Five Tathāgatas

In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Tathāgatas (Skt: पञ्चतथागत, pañcatathāgata; (Ch: 五方佛, Wǔfāngfó) or Five Wisdom Tathāgatas (Ch: 五智如来, Wǔzhì Rúlái), are the five cardinal male and female Buddhas that are inseparable co-equals,[1] although the male cardinal Buddhas are more often represented.

[4][5] They are also sometimes called the "Dhyani-buddhas", which is a term first recorded in English by Brian Houghton Hodgson, a British resident in Nepal,[6] in the early 19th century, and is unattested in any surviving traditional primary sources.

[8] The Golden Light for example, has a mandala with Shakyamuni in the center, surrounded by Ratnaketu (south), Amitayus (west), Dundubhisvara (north) and Aksobhya (east) Buddhas.

[8] Before the set of the Compendium of Principles became the most popular, there were numerous slightly different schemas with different Buddha names.

The Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra for example contains a slightly different set of Buddhas, with Samkusumitarajendra, and Ratnaketu in place of Amoghasiddhi and Ratnasambhava.

The Cakrasaṃvara for example, contains six main Buddhas with their own corresponding mandalas: Heruka, Vairocana, Vajrasūrya, Padmanarteśvara, Paramāśva, and Vajrasattva.

In the tantric Buddhist literature, each of the five Buddhas have extensive qualities and features, including different directions, colors, mudrā, symbol, aspects, klesha, element; consort and spiritual son, as well as different animal vehicles (elephant, lion, peacock, harpies or garuda, or dragon).

He may be seated in the Vajraparyanka (also known as Bhūmisparśa) pose, with the right hand on the right knee, palm turned inwardly, and middle finger touching the ground.

Although all five families abide in pure lands, it appears that only Sukhavati of Amitābha, and to a much lesser extent Abhirati of Akshobhya, where great masters like Vimalakirti and Milarepa are said to dwell, were popularly venerated.

The Five Tathāgathas are protected by five Wisdom Kings called Vidyārājas, and in China and Japan they are frequently depicted together in the Mandala of the Two Realms.

In the Shurangama Mantra revealed in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, an especially influential dharani in the Chinese Chan tradition, the Five Tathāgathas are mentioned as the hosts of the five divisions which control the vast armies of the five directions.

[19] In an early Indian Yoga Tantra of the Five Families, the five prajña consorts or five mothers (Tib.

yum lnga), the associated bodhisattvas and their pure lands that correspond to the Five Tathagatas are:[18][20][16][21] Other tantras and commentaries provide alternative families and listings of the male and female Buddha pairings.