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Studies in Indian Art c12.s3.t1: Early References

Studies in Indian Art c12.s3.t1

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English

Early References

c12.s3.t1.1

The above Pantheon was not perfected all at once. We do not find the mention of the five Dhyānī Buddhas in the literature of the Mahāyāna Buddhists prior to the time of Indra Bhūti (cir. 700—750 A.D.). We meet with none of them in the works of Aśvaghosha (c. 1st century A.D.), Nāgārjuna (2nd cent. A.D.) and his disciple Āryadeva. We have evidence that during A.D. 148—170 the Sukhāvatī Vyūha or the Amitāyus Sūtra was translated into Chinese. This Sūtra mentions for the first time the name of Amitābha, and his other name Amitāyus, who resides in the Sukhāvatī or Akanishṭha heaven, where he remains in constant meditation and where he is believed to have brought forth the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara into existence. The smaller recension of this Amitāyus Sūtra which was also translated into Chinese between A.D. 384—417, mentions two more names, of Akshobhya as a Tathāgata and Mañjuśrī as a Bodhisattva. It may be noted, however, that Fahian mentions the names of Mañjuśrī, Avalokiteśvara, and Maitreya; Hiuen Tsang the names of Avalokiteśvara, Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, and also Padmapāṇi, Vaiśravaṇa, Sākya Bodhisattva and Hārītī. The latter also refers to many saints deified as Bodhittvas, e.g., Aśvaghosha, Nāgārjuna, Asaṅga, Sumedhas and others. He refers to many of the previous Buddhas also. It-sing, another devout Buddhist traveller (A.D. 671—695), mentions Avalokiteśvara, Amitāyus or Amitābha, Maitreya and Mañjuśrī. [Cf. B. Bhattacharya, Buddhist Iconography].

c12.s3.t1.2

It is evident from this that the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara Padmapāṇi and his spiritual father Amitābha or Amitāyus were the most ancient and popular of the Divine Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Of the mortal Buddhas, besides Gautama, Maitreya is most frequently mentioned, both Fahian and Hiuen Tsang making reference to him. It may be because Avalokiteśvara presides over the present aeon, the Bhadra-kalpa, and Maitreya is to incarnate as the future Buddha in the next kalpa, that the worship of these two besides Gautama, the Buddha of the present age, was more popular than others.

Cites (1)