Himalayan Art Resources

Buddhist Deity: Vairochana Buddha Main Page

Vairochana Masterworks

- Art History

- Iconography

- Religious Context


Videos:
- Vairochana Buddha
- The Five Buddhas

Vairochana Buddha can best be understood in three different ways: as the [1] principal character in a number of Buddhist sutras, [2] a meditational deity used in ritual practices, and [3] a familiar image depicted in early painting and sculpture. Vairochana is also one of the pre-eminent Buddhas in Tantric Buddhism along with Akshobhya and Amitabha. In some Sutra and Tantra explanations Vairochana is seen as a universal form of Shakyamuni Buddha and therefore especially important in the early development and history of Tantric Buddhism.

There are two main types of Vairochana:
- Buddha Appearance (nirmanakaya)
- Peaceful Appearance (sambhogakaya)

Fact Sheet:
Identity: A deity/Buddha
Tantra Class: Charya Tantra, Yoga Tantra, Anuttarayoga Tantra
Source Text: Vairochana Abisambodhi Sutra, Sarvadurgati Parishodana Tantra, Vajrashekhara Tantra, etc.
Function/activity: Universal Buddha
Metaphor: Universality, Sun, variable

Special Characteristics:
Appearance: peaceful
Colour: White, variable
Gesture: Vajra, Teaching
Attributes: none
Consort: Vajradhātvīśvarī
Mount: Lion Supported Throne, Variable

Database Search: All Images | Painting | Sculpture | Mandalas

Jeff Watt 10-2008 [updated 5-2017, 2-2020]


Essay: ANCIENT TIBETAN BUDDHIST ROCK CARVINGS OF VAIROCHANA: PORTRAITS OF TIBETAN SOVEREIGNS AND THEIR COURTIERS by Amy Heller.