Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Where'd Vimalakirti Come From?




"Akṣobhya is the blue Buddha who sits in the eastern quarter. The name Akṣobhya means immovable or imperturbable. His mudra is the bhūmisparśa or earth touching mudra. His emblem is the vajra, which sits balanced in his left hand; he is the head of the Vajra family.
Akṣobhya was probably the earliest of the Jinas to emerge. The Akṣobhyavyūha Sūtra describes his pureland Abhirati which translates as "delightful". Getting into Abhirati requires assiduous practice, unlike Amitabha's pureland which merely requires faith in Amitabha's vow to save all beings." http://visiblemantra.org/aksobhya.html


Vimalakirti speaks to me. Rumor has it he was shipped to the human realm by Aksobhya Buddha to teach the true meaning of bodhisattva. I'm trying to listen.

Aksobhya's blue is my hue.