Acala

:Disambiguation: Fudo redirects here. For the fictional characters see Fudo Toma.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Ācala (alternatively, Achala or Acalanatha (अचलनाथ) in Sanskrit, Fudō Myōō (不動明王) in Japan) is the best known of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm. He is also known as Ācalanātha, Āryācalanātha, Ācala-vidyā-rāja and . The Sanskrit term ācala means "immovable"; Ācala is also the name of the eighth of the ten stages of the path to become a bodhisattva. His siddham seed-syllabe is "".
Ācala is the destroyer of delusion and the protector of Buddhism. His immovability refers to his ability to remain unmoved by carnal temptations. Despite his fearsome appearance, his role is to aid all beings by showing them the teachings of the Buddha, leading them into self-control.
He is seen as a protector and aide in attaining goals. Shingon Buddhist temples dedicated to Ācala perform a periodic fire ritual in devotion to him.
The buddha Akshobhya, whose name also means "the immovable one", is sometimes merged with Ācala. However, Ācala is not a buddha, but one of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm in Vajrayana as found in the Indo-Tibetan tradition, as well as the Japanese Shingon sect of Buddhism. 
As Fudō myōō, Ācala is considered one of the Thirteen Buddhas in Japan. Fudō myōō, meaning "Immovable Wisdom King", is the patron deity of the Yamabushi. He usually holds a sword and a lariat, is clad in rags, has one fang pointing up and another pointing down, and a braid on one side of his head. His statues are generally placed near waterfalls and deep in the mountains and in caves.Snyder 1999, pg. 244
==Notes==
==References==
*Snyder, Gary. The Gary Snyder Reader (1999) Counterpoint. ISBN 1-887178-90-2
==External links==
*Fudo Myo-O, 不動明王 O-Fudo-sama in Japan
*http://people.brandeis.edu/~eschatt/ImmortalWishes/fudo.html
*Encyclopedia Mythica Article on Fudo
*Shingon Buddhist International Institute
Category:Buddhas
Category:Dharmapalas
Category:Buddhist deities, bodhisattvas, and demons
Category:Shingon Buddhism
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