Our History Series 5

Our fifth lesson have the Panch Dhyani Buddhas or Five Buddhas of Eternal Meditation of Nepalese Buddhist Cosmology but they are totally unknown in India.

These Five Dhyani Buddhas are eternally in heaven and we know nothing beside their names. However, from Left to Right above are namely Ratnasambhawa, whose aura is Gold who is placed at the base of a chaitya facing cardinal direction of South. Second is Akshobhya, whose aura is Blue and faces the cardinal direction of East. In the third position above is Bhairochana whose aura is White and is placed facing Zenith in the Centre but may be found facing the East alongside Akshobhya. In the fourth position above is Amitabha, facing West and his aura is Red. In the fifth position above is Amoghasiddha whose aura is Green and always occupies the niche facing the North.

Indonesia is one of those places outside Nepal where the five Buddhas of Eternal Meditation is found. From the abandoned temple of Borobudur, these finely chiseled figures of centuries ago have been obtained but we know no more. However, in the neighbouring Isle of Bali, they not only worship them but they know their names, the colour of their aura and also the cardinal direction they face.

We pause here believing that the ancestors of the Balinese must have commenced their journey from Nepal and are cognate relations of the Kirati-Mongolians.

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