42 Peaceful Deities of the Bardo
The first five primordial Buddhas are also called Tathagatas or Jinas. Tathagata means literally "thus gone", or he who has become one with the essence of what is, and Jina translates as "victorious". Both of these terms are synonymous with the name Buddha that signifies "the awakened one". The five Tathagatas are the five principal modes of energy of Buddha-nature, fully awakened consciousness. They embody five qualities of wisdom; everything that is part of existence- living beings, places, or events- is deeply connected with and can be described in terms of one of the five. For this reason, they are also known as the five families. However, in the samsaric world or in the state of mind of an unenlightened person, they appear as five poisons or confused emotions. This situation is then represented by their wrathful aspects.
Vairochana (Spreading Forth of the Seed) is the Buddha of the Central Realm. He is white and the space in which he appears is blue; the dazzling blue light of Dharmdhatu that radiates from his heart competes with the dull white light of the realm of gods (devaloka). Seated on a lion throne and embraced by the Mother of the Space of Heaven, he is holding an eight-spoked wheel in his hand, symbolizing transcendence of direction and time. Vairochana is often represented with four faces, simultaneously perceiving all directions, which expresses complete openness of consciousness and decentralized panoramic vision. He represents the wisdom of the dharmadhatu, the limitless, all-pervading space in which everything exists as it really is. Since he is the original and central figure, his family is known as the Buddha family or the Tathagata family; these names represent the true reality, opposite of ignorance. In his negative aspect, he symbolizes the basic poison of confusion or basic ignorance out of which all the others evolve.
Akshobhya (the Immovable Buddha) or Vajrasattva (Diamond Being) is the Buddha of the Eastern Realm of Pre-Eminent Happiness. He is blue and the bright white light of the mirror-like wisdom radiating from his heart competes with the dull smoke-colored light of the Hell realm (narakaloka). Embraced by his Shakti Buddha-Locana, the Buddha Eye, he he is resting on an elephant throne, holding in his hand a five-pronged Vajra or thunderbolt. His attendants are the Boddhisattvas Kshitigarbha, the Essence of Earth, and Maitreya, the Loving One, as well as two female Bodhisattvas, Lasya, the goddess of dance, and Pushpa, the goddess of flowers. Akshobhya is the ruler of the Vajra family that represents deep transcendental wisdom reflecting everything with clarity and without critical judgment. The corresponding poison is aggression or hatred.
Ratnasambhava (Born of A Jewel) is the Buddha of the Southern Realm Endowed with Glory. He is yellow and radiates dazzling yellow light of equanimity and non-discrimination, the richness and majesty of which might make one choose the competing dull bluish-yellow light of the human realm (manakaloka). Seated on a horse throne, Ratnasambhava is holding in his hand the wishfulfilling gem. His yellow color represents the fertility, wealth, and richness of the Earth; his consort Mamaki represents water, an element which is indispensable for fertility. The two accompanying male Bodhisattvas are Akashagarbha, or the Essence of Space, and Samantabhadra, the All-Good, and their female counterparts are Mala, representing jewels and precious adornments of all kinds, and Dhupa, the goddess of smell, scent, and fresh air. Ratnasambhava presides over the Ratna family which is characterized by the wisdom of equanimity, equality, and non-discriminating light; its specific poison is pride.
Amitabha (the Buddha of Infinite Light) is the Buddha of the Western Realm of Happiness, the Western Paradise, or Sukhavati. He is red and radiates from his heart brilliant red light of the all-discriminating wisdom; the alternative here is the dull red light of the realm of the hungry ghosts (pretaloka). Amitabha is seated on a peacock throne, holding a lotus in his hand, and embraced by his shakti Pandaravasini, the White-Clad One. The peacock and the lotus symbolize purity, openness, and acceptance. Amitabha's Boddhisattvas are Avalokiteshvara, the ultimate intelligence of compassion, Manjushri, representing the communication of compassion through sound, Gita, the goddess of sound, and the torch-bearing Aloka. Amitabha rules the Padma family characterized by compassion and discriminating wisdom; its poison is indulgence in ordinary passions and attachment to pleasurable aspects of the material world.
Amogha-Siddhi (the Buddha of Infallible Magic) is the Buddha of the Northern Realm of Successful Performance of Best Actions. He is green and emanates from his heart radiant green light which competes with the dull green light from the realm of the divine warriors (asuraloka). He is sitting on a seat of sheng-shang, a form of harpy or Garuda, an archetypal bird who is a musician and a symbol of fulfillment; he can fly and cover all space. Amogha-Siddhi is embraced by his consort, Samaya-Tara, the Savior of Sacred Word, and the crossed multicolored vajra he is holding in his hand symbolizes the area of all activities perceived in all directions, a kind of panoramic fulfillment. Here we find the Bodhisattvas Vajrapani, or Vajra Holder, symbolizing enormous energy, and Sarvanivarana- viskambhin, the Purifier of All Hindrances, as well as their female counterparts Gandha, the goddess of perfume, and Naivedya, who provides the food of meditation. Amogha-Siddhi presides over the Karma family, associated with wise action, efficiency, and fulfillment; its characteristic poison is jealousy.
The five Tathagatas appear individually on the first five consecutive days of the Chonyid Bardo. On the sixth day, all these five primordial Buddhas manifest simultaneously. If one is unprepared for this experience, this leads to a state of bewilderment, since the five Tathagatas fill all the space, all the directions; there is no escape, since the four gates are also guarded by the guardians of the gates: Vijaya or the Victorious One (East), Yamantaka or the Destroyer of the Lord of Death (South), Hayagriva or the Horse-Headed King (West), and Amritakundali or the Coil of the Nectar of Immortality (North), all with their shaktis. In addition, there are the Buddhas of the six lokas, and other figures, forty-two deities altogether.
