Samantabhadra indicates either the contemporary Bodhisattva of Gautama Shākyamuni, of an particular importance in the schools Tiantai and Huayan, or the Ādibuddhā or paramount Buddha of the Vajrayāna (Buddhism tantric). The bodhisattva is known under the name of Puxian (普賢) in Chinese, Fugen in Japanese and Phổ Hiền Bồ Tát in Vietnamese; Ādi Bouddha names Kun you bzang-Po in Tibetan and Qamugha Sain in Mongolian. Its name Sanskrit of origin can mean " all-excellent" , " all-auspicieux" or " all-vertueux" , that is to say still “universal Excellence”.

Bodhisattva

Like Manjusri, he plays a leading role in the Soutra Avatamsaka , text canonical of the school Huayan. Samantabhadra and Manjusri have precedence of the others there bodhisattvas as “wire of the Bouddha”; Samantabhadra is on its line and represents the truth or the law ( Li 理), while Manjusri on the left represents wisdom or the intelligence ( zhi 智). This triad is known under the name of the “Three saints of Huayan” (huayan sansheng 華嚴三聖). In the Huayan school, the paramount Buddha is the Dharmakāya Vairocana.

Samantabhadra is also important for the currents based on the Soutra of the lotus , like Tiantai, Tendai and Nichiren, which makes of it the “owner” of will soutra.

He is in addition known in China as one of the large four bodhisattvas which represent the four requirements to become bodhisattva: the practice (Samantabhadra), wisdom (Manjusri), the compassion (Avalokiteshvara) and the wish (Ksitigarbha). The mount Emei is devoted to him. Its first temple was built there after the installation in 399 of the monk Huichi (慧持) come from the mount Lu. The Taizong emperor of the Song made there draw up a bronze statue of Puxian. He also has a protective role based on the promise made in the Sūtra Shurangama assist instantaneously from those which call it, whatever the distance.

A Chinese popular belief made réincarner Manjusri and Samantabhadra in two orphans raised in a monastery, who would have become the famous monks and friendly Hanshan (寒山) and Shide (拾得).

In the iconography, it is generally represented rising an white elephant with six defenses, symbol of firmness, of which each foot rests on a lotus; it can be opposite in Manjusri overlapping a blue tiger, symbol of intelligence. One gives him sometimes a female appearance.

Ten wishes of Samantabhadra

According to the Soutra Avatamsaka , he pronounced ten wishes, suggested with faithful like sees spiritual development: (1) To pay homage to all the Buddhas (2) to address praises (3) to Them not to be miserly offerings (4) repentance of the faults which involve a bad Karma (5) to be delighted by the merits of others (6) Requérir the teaching of the Buddha (7) Prier the Buddha to remain in this world (8) Suivre constantly its lesson (9) Vivre in good harmony with all the creatures (10) Etendre universally the benefit of the merits. The Chinese tradition added ten exercises of patience there

The paramount Buddha

In Buddhisms of Vajrayāna, whose Shingon Japanese and Buddhism Tibetan Nyingmapa, Samantabhadra occupies the central place: it is itself Vairocana, the paramount Buddha, i.e. in the beginning it immediately recognized its own nature in the demonstrations of Rigpa, creativity of the paramount gasoline. It is then represented naked, of blue color, without ornaments, to mean the essential Vacuité, carrying out the Mudrā meditation. One often sees it in Yab-yum, i.e. intertwining his Parèdre Samantabhadri, white. The schools Tibetans of the new translation (Sarmapa), pricipalement Sakyapa, Kagyupa and Gelugpa, call it Vajradhara, " Holder of diamond-foudre". It is also blue or blue-night, but this time avoided several ornaments, holding the Vajra and the bell symbolizing the union of the average skilful and the wisdom of the Vacuité. It then represents the paramount Buddha in its form of Samboghakāya.

Certain Yogaçara schools regard it as the inventor of the Yoga instead of Vairocana. It occupies a central role for the practitioners of the Japanese extatic meditation Hokkesammai.

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