In
VajrayanaVajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle. The period of Vajrayana Buddhism has been classified as the fifth or final period of Indian Buddhism...
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
,
Ācala (alternatively,
Achala or
Acalanatha in Sanskrit,
Fudō Myōō in Japan) is the best known of the
Five Wisdom KingsIn Vajrayana Buddhism, the , also known as the Five Guardian Kings are a group of Wisdom Kings who represent the luminescent wisdom of the Buddha and protect the Five Wisdom Buddhas.The Five Kings are usually defined as:* Acala* Trilokavijaya* Kundali...
of the
Womb RealmIn Vajrayana Buddhism, the Womb Realm is the metaphysical space inhabited by the Five Wisdom Kings. The Womb Realm is based on the Mahāvairocana Sutra...
. He is also known as Ācalanātha, Āryācalanātha, Ācala-vidyā-rāja and . The Sanskrit term
ācala means "immovable"; Ācala is also the name of the eighth of the ten stages of the path to become a
bodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva means either "enlightened existence " or "enlightenment-being" or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." Another translation is...
. His siddham seed-syllabe is "".
Ācala 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 aide in attaining goals. Shingon Buddhist temples dedicated to Ācala perform a periodic
fire ritualHoma is a Sanskrit word which refers to any ritual in which making offerings into a consecrated fire is the primary action...
in devotion to him.
The buddha
AkshobhyaIn Vajrayana Buddhism, Akshobhya is one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, a product of the Adibuddha, who represents consciousness as an aspect of reality...
, whose name also means "the immovable one", is sometimes merged with Ācala. However, Ācala is not a buddha, but one of the
Five Wisdom KingsIn Vajrayana Buddhism, the , also known as the Five Guardian Kings are a group of Wisdom Kings who represent the luminescent wisdom of the Buddha and protect the Five Wisdom Buddhas.The Five Kings are usually defined as:* Acala* Trilokavijaya* Kundali...
of the
Womb RealmIn Vajrayana Buddhism, the Womb Realm is the metaphysical space inhabited by the Five Wisdom Kings. The Womb Realm is based on the Mahāvairocana Sutra...
in
VajrayanaVajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle. The period of Vajrayana Buddhism has been classified as the fifth or final period of Indian Buddhism...
as found in the Indo-Tibetan tradition, as well as the Japanese Shingon sect of
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
.
As Fudō myōō, Ācala is considered one of the
Thirteen BuddhasThe Thirteen Buddhas is a purely Japanese grouping of important Buddhist deities, particularly in the Shingon sect of Buddhism. The deities are, in fact, mostly not Buddhas at all, but also include bodhisattvas and Wisdom Kings...
in Japan. Fudō myōō, meaning "Immovable Wisdom King", is the patron deity of the
Yamabushi' are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as mighty warriors endowed with supernatural powers. They follow the Shugendō doctrine, an integration of mainly esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon sect, Tendai and Shinto elements...
. He usually holds a sword and a lariat, is clad in rags, has one fang pointing up and another pointing down, and a braid on one side of his head. His statues are generally placed near waterfalls and deep in the mountains and in caves.
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