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Which parable in the Lotus Sutra is the story of Akshobhya Buddha, the glorious Eastern Buddha? Why is Akshobhya Buddha the very face of unshakable peace? Why is the family blue, and what is the significance of the great Vajra? We answer these questions and more and end with the mantras, practices and a Sadhana visualization of Akshobhya Buddha. CONTENTS 00:00-01:02 Introduction Akshobhya Buddha Vajra Lord 01:02-02:03 Unshakable: Akshobhya’s as a Monk from Sutra 02:03-02:49 Unshakable Buddha and his Vajra Vow 02:49-03:47 Akshobhya’s Mirror-Like Wisdom: “Mind like a Sheet of Water” Thich Nhat Hanh 03:47-04:20 Mirrors and Vampries 04:20-07:08 PARABLE OF THE MAGIC CITY: Lotus Sutra 07:08-08:08 Skillful Means and Countless Forms of Enlightenment 08:08-09:02 Vajra, the Powerful Symbol of Akshyobhya and eternal Buddha Nature 09:02-10:35 Most Blue Deities such as Hevajra, Guyasamaja, Chakrasamvara are emanations of Akshobhya Buddha 10:35-10:56 How does Akshobhya’s practice overcome anger? 10:56-11:48 Why is Water Akshobhya’s element? 11:48-14:00 Blue, symbols, mudra, posture, appearance, sacred animal 14:00-14:36 Seed Syllable Hum and Buddha Mind 14:36-15:52 Sacred Dharani in Sanskrit purifies all negative karma 15:52-16:23 Heart Mantra three times 16:23-19:00 Short Sadhana, visualization, prayer and Dharani by Kamra Chakme Akshobhya literally means “unshakable.“ One of Akshobhya's great vows is to never become angry until reaching enlightenment. In his Sutra, the Akṣhobhya Tathagatasya Vyuha Sutra, we hear the story of Akshobhya as a monk in an earlier life. He vows, in the Sutra: “Now that I have become a bodhisattva, I will never allow myself to get angry at any living being.” While still a monk, nothing could shake him, anger him or move him to rage. He aspired to practice the Dharma in the eastern world of delight and made a vow not to harbor anger or malice towards any being until he achieved enlightenment. He remained “unshakable“ and later became the buddha Akshobhya of the Eastern Pureland Abhirati, who is called the Unshakable One. This is reflected today in the Vajra or Unshakable vow we take at Vajrayana empowerments. There is a vow for each of the five Buddhas. Akshobhya's vow that many practitioners renew every day is: I shall uphold purely The vajra, bell and mudra of The great, supreme Vajra family, And I shall uphold purely the Master commitment. It is partially because of this vow we hold the Vajra and Bell as our main spiritual tools. Akshobhya's wisdom is Mirrorlike Wisdom which overcomes the poison of anger. In a pond's still waters we may see a reflection of a beautiful moon and think it is real. But, if we throw a stone in the water, causing ripples, this reflection of the moon is distorted, or disappears. In this metaphor, if our mind is busy or stressed, we cannot see, like the ripples in the water. Thich Nhat Hanh, a renowned Zen Master taught the concept this way: “The mind is like a sheet of water, calmly reflecting the reality as it is. When the water is still, it can hold the image of the reality exactly as it is, with no distortion“. This metaphor also arises from the old superstitions of many countries on the power of mirrors. In these legends, mirrors cannot reflect evil or illusory beings. This is the source of vampire lore, where if we look at a person in the mirror, if we see nothing reflected that person is a vampire. This is because their evil nature is illusory. In The Parable of the Magic City in the Lotus Sutra chapter 7, Shakyamuni Buddha tells the story of Akshobhya Buddha. Namo Bhagavate. Akshobhya tathagatayarhate samyaksam buddhyaya. Tadyata: Om kamkani kamkani rochani rochani trotani trotani trasani trasani pratihana pratihana sarva karma param parani me svaha sattvanancha svaha. DHARANI of AKSHOBHYA FROM SUTRA: There is also a shorter version of this Dharani that shortens the Namo praise, which is used in the Short Sadhana we narrate at the end of this presentation. His heart mantra: Om Akshobhya Hum.
