Five Dhyani Buddhas

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Dhyani Buddhas (Dhyani ध्यानि Skt. for "concentration"; Chinese: 金刚界五智如来, 五方佛), also known as the Five Wisdom Tathāgata(五智如来|Wǔzhì Rúlái), the Five Great Buddhas and the Five Jinas (Skt. for "conqueror" or "victor"), are representations of the five qualities of the Buddha. The term "dhyani-buddha" is first recorded in English by the British Resident in Nepal, Brian Hodgson,Bogle (1999) pp. xxxiv-xxxv in the early nineteenth century, and is unattested in any surviving traditional primary sources. These five Buddhas are a common subject of Vajrayana mandalas.
==Origination==
The Five Wisdom Buddhas are a later development, based on the Yogācāra elaboration of concepts concerning the jñāna of the Buddhas, of the Trikaya (Skt. Tri is "three", kaya is "body") theory, which posits three "bodies" of the Buddha. The Wisdom Buddhas are all aspects of the dharmakaya or "reality-body", which embodies the principle of enlightenment. Initially two Buddhas appeared which represented wisdom and compassion - they were, respectively, and Amitābha. A further distinction embodied the aspects of power, or activity, and the aspect of beauty, or spiritual riches. In the Sutra of Golden Light (an early Mahayana Sutra) the figures are named Dundubishvara, and Ratnaketu, but over time their names changed to become Amoghasiddhi, and . The central figure came to be called Vairocana.
It should be noted that when these Buddhas are represented in mandalas, they may not always have the same color or be related to the same directions. In particular, and Vairocana may be switched. When represented in a Vairocana mandala, the Buddhas are arranged like this:
	
(east)	
Amoghasiddhi
(north)	Vairocana
(principal deity/
meditator)	
(south)
	Amitābha
(west)	
==Names==
 
Names in other languages:
Buddha (Skt)	Chinese 	Japanese 	Tibetan
Vairocana 	大日如來 Dàrì Rúlái<Br>毘盧遮那佛 Pílúzhēnà Fó 	大日如来, Dainichi Nyorai 	Nampar nangdze, Nam nang
 	阿閃如來, Ajiu Rulai 	阿閃如来, Ashuku Nyorai 	Mitrugpa
Amitābha 	阿彌陀佛, Ēmítuó Fó or Āmítuó Fó 	阿弥陀如来, Amida Nyorai 	Wöpakme
 	寳生如來, Baosheng Rulai 	宝生如来, Hōshō Nyorai 	Rinchen Jung ne Rin jung
Amoghasiddhi	成就如來, Chengjiu Rulai 	不空成就如来, Fukūjōju Nyorai 	Dön yö drub pa Dön drub
==Qualities==
There is an expansive number of associations with each element of the mandala, so that the mandala becomes a cipher and mnemonic visual thinking instrument and concept map; a vehicle for understanding and decoding the whole of the Dharma.
Some of the associations include:
Family	Buddha 	Wisdom 	Neurosis/Poison	Skandha 	Action Activity 	Symbol Implement	Element 	Color 	Season	Cardinal Direction	Mudra
Buddha	Vairocana 	all accommodating 	ignorance 	form 	Turning the Wheel of Dharma (teaching)	wheel 	space 	white 	n/a 	center 	teaching the Dharma
Vajra 	Akshobhya 	mirror like 	hatred anger 	consciousness 	protecting, destroying 	scepter, vajra 	water 	blue 	spring	east 	earth-touching
Padma 	Amitābha 	discriminating awareness	desire 	perception 	magnetizing, subjugating 	lotus 	fire 	red 	summer	west 	meditation
Ratna 	Ratnasambhava	equanimity equality 	greed pride 	feeling 	enriching, increasing 	jewel 	earth 	gold, yellow	autumn	south 	giving
Karma 	Amoghasiddhi 	all accomplishing 	envy 	mental formation, concept	pacifying 	double vajras 	air, wind	green 	winter	north 	fearlessness
The Five Wisdom Buddhas are protected by the Five Wisdom Kings, and in Japan are frequently depicted together in the Mandala of the Two Realms and are in the Shurangama Mantra revealed in the Shurangama Sutra. They each are often depicted with consorts, and preside over their own Pure Lands. In East Asia the aspiration to be reborn in a pure land is the central point of Pure Land Buddhism. Although all five Buddhas have pure lands, it appears that only Sukhāvatī of Amitabha, and to a much lesser extent Abhirati of Akshobhya (Great masters like Vimalakirti and Milarepa dwell in this pure land) and Akanishtha of Vajrayogini-Heruka, attracted aspirants on planet Earth. =2008 Oral Commentary on Highest Yoga Tantra by Venerable Bhikshu Geshe Ngawang Dakpa" of Tse Chen Ling, San Francisco FPMT Center 
Buddha (Skt)	Consort 	Dhyani Bodhisattva	Pure Land 	seed syllable
Vairocana 	White Tara or Dharmadhatvishvari 	Samantabhadra 	central pure land Akanistha Ghanavyuha	Om
 	Locanā 	Vajrapāni 	eastern pure land Abhirati 	Hum
Amitābha 	Pandara Pandara The Shakti of Amitabha 	Avalokiteshvara 	western pure land Sukhāvatī 	Hrih
 	Mamaki Mamaki The Shakti of Aksobhya 	Ratnapani 	southern pure land Shrimat 	Trah
Amoghasiddhi	Green Tarachart of the Five Buddhas and their associationsSymbolism of the five Dhyani Buddhas	Viśvapāni 	northern pure land Prakuta 	Ah
== See also ==
* Trikaya - Garbhadhatu - Vajradhatu - Dharmadhatu - Garbha - Vajra - Dharma - Dhatu - Rupa
==References==
* Bogle, George; Markham, Clements Robert; and Manning, Thomas (1999) Narratives of the Mission of George Bogle to Tibet and of the Journey of Thomas Manning to Lhasa ISBN 812061366X
*Bucknell, Roderick & Stuart-Fox, Martin (1986). The Twilight Language: Explorations in Buddhist Meditation and Symbolism. Curzon Press: London. ISBN 0-312-82540-4
== External links ==
* Five Dhyani Buddhas - chart of the Five Buddhas and their associations.
* The Berzin Archives - Buddha-Family Traits (Buddha-Families) and Aspects of Experience 
* Five Dhyani Buddhas - Painting of the Five Buddhas at Padmaloka.
* Symbolism of the five Dhyani Buddhas
* Color Symbolism In Buddhist Art 
* Mark Schumacher: Godai Nyorai (Japanese) - Five Buddha of Wisdom Five Buddha of Meditation Five Jina | Five Tathagatas 
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