The Sutra Spoken by the Buddha
on Arya-Acalanatha
Chinese: Foshuo Budongmingwangjing
Japan: Bussetsu Shou Fudou Kyou
At that time in the Great Assembly, there was one Vidyaraja. This
Great Vidyaraja possesses great majestic strength. He has the
virtue of great compassion, thus he appears in a bluish-black body.
He has the virtue of great meditative stillness, thus he sits on a
vajra-rock. He has great wisdom, thus he manifests great flames. He
grips the sword of great wisdom to destroy greed, anger, and
ignorance. He holds the rope of samadhi to bind those who are
difficult to tame. He is the markless Dharmakaya, identical with
[all-encompassing] space itself, thus he has no dwelling. His only
dwelling is in the minds and thoughts of living beings. The minds
and inclinations of all beings are different. In accordance with
the minds of living beings, benefit is given and what is sought for
is attained. At that time, all in that great assembly heard this
teaching and were filled with joy. Faithfully receiving it, they
reverently put it into practice.
Description
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Âcala (alternatively Achala or Acala; "The
Immovable One" in Sanskrit, also known as Âcalanâtha,
Âryâcalanâtha, Âcala-vidyâ-râja and Caṇḍamahâroṣaṇa, is the best
known of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm. Acala is also the
eighth of the ten stages towards Buddhahood.
Acala is the destroyer of delusion and the protector of Buddhism.
His immovability refers to his ability to remain unmoved by carnal
temptations. Despite his fearsome appearance, his role is to aid
all beings by showing them the teachings of the Buddha, leading
them into self-control.
He is seen as a protector and aider towards attaining goals, and
temples dedicated to Acala have a periodic fire ritual in devotion
to him.
The Buddha Akshobhya, whose name in Sanskrit also means 'Immovable
One', is sometimes merged with Acala. However, Acalanatha is not a
Buddha, but one of the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm in
Vajrayana as found in the Indo-Tibetan tradition, as well as the
Japanese Shingon sect of Buddhism. As Fudô myô-ô, Acala is
considered one of the Thirteen Buddhas in Japan.
Acala is typically depicted with a sword for subduing demons in his
right hand and a rope for catching and binding them in his left
hand. He has a fearsome blue visage and is surrounded by flames,
representing the purification of the mind. He is often depicted
seated or standing on a rock to show his immovability. His hair
commonly has seven knots and is draped on his left side, a servant
hairstyle in Buddhist iconography. He is frequently depicted with
two protruding fangs. One tooth points down, representing his
compassion to the world, and one tooth points up, representing his
passion for truth.
It is said he enters into a flame-emitting meditation (Jap: kasho
zammai) in which he exudes flames and destroys all karmic
hindrances. Because he never yields to obstacles, he is called Fudo
(Immovable). His name is inscribed in Siddha, a medieval Sanskrit
orthography, on the right side of the Gohonzon as one faces it,
signifying that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana (Jap:
Shoji Soku Nehan).
