Buddha Amitayus, Bestower of Longevity
In Tibetan Buddhism, this Buddha’s Mantra Ensures a Long Life
Nov 6, 2009
Buddhist scriptural texts lay a great deal of stress on the rarity of a human rebirth. This point is explained with great lucidity in the note on the subject provided by the Tashi Choling Society, Canada.
In this note, the idea is amplified with the startling “analogy of a crippled blind turtle swimming in a huge ocean and coming to the surface once every hundred years, only to accidentally poke its head through a ring floating on the surface of the ocean, such are the chances of receiving a perfect birth as a human.”
The Spiritual Imperatives to Prolong Human Rebirth
Given the rarity of a human rebirth, certain spiritual imperatives arise for Buddhists to try and prolong their life to the extent possible for them. These imperatives are the main points of the initial teachings given in one of the most important seminal texts on the Lamrim (Graduated Path to Enlightenment), namely the “Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand,” by one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most influential high lamas of the Gelug tradition, Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche (1878-1941).
The main imperatives mentioned by him include the following:
- One can use the “present physical form” to prevent oneself of ever taking rebirth in the lower realms.
- One can achieve rebirths of long living God forms (such as Brahma or Indra) through the present rebirth.
- One can achieve rebirths in the pure realms (such as Abhirati, Sukhavati and Tushita) by means of the present physical rebirth.
- One can achieve the states of “liberation or omniscience” during this rebirth by following correct practices.
- One can achieve the “the state of Vajradhara (the unification of the illusory body and great bliss) within one short lifetime in this degenerate age”. Otherwise, Pabongka Rinpoche warns that “it would take three countless great eons to achieve”.
However, it's believed that in order to achieve any one of the imperatives cited above, it becomes necessary to prolong one’s life as long as possible with the obvious objective of giving oneself as much time as possible to collect merit (good Karma) in this life or “present physical form.” Thus, was born the necessity of a “Buddha of Infinite Life”, namely Amitayus, on which one could meditate and perform all the accompanying practices for a long life.
Buddha Amitayus as the Enjoyment Body (sambhoga-kaya) of Buddha Amitabha
According to Mahayana Buddhist doctrines, the Buddha can be conceptualised in three modes (in Sanskrit “Trikaya.”) According to the description of the “Trikaya” given in “A Dictionary of Buddhism,” these forms are:
- Truth Body (dharma-kaya) – The ultimate truth or absolute reality to which all Buddhas belong. This is what Pabongka Rinpoche refers to as “the state of Vajradhara” mentioned earlier.
- Enjoyment Body (sambhoga-kaya) – Essentially this is the conceptualisation of the Buddha as he would appear to supernatural beings and Bodhisattvas (potential Buddhas who have deliberately delayed their own enlightenment in order to help others lesser endowed than themselves in achieving enlightenment). Essentially, as one of the primary motivation of those practicing the meditation on Amitayus is to delay their own liberation from the “present physical form” in order to help others lesser endowed than themselves in achieving enlightenment, it makes these practitioners, by virtue of motivation, into Bodhisattvas. This is the reason why this iconographic root form, namely as Amitayus (sambhoga-kaya form) came into being as another form of a Buddha.
- Emanation Body (nirmana-kaya) – This is the human form in which a Buddha appears to ordinary people, in order not to frighten them or make them ill at ease. Thus, Buddha Amitabha is the Emanation Body (nirmana-kaya) of Buddha Amitayus.
The statues of Buddha Amitabha and Buddha Amitayus are similar in appearance as far as the Mudra of their hands are concerned. Both are shown with their hands in the “Dhyan” Mudra. In this Mudra, the right palm rests upon the left palm, both facing upwards and held at the level of the stomach or on the folded thighs, the thumbs touching or almost touching at the tips and thus forming a triangle.
As Amitabha, the hands normally have a begging bowl placed on them. As Amitayus, the hands hold an urn containing the nectar of eternal life. However, Buddha Amitayus, as the Enjoyment Body (sambhoga-kaya) emanation of Buddha Amitabha is distinguished by his richly adorned crown, jewelery and clothes.
Ultimately, the mandala of Buddha Amitayus is in the realms of many eons of future rebirths and yet, in its very core, it holds the secret motivation within the heart of the very human worshiper. According to this powerful Buddhist concept, Gods do not ordain what becomes of humans but the innermost “thoughts of their human heart” do.
Readers of this article may also enjoy reading about The Adi Buddha and His Five Celestial Buddhas along with The Blue Buddha of Spiritual Healing and Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Artifacts.
Sources:
Rinpoche, Pabongka. Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path of Enlightenment. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2006.
Keown, Damien. A Dictionary of Buddhism. London: Oxford University Press , 2004.
Too, Lillian. The Buddha Book: Buddhas, Blessings, Prayers and Rituals to Grant You Love, Wisdom and Healing. London: Element, 2003.
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