Acala Vidyaraja

Explore the Five Wisdom Kings in Buddhism: their origins, symbolism, and the powerful Acala.
Acala Vidyaraja
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Acala Vidyaraja
Acala Vidyaraja
In the Buddhist cultural tradition, according to Tangmi (Chinese Esoteric Buddhism), the Five Great Wisdom Kings are recorded as follows: Acala (Fudō Myōō) in the center, Trailokyavijaya in the east, Kuṇḍali in the south, Yamāntaka in the west, and Vajrayakṣa in the north, forming the image of the Five Great Venerable Ones. However, in the Tiantai School's esoteric teachings, Vajrayakṣa in the north is replaced by Ucchuṣma.
These Five Wisdom Kings are manifestations of the Buddha in future worlds, created to subdue lustful and stubborn beings and protect the Three Treasures. They were instructed by the Great Sun Buddha, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitābha, and Amoghasiddhi to transform into wrathful forms, known as the Command Wheel.
Acala, the central figure among the Five Wisdom Kings, has various forms including two-armed, four-armed, and six-armed images, with the two-armed version being the most common. Acala, whose name means "Immovable" or "Unmovable" in Sanskrit, is the Command Wheel body of Mahāvairocana Buddha. He manifests in a wrathful form under the Buddha's command, constantly abiding in the fire-producing samadhi to burn away internal and external obstacles and impurities, crushing all demonic armies and enemies.
Acala Vidyaraja
Acala Vidyaraja
Acala appears in the form of one who has just awakened the great mind but lacks all the marks. He serves as an attendant and servant of the Tathāgata, carrying out various tasks. His vow states: "Those who see my body will awaken the bodhi mind; those who hear my name will abandon evil and cultivate goodness; those who hear my teachings will attain great wisdom; those who understand my mind will achieve Buddhahood in this very body."
The worship of Acala was highly popular in both Tangmi and the Tiantai School's esoteric teachings, leaving many traces in their respective temples. Acala is accompanied by eight great child attendants: Wisdom Light, Wisdom Joy, Anutta, Finger Virtue, Ukubhaga, Pure Bhikkhu, Kinkara, and Cetaka.
A variant form of Acala is called Kurikara Fudō, depicted with a snake body in the act of swallowing a sword while standing on a rock. The practice of Acala is used for pacifying calamities and increasing benefits. When praying for national peace and people's wellbeing, it is called the Anchin method.
Acala Vidyaraja
Acala Vidyaraja
Serving esoteric practitioners, Acala accepts their leftover food offerings and constantly protects them day and night, helping them fulfill their bodhi. This servant-like samadhi is why he's called the Acala Messenger. His virtues of pure bodhi mind are extremely fierce and immovably firm, hence the name "Immovable"; his wisdom is sharp and unparalleled, thus "Wisdom King."
The "immovable" also signifies the great tranquility and unwavering nature of the bodhi mind, representing the true pure bodhi mind's essence as internally realized by all Buddhas. Acala takes bodhi mind as the cause, belonging to the Vajra Division's wisdom. With great compassion as the root, he encompasses the Lotus Division's principle. With skillful means as the ultimate, he embodies the Buddha Division's principle and wisdom. This venerable one takes the wind of cessation as the basis, being the supreme method for prolonging life.

The imagery of Acala Wisdom King includes:

  1. A lotus on the crown: Representing the vehicle carrying practitioners to the Buddha's land, also symbolizing the ninth consciousness.
  1. Blue-black body color: Indicating the non-duality of ignorance and afflictions with the nature of bodhi dharma, showing the aspect of subduing the four demons.
  1. Abiding in the fire-producing samadhi: Able to burn away all sentient beings' ignorance, afflictions, darkness, and impurities.
  1. Appearing in the form of a child servant: With a lowly and plump body, accepting the Buddha's orders, serving practitioners, transforming sentient beings below, and embracing various classes.
  1. Seven spiral hair knots on the head: Representing the seven factors of enlightenment.
  1. One braid hanging on the left: Symbolizing compassion and care for extremely suffering beings, extending kindness to relieve their afflictions.
  1. Water-wave wrinkles on the forehead: Showing the compassionate concern for the six realms with equal kindness.
  1. Left eye slightly closed: Manifesting an extremely evil and hideous appearance to frighten demons, also representing the concealment of heterodox paths to lead beings into the One Vehicle.
  1. Lower teeth biting upper lip, showing teeth: Demonstrating the use of compassionate power to frighten demons.
  1. Mouth tightly closed: Representing the cessation of frivolous speech.
  1. Right hand holding a wisdom sword: Symbolizing the slaying of sentient beings' three poisons of delusion and karma, cutting off afflictions to reach bodhi.
  1. Left hand holding a rope: Representing the binding of the four demons, using freely skillful means to discipline those who do not submit.
  1. Eating practitioners' leftover food: Symbolizing the consumption of sentient beings' habitual tendencies of ignorance.
  1. Sitting in half-lotus position on a large rock: Representing the suppression of sentient beings' extremely heavy karmic obstacles, helping them establish an immovable pure bodhi mind.
  1. Great wrathful form: Showing a fierce and angry appearance, demonstrating the ability to transform through intimidation.
  1. Flames emitting from the entire body: Representing wisdom fire pervading the dharma realm, able to burn away one's own and others' karmic obstacles and all difficult-to-subdue types.
  1. The sword surrounded by the Kurikara dragon king: Symbolizing that wisdom fire can extinguish the evil dragons of the three poisons, like a Garuda bird able to devour evil and poisonous dragon offspring.
  1. Two child attendants flanking: Representing the counteraction of delusions for those who follow the right path and those who don't. On the left stands Kinkara, holding Samantabhadra's Vajra Division rope. On the right stands Cetaka, holding Manjushri's Lotus Division sword. The central Acala represents the Buddha Division's wisdom.
  1. Four-character mantra: Representing the four secrets of the Tathāgata, from which the three bodies of all Buddhas in the three times manifest to attain perfect enlightenment, obtaining the merit of supreme support.
Acala Vidyaraja
Acala Vidyaraja
It is said that Maheśvara, the lord of the three thousand worlds, was arrogant and refused to heed the summons, thinking: "I am the lord of the three realms, who else is worthy to summon me?" He further thought: "Those mantra holders fear all filth and evil. Now I will transform into all kinds of filthy things, surrounding them on all sides. What can their mantras do?"
At that time, Acala Wisdom King, following the Buddha's command, summoned that deity who acted in such a way. He then transformed into the Impurity-Touching Vajra, causing it to capture Maheśvara. The Impurity Vajra instantly devoured all the filth without remainder and brought Maheśvara to the Buddha. Maheśvara said: "You are of the Yaksha class, while I am the lord of all devas. How can I submit to your summons?" He then fled.
Acala Vidyaraja
Acala Vidyaraja
This happened seven times. Then Acala Wisdom King said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, this being has violated the samaya precepts of the Buddhas of the three times. How should we discipline him?" The Buddha said, "Cut him down." Acala Wisdom King then seized Maheśvara, stepping on the crescent moon on his crown with his left foot and on the upper crescent moon with his right foot. At that moment, Maheśvara died and lost consciousness internally, realizing countless dharmas and receiving a prediction of Buddhahood. From this, we can see the extraordinary power of Acala Wisdom King.
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Oct 16, 2024
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