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金剛界

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: (Skt. vajradhātu)

Senses:

  • The 'diamond,' or vajra, element of the universe; it is the wisdom of Vairocana in its indestructibility and activity; it arises from the garbhadhātu 胎藏界 the womb or store of the Vairocana principles of such wisdom 理智. The two, garbhadhātu and vajradhātu, are shown by the esoteric school, especially in Japanese Shingon, in two maṇḍalas, i.e. groups or circles, representing in various portrayals the ideas arising from the two, fundamental concepts. Vajradhātu is interpreted as the realm of intellection 智, and garbhadhātu as the substance underlying it 理, or the matrix; the latter is the womb or fundamental reason of all things, and occupies the eastern position as 'cause' of the vajradhātu, which is on the west as the resultant intellectual or spiritual expression. But both are one as are Reason and Wisdom, and Vairocana (the illuminator, the 大日 great sun) presides over both, as source and supply. The vajradhātu represents the spiritual world of complete enlightenment, the esoteric dharmakāya doctrine as contrasted with the exoteric nirmāṇakāya doctrine. It is the sixth element 識 mind, and is symbolized by a triangle with the point downwards and by the full moon, which represents 智 wisdom or understanding; it corresponds to 果 fruit, or effect, garbhadhātu being 因 or cause. The 金剛王五部 or five divisions of the vajradhātu are represented by the Five dhyāni-buddhas, thus: center 大日 Vairocana; east 阿閦 Akṣobhya; south 寶生 Ratnasaṃbhava; west 阿彌陀 Amitâbha; north 不空成就 Amoghasiddhi, or Śākyamuni. They are seated respectively on a lion, an elephant, a horse, a peacock, and a garuḍa. See 五佛. Also written 金界. (Tib. rdo rje dbyings) Transliterated as 嚩日囉馱睹. 〔諸經要集 T 2123.54.24c14〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, JEBD, Soothill, Hirakawa, YBh-Ind]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 318

    Bulgyo sajeon 96a

    Iwanami bukkyō jiten 287

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 180a/200

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 418c

    Fo Guang Dictionary 3546

    Ding Fubao {Digital Version}

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 1183

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)1312b

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 476-1*1792-2-11*1795-2-2

    Soothill 282

    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: 2002-06-27

    Updated: 2021-02-13