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Acalanatha

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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(Skt: Acalanatha) Fudo is a Buddhist deity who serves practitioners by defeating the obstacles and devils which hinder Buddhist practice. He is regarded as the head of five great deities, the other four being Gosanze, Gundari, Daiitoku and Kongoyasha, as well as of eight great deities (the above five plus Ususama, Munsosho, and Mezu). It is said he enters into a flame-emitting meditation (Jap: kasho zammai) in which he exudes flames and destroys all karmic


hindrances. Because he never yields to obstacles, he is called Fudo (Immovable). He is popularly depicted as an angry figure surrounded by flames, holding a rope and a sword. His name is inscribed in Siddha, a medieval Sanskrit orthography, on the right side of the Gohonzon as one faces it, signifying that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana (Jap: Shoji Soku Nehan).


Those borned in the year of the rooster have, as their protector, Acala Buddha. Difficulties are pacified as they arise. The vow of this buddha is, "whoever sees my form will generate bodhicitta; whoever hears my name will cut off delusions


and practice virtue; whoever hears my speech will gain wisdom and whoever knows my mind will gain buddhahood." Acala Buddha's great compassion is evident. Acala Buddha is a wrathful manifestation. This serves to subdue evil beings and cause beings on the path to develop unshakable faith and bodhicitta.


Acala or 'Bu Dong Ming Wang' means firm and unshakable faith , he is first of the five ferocious looking 'Ming Wangs' in Shingon Symbolism, the five 'Ming Wangs' are ferocious manifestations of the Shingon Buddhas when subdueing demons, a picture of him is attached above...his outlook is basically a muscular-looking ancient indian slave,


originally he is a powerful god-like being in ancient India, however doing evil,after being curbed by the buddha..he become one of the great protectors upholding the teachings of Buddhism. The fire behind him is actually a golden-winged bird..known as the garuda and the sword he holds is a demon-subdueing sword clsoely attached by a mystical dragon...this is only a brief description of Acala..


In the recorded history of his life Guan Yu had many occasions to display his nobility, uprightness, integrity, loyalty and bravery. He lived at a time of great distress and chaos when the virtue of the Han Dynasty, set up in 202 B.C., began to decline and uprisings, warring, dissatisfactions and rebellions were rampant. Temptations of acquiring

wealth, fame and power did not deter him from remaining faithful to the oath that had taken with his brothers at the peach orchard:" to be loyal to each other in life and united in death..."And his ability to bear pain unflinchingly, there was an occasion when he


was wounded by a poison arrow which required the arrow and the poison to be removed. He calmly submitted himself to the ordeal and allowed his arm to be opened and scratched to bone by his physician while he concentrated his attention on a game of chess, without showing the least sign of pain.


In the year 219 A.D. he was captured by Chuan and put to death. It was recorded that on the night of his death, his spirit appeared to a Buddhist monk, to seek for instruction on the Buddhas teachings.


According to the Buddhist account, Guan Yu manifested himself before the Tripitaka Master Chi Tsai, the founder of Tien Tai Buddhism, with a retinue of spiritual beings. The master was then in deep meditation at the Yu Chien Mountain when he was distracted by Guan Yu's presence. After receiving the Five Precepts and became a Buddhist practioner. He

then vowed that he would be hereforth be a guardian for the Buddhadharma and thus, for more than a thousand years, Guan Yu has been worshipped as a Guardian or Dharma Protector in Buddhist temples. The Pure Land Buddhists also respected him as the Sentinel to the Western Paradise of Amitabha Buddha. For these reasons Guan Ti has earned a place in the Chinese Pantheon of Deities; his statues are normally found in the first hall of most temples and incense should be offered to him as a mark of respect.


Source

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