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Vajrapāṇi (Sanskrit, "Vajra in [his] hand") is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapāṇi is extensively represented in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha.
Indian Mahayana Buddhist practice included numerous elements of devotion and ritual, which were considered to generate much merit (punya) and to allow the devotee to obtain the power or spiritual blessings of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. These elements remain a key part of Mahayana Buddhism today. Some key Mahayana practices in this vein include:
The yidam, or ishta-devata, is a personal meditation deity. The Sanskrit word iṣṭadevatā or iṣṭadevaḥ is defined by V. S. Apte as "a favorite god, one's tutelary deity." [18] Though this term is used in many popular books on Buddhist Tantra, the term işţadevatā has not been
Wrathful deities are a notable feature of the iconography of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, especially in Tibetan art. These types of deities first appeared in India during the late 6th century, with its main source being the Yaksha imagery, and became a central feature of Indian Tantric Buddhism by the late 10th or early 11th century.
Seven years after the Buddha's enlightenment, she came down to visit Tavatimsa Heaven, where the Buddha later preached the Abhidharma to her. [ 1 ] In Hinduism , the tushitas are referred to as one of the nine gana deities: adityas , visvedevas , vasus , tushitas, abhasvaras , anilas, maharajikas , sadhyas , and the rudras .
[75] [80] Subhūti is a major figure in Mahayana Buddhism and is one of the central figures in Prajñāpāramitā sutras. [ 78 ] [ 79 ] For instance, the Diamond Sutra is framed as a question-and-answer between the Buddha and Subhūti, resulting in the latter's deepened insight into emptiness , a core philosophical component underlying the ...
For the Mahāsaṃghikas, the historical Gautama Buddha was one of these transformation bodies (Skt. nirmāṇakāya), while the essential real Buddha is equated with the Dharmakāya. [28] As in Mahāyāna traditions, the Mahāsāṃghikas held the doctrine of the existence of many contemporaneous buddhas throughout the ten directions. [29]
Some Mahayana sources use the sky as a simile for the Dharmakaya and for emptiness. [5] [6]The Trikāya doctrine sees Buddhahood as composed of three bodies, components or collection of elements (kāya): the Dharma body (the ultimate aspect of Buddhahood), the body of self-enjoyment (a divine and magical aspect) and the manifestation body (a more human and earthly aspect).