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一切如來智印

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Sarva-tathāgata-jñāna-mudrā

Senses:

  • In Esoteric Buddhism, the sign of the wisdom of all Tathāgatas. The central figure in the Court of Omniscience 遍知院 in the Garbhadhātu maṇḍala 胎藏界曼荼羅. (Skt. sarva-tathāgata-muṣṭi, sarva-tathāgata-jñāna-mudrā; Tib. de bzhin gshegs pa thams-cad kyiye shes kyi phyag rgya, de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyiye shes kyi phyag rgya). Also written 一切佛心印, 一切遍智印, 諸佛心印, 大勤勇印, 三角印. Seed syllables: aṃ, khaṃ. Mudrā: lotus añjali 蓮華合掌. Mantra: namaḥ samantabuddhānāṃ sarvabuddhabodhisattvahṛdayanyāveśani namaḥ sarvavide svāhā. Depicted as an upright triangle pure white 純白色 in color surrounded by a green halo atop a white lotus 白蓮花. The triangle corresponds to the element of fire 火大. There are three layers to the triangle representing the wisdom of the buddhas of the three times 三世諸佛. A swastika is placed atop the triangle representing bodhi 菩提. Another swastika is placed within the triangle representing a five-pronged vajra 五鈷杵, which represents inherent bodhicitta. The Darijing shu 大日經疏 (T 1796; fasc. 5) explains that the triangle has the meaning of subjugation 降伏 and removal of obstacles 除障. Sitting under the Bodhi Tree the Buddha with fierce effort defeated the four Māras 四魔 and attained enlightenment 得成正覺. The pure white color is said to be color of great compassion 大慈悲. The Tathāgata, like a lion aroused in anger 師子奮迅, came to possess the power of great diligence 大精進力. It was by way of this that the light of great compassion continually extended throughout the dharma-dhātu 遍法界. The Darijing shu states the pointed end faces downward (an inverted triangle), though the maṇḍala shows it upright. The inverted triangle symbolizes the vulva from which children are born, which alludes to the alternate name of the court: court of the mother of buddhas 佛母院. The flames of the Buddhaʼs wisdom subjugated the fire sacrificing figures who are depicted to the right and left: Uruvilvākāśyapa 優樓頻羅迦葉 and Gayākāśyapa 伽耶迦葉.

    References:

    Somekawa, Eisuke, Michihiko Komine, Tenyū Koyama, Hisao Takahashi, and Takayuki Hirosawa. 1993. Mandara zuten曼荼羅図典 . Tokyo:  Daihōrinkaku.

    [Jeffrey Kotyk, Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura,YBh-Ind, Hirakawa]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 45

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 60c

    Fo Guang Dictionary 9

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0004

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)138c

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 65-3

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2001-09-08

    Updated: 2017-09-12