Digital Dictionary of Buddhism
胎藏界
Pronunciations[py]tāizàng jiè
[wg]t'ai-tsang-chieh
[hg]태장계
[mc]taejang gye
[mr]t'aejang kye
[kk]タイゾウカイ
[hb]taizō kai
[qn]thai tạng giới
Basic Meaning: womb-container world
Senses:
A term used in esoteric Buddhism to signify all-inclusiveness and fertility (Skt. garbha-dhātu). The womb treasury, the universal source from which all things are produced; the matrix; the embryo; likened to a womb in which all of a child is conceived—its body, mind, etc. It is container and content; it covers and nourishes; and is the source of all supply. It represents the fundamental nature, 理性 both material elements and pure bodhi, or wisdom in essence or purity; principle 理 being the garbhadhātu as fundamental wisdom, and acquired wisdom or knowledge 智, the vajradhātu. It also represents the human heart in its innocence or pristine purity, which is considered as the source of all Buddha-pity and moral knowledge. And it indicates that from the central being in the maṇḍala, viz. the Sun as symbol of Vairocana, there issue all the other manifestations of wisdom and power, buddhas, bodhisattvas, demons, etc. It is innate enlightenment 本覺 in contrast with actualized enlightenment 始覺, the initial or dynamic intellectuality represented in the vajradhātu; hence it is the 因 cause and vajradhātu the 果 effect; though as both are a unity, the reverse may be the rule, the effect being also the cause; it is also likened to 利他 enriching others, as vajradhātu is to 自利 enriching self. Kūkai 空海, the founder of the Shingon 眞言 school in Japan, adopted the representation of the ideas in maṇḍalas, or diagrams, as the best way of revealing the mystic doctrine to the ignorant. In Japan this maṇḍala is placed on the east, typifying the rising sun as source, or 理. The vajradhātu is placed west and represents wisdom or knowledge 智 as derived from the underlying principle 理, but the two are essential one to the other, neither existing apart. The material and spiritual; wisdom-source and intelligence; essence and substance; and similar complementary ideas are thus portrayed.The garbhadhātu may be generally considered as the static and the vajradhātu as the dynamic categories, which are nevertheless a unity. The garbhadhātu is divided into 三部 three sections representing samādhi or quiescence, wisdom-store, and pity-store, or thought, knowledge, pity; one is called the Buddha-section, the others the Vajra and Lotus sections respectively; the three also typify vimokṣa, prajñā, and dharmakāya, or freedom, understanding, and spirituality. There are three heads of these sections, i. e. Vairocana, Vajrapāṇi, and Avalokitêśvara 觀音; each has a mother or source, e.g., Vairocana from Buddha's-eye; and each has a 明王 or emanation of protection against evil; also a śakti or female energy; a germ-letter, etc. The diagram of Five Buddhas contains also four bodhisattvas, making nine in all, and there are altogether thirteen 大院 or great courts of various types of ideas, of varying numbers, generally spoken of as 414. Cf. 金剛界; 大日; 兩部, 胎藏界曼荼羅.
〔諸阿闍梨眞言密教部類總錄 T 2176.55.1114a3〕
[Charles Muller; source(s): Soothill, Nakamura, JEBD]
Search SAT
Search INBUDS Database
Feedback
[Dictionary References]
Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 684
Bulgyo sajeon 885a
Iwanami bukkyō jiten 539
Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 312a/347
Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 905c
Fo Guang Dictionary 3935
Ding Fubao
Bussho kaisetsu daijiten (Ono) ⑦177a/⑦177b
Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)3302b
Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1099-2*1670-3-25
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: 2010-02-03