque l'enseignement du bouddha Shakyamuni (Le Dharma), aura disparu lors de ce qui est décrit comme la Fin du bouddhisme de Shakyamuni (Mappō). Cette personne aurait vu le jour entre 270 et 350, sans aucune certitude néanmoins. Il est généralement représenté comme un Saint Homme ou un Prince. Lors de ses représentations assises, ses deux pieds reposent sur le sol, ayant deux interprétations possibles : il n'est pas encore "assis" comme le bouddha ou au contraire, il se prépare à se lever et à descendre sur Terre pour faire ce qu'il doit faire. Il peut d'ailleurs sur ses représentations avoir la tête légèrement baissée pour signifier qu'il regarde le monde. Un petit stupa peut être dans sa coiffure tandis que sa main droite apparaît généralement avec une roue posée sur un lotus tandis que la gauche sera avec une fiole contenant le nectar du Dharma.

Parlons du Bouddhisme durant la période des Jin Occidentaux maintenant. Durant cette période, le Bouddhisme continuera son implantation dans la Chine. Il apportera une contribution au "Xuanxue", un courant philosophique et culturel apparenté au Néotaoïsme chinois. Dans cette dynastie, un moine d'origine nordique, du nom de Huiyan établira sur le Mont Lu situé dans la Chine du Sud un temple qui deviendra un centre de royannement bouddhiste et qui verra naître le mouvement de la Terre Pure (Le bouddhisme de la Terre pure est essentiellement basé sur la foi, la dévotion et la pratique de la récitation du nom du bouddha Amitābha (nianfo), avec pour objectif d’accéder après cette vie à la terre du bouddha d’Amitabha, où la lumière, la longévité et le bonheur sont tous infinis.). Le Nord lui, sous l'égide des Seize royaumes, verra des travaux importants dans la traduction de nombreuses œuvres sous la direction de Dao'an des Qin Antérieurs et de Kumarajiva des Qin Postérieurs et l'égide des souverains. Le moine Faxian qui quittera le domaine des Qin postérieurs pour entreprendre un très long périple qui dura de 399 à 414 vers les sources du bouddhisme sera relaté dans le Foguoji (Relation des royaumes bouddhiques), dont il rapportera des textes.

[avikats66]

Japanese Buddhist Hand Seals

So have y’all seen this post?

I did some rough translations for the hand seals’ corresponding Japanese deities shown on the source website, featuring romanization of the Japanese kanji alongside the Sanskrit romanization for their Buddhist/Hindu counterparts and a brief descriptor based on what I found using the internet.

印 / Shirushi / Mudra

1 釈迦���来 / Shaka Nyorai / Shakyamuni / Historical Buddha and founder of Buddhism

2 薬師如来 / Yakushi Nyorai / Bhaisajyaguru / Medicine Buddha

3 阿弥陀如来 / Amida Nyorai / Amitābha / Buddha of Limitless Light

4 弥勒如来(弥勒菩薩) / Miroku Nyorai (Miroku Bosatsu) / Maitreya / Future Buddha

5 大日如来 / Dainichi Nyorai / Mahāvairocana / Cosmic Buddha

6 仏眼仏母 / Butsu Genbutsu Mo / Buddhalocanā / Buddha Eye Buddha

7 観世音菩薩 / Kanzeon Bosatsu / Avalokiteśvara / Bodhisattva of Compassion

8 十一面観音 / Juuichimen Kannon / Ekādaśamukha / Eleven-Faced Kannon

9 千手観音 / Senju Kannon / Avalokiteshvara / Thousand-Armed Kannon

10 不空羂索観音 / Fukuukenjaku Kannon / Amoghapasa / Unfailing Lasso Kannon

11 如意輪観音 / Nyoirin Kannon / Cintāmaṇi Cakra / Wishing Gem Wheel Kannon

12 馬頭観音 / Batou Kannon / Hayagriva / Horse Head Kannon

13 准胝観音 / Jundei Kannon / Cundī / Female Buddhist Deity

14 文殊菩薩 / Monju Bosatsu / Manjushri / Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom

15 普賢菩薩 / Fugen Bosatsu / Samantabhadra / Bodhisattva of Practice

16 勢至菩薩 / Seishi Bosatsu / Mahāsthāmaprāpta / Bodhisattva of Wisdom

17 日光菩薩 / Nikkou Bosatsu / Sūryaprabha / Bodhisattva of Sunshine and Good Health

18 月光菩薩 / Gakkoi Bosatsu / Candraprabha / Bodhisattva of Moonlight

19 虚空蔵菩薩 / Kokuuzou Bosatsu / Ākāśagarbha / Bodhisattva of Space

20 地蔵菩薩 / Jizou Bosatsu / Kṣitigarbha / Bodhisattva of Children, Travellers, and the Deceased

21 金剛サッタ/ Kongousatta / Vajrasattva / Vajra Bodhisattva

22 般若菩薩 / Hannya Bosatsu / Prajñāpāramitā Devī / Bodhisattva of Inconceivable Wisdom

23 薬王菩薩 / Yakuou Bosatsu / Bhaiṣajyarāja / Bodhisattva of Medicine

24 軍荼利明王 / Gundari Myouou / Kundali / Wisdom King and Dharmapala

25 大威徳明王 / Daiitoku Myouou / Yamāntaka / Wisdom King and Destroyer of Death

26 金剛夜叉明王 / Kongouyasha Myouou / Vajrayaksa / Wrathful Wisdom King and Manifestation of Kannon/Amoghasiddhi

27 烏枢沙摩明王 / Ususama Myouou / Ucchusma / Wrathful Wisdom King and Remover of Impurities

28 愛染明王 / Aizen Myouou / Rāgarāja / Wisdom King who Transforms Lust into Spiritual Awakening

29 不動明王 / Fudou Myouou / Acala / Vanquisher of Evil and Protector of the State

30 降三世明王 / Gouzanze Myouou / Trailokyavijaya / King of Knowledge and Conqueror of the Three Worlds

31 大元帥明王 / Daigensui Myouou / Āṭavaka / Yaksha Wisdom King

32 孔雀明王 / Kujaku Myouou / Mahamayuri / Protective Goddess and Wisdom King

33 六字明王 idk how best to read this one tbh, but the English translation is: Wisdom King of the Six Characters, referencing the Six-Words-Great-Enlightening-Dharani (chant), which is associated with Avalokiteśvara / Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐ (praise to the jewel in the lotus)

34 毘沙門天 / Bishamonten / Vaiśravaṇa / Heavenly King and God of Warriors

35 吉祥天 / Kisshouten / Śrī Mahādevī (Lakshmi) / Goddess of Beauty, Fertility, and Good Fortune

36 梵天 / Bonten / Brahma / God of Creation

37 帝釈天 / Taishakuten / Śakra / Ruler of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven

38 弁才天 / Benzaiten / Saraswati / Goddess of the Arts

39 大黒天 / Daikokuten / Mahākāla / God of Household Wealth and Fortune

40 深沙大将 / Jinja Taishou / Shensha Shen / Protective Desert Entity originating from Chinese lore and associated with Bishamonten/Vaiśravaṇa

41 歓喜天 / Kangiten / Nandikeshvara / Sacred Bull Mount and Guardian God to Shiva

42 荼吉尼天 / Dakiniten / Dākinī / Dakini (flesh-eating spirit) Goddess associate with Inari

43 伎芸天 / Gigeiten / Celestial Maiden and Patron of the Arts said to be born from Daijizaiten/Mahesvara

44 摩利支天 / Marishiten / Mārīcī / Goddess of Light, Dawn, and Patron of Warriors

45 韋駄天 / Idaten / Skanda / Messenger and Protector of Buddhist Shrines/Teachings

46 鬼子母神 / Kishimojin / Hārītī / Wrathful and Protective Goddess of Children

47 閻魔天 / Enmaten / Yama / God of Death and Justice

48 大日如来法界定 / Dainichi Nyorai Houkai / Mahāvairocana/Vairocana Dharmadhatu / Cosmic Buddha Realm

[crazycatsiren]

For my followers who are curious:

I'm a Mahāyāna Buddhist. I practice mainly Pure Land Buddhism. My Buddha is Amitābha and my Bodhisattva is Guanyin.

Of course, being native Chinese, every now and then, here and there, a little bit of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, which can be considered as a type and regional version of Vajrayāna (tantric/esoteric Buddhism) does come scattering in, though tantra has never really been a focus in my personal spiritual path.