THEFIVEBUDDHAFAMILIES

CentraltotheprinciplesofVajrayanaBuddhismistheconceptualassemblyofthe
FiveBuddhasorFiveEnlightenedFamilies(Skt.panchakula;Tib.rigslnga),which
arecommonlybutsomewhaterroneouslyknownasDhyaniBuddhasorBuddhasof
Meditation.TheFiveBuddhasformthebasisofthegeometricmandala,occupying
thecentralpointandthefourcardinalquadrantsastheembodiedemanationsoftheir
perfectedqualities.Themandalasaxisoforientationtraditionallyfollowsthesuns
path,witheastatthebottom(facingtheviewer),andwestatthetop.

TheFiveBuddhasrepresentthepurifiedmanifestationsofthefiveaggregates,
elements,senseorgansandsensoryperceptions.EachBuddhaisassignedadirection,
acolour,aseedsyllable,ananimalthrone,aconsort,aprogenyofBodhisattvasand
deities,aspecificmudra,andasymbolicemblemorattribute.Tothislistareaddedan
arrayoffivefoldqualities,includingthefivetastes,phoneticsounds,precious
substances,timesoftheday,andseasons(spring,summer,rainyseason,autumnand
winter).EssentiallytheFiveBuddhasrepresentthetransmutationofthefivedelusions
orpoisons(ignorance,desire,aversion,jealousyandpride),intothefivetranscendent
wisdoms(allpervading,discriminating,mirrorlike,allaccomplishing,and
equanimous).

TheseFiveBuddhasare:BlueAkshobhya(centreoreast):WhiteVairocana(eastor
centre):YellowRatnasambhava(south):RedAmitabha(west),andGreen
Amoghasiddhi(north).Indifferenttantricsystemsthepositions,aggregatesand
wisdomqualitiesofVairocanaandAkshobhyamaybeinterchanged,witheither
Buddhaoccupyingthecentraloreasternposition.ThecultofMahavairocana,the
GreatResplendentOne,wasextremelypopularintheearlyChineseandlater
JapaneseBuddhisttraditions,andmanyoftheearlyyogatantrashavethepeaceful
whiteformofVairocanaastheircentraldeity.Manyofthelateranuttarayogatantras
ofthesemiwrathfulblueyidamdeities,suchasHevajra,Guhyasamaja,
Chakrasamvara,Vajrabhairava,Kalachakra,etc.,haveblueAkshobhyaattheircenter,
andthecultsoftheseHighestYogaTantradeitieswereessentiallytransmittedinto
TibetthroughthelineagesoftheIndianMahasiddhas.

TheassemblyoftheFiveBuddhaFamiliesevolvedfromanearlierconceptofthree
EnlightenedFamilies,whichcorrespondtothethreeprimarypoisonsofignorance,
desireandaversion.ThesethreefamiliesareknownastheBuddhaorTathagata
Family(ignorance),theLotusorPadmaFamily(desire),andtheVajraFamily
(aversion).ThepresidingdeitiesofthesethreefamiliesaretheBodhisattvas
Manjushri,AvalokiteshvaraandVajrapani,whocollectivelyareknownastheLords
oftheThreeFamilies(Tib.rigsgsummgonpo).Asthewisdom(transmuted
ignorance),compassion(transmuteddesire),andpower(transmutedaggression)
aspectsoftheBuddha,thesethreeBodhisattvasarehierarchicallypositionedatthe
zenith(Manjushri),center(Avalokiteshvara),andnadir(Vajrapani),tocorrespondto
thetrinitiesofbody,speechandmind;greater,middleandlesserscopes;andto
equatewiththeHindutrinityofBrahma,VishnuandShiva.Thisspiritualhierarchyis
oftenillustratedbydepictingManjushriaboveAvalokiteshvaraandVajrapani.The
BuddhaFamiliesmayalsobeexpandedintoagroupofsixbytheinclusionof

VajrasattvaorVajradharaasthesupremeoverlord(AdiBuddha)ofallFiveBuddha
Families.

TheevolutionfromthethreetofiveorsixfamiliescanbeseenintheearlyWheelof
Lifepainting,wherethethreeprimarypoisonsofignorance,desireandaversionare
symbolicallydepictedinthecentralhubbyapig,cockerelandsnake.Thesethree
poisonsalsocharacterizethethreelowerrealmsofanimals,insatiableghostsandhell
beings,whilstthethreeupperrealmsarecharacterizedbypride(gods),jealousy
(asuras),andacombinationofallfivepoisons(humans).ThecoloursoftheFive
Buddhasalsocorrespondtothefivepoisons,withthewhiteofVairocanasymbolizing
thetransmutationofignorance;theblueblackofAkshobhya,thatofanger;the
yellowofRatnasambhava,thatofpride;theredofAmitabha,thatofdesire;andthe
greenofAmoghasiddhi,thatofjealousyorenvy.Wehavesimilarfiguresofspeechin
ourproverbialcomparisonsofbeingablankwithignorance;blueorblackwith
anger;yellowwithswollenpride;redwithdesire;andgreenwithenvy.

WhiteVairocana(Tib.rNamparsnangmdzad),theIlluminator,istheLordofthe
Tathagata(Buddha)Familyofthecentreoreast.HisconsortisLocana,Shewhocan
extinguishignorance,andhismainBodhisattvaisAkashagarbhaorSamantabhadra.
Vairocanarepresentstheaggregateofform(orconsciousness),theelementofwater
(orspace),thepoisonofignorance(oraversion),andmirrorlikewisdom(orall
pervadingwisdom).Hismudraistheteachinggesture(dharmachakramudra)orthe
mudraofprincipalenlightenment(bodhyangimudra).Hisseedsyllableisawhite
Om,whichcorrespondstotheaspectofbodylocatedatthecrown.Hisemblemisa
wheel(dharmachakra),andheisseateduponadragonorlionthrone.From
Vairocanadescendmanymajorgoddesses,suchas:Ushnishavijaya,Marichi,
SitatapatraandVajravarahi.

BlueAkshobhya(Tib.Mibskyodpa),theUnshakeableorImmutable,istheLordof
theVajraFamilyofthecentreoreast.HisconsortisMamaki,Shewhocan
extinguishhatred,andhismainBodhisattvaisVajrapani.Akshobhyarepresentsthe
aggregateofconsciousness(orform),theelementofspace(orwater),thepoisonof
hatredandanger(orignorance),andallpervadingwisdom(ormirrorlikewisdom).
Hismudraistheearthtouchinggesture(bhumyakramana).Hisseedsyllableisablue
Hum,whichcorrespondtotheaspectofmindlocatedattheheart.Hisemblemisa
vajra,andheisseateduponanelephantthrone.FromAkshobhyadescendsa
pantheonofwrathfulandsemiwrathfuldeities,suchas:Guhyasamaja,
Chakrasamvara,Hevajra,Yamari,Vajrabhairava,Vajrakila,Buddhakapala,
MahamayaandKalachakra.

YellowRatnasambhava(Tib.Rinchenbyunggnas),theJewelBorn,istheLordof
theRatna(Jewel)Familyofthesouth.HisconsortisVajradhatvishvari,Shewhocan
extinguishpride,andhismainBodhisattvaisKshitigarbhaorRatnapani.
Ratnasambhavarepresentstheaggregateoffeeling,theelementofearth,thepoisonof
pride,andthewisdomofequanimity.Hismudraistheboongrantinggestureof
generosity(varadamudra).HisseedsyllableisayellowTram,whichcorrespondsto
theaspectofattributeslocatedatthenavel.Hisemblemisajewel(ratna),andheis

seateduponahorseorlionthrone.FromRatnasambhavadescendvariouswealth
deities,suchasJambhalaandVasudhara.

RedAmitabha(Tib.'Oddpagmed),theInfinitelight,istheLordofthePadma
(Lotus)Familyofthewest.HisconsortisPandara,Shewhocanextinguishdesire,
andhismainBodhisattvaisPadmapaniAvalokiteshvara.Amitabharepresentsthe
aggregateofperception,theelementoffire,andthewisdomofdiscrimination.His
mudraisthemeditationgesture(dhyanamudra).HisseedsyllableisaredHrih,
whichcorrespondstotheaspectofspeechlocatedatthethroat.Hisemblemisa
lotus(padma),andheisseateduponapeacockthrone.FromAmitabhadescend
deitiessuchasAvalokiteshvara,Hayagriva,Kurukulla,Bhrikuti,andcertainformsof
Tara.
GreenAmoghasiddhi(Tib.Donyodgrubpa),theAllAccomplishing,istheLordof
theKarma(Action)Familyofthenorth.HisconsortisGreenTara,Shewhocan
extinguishjealousy,andhismainBodhisattvaisVishvapani.Amoghasiddhi
representstheaggregateofconditioningormotivationalfactors,theelementofair,
thepoisonofjealousy,andallaccomplishingwisdom.Hismudraisthegestureof
protectionorfearlessness(abhayamudra).HisseedsyllableisagreenA,which
correspondstotheaspectofactivitieslocatedatthesexualcenter.Hisemblemisa
crossedvajraorsword,andheisseateduponagarudathrone.FromAmoghasiddhi
descendgoddessessuchasKhadiravaniTara,AryaTara,Mahamayuriand
Parnasabari.

TheconsortsoftheFiveBuddhasareknownastheFiveMothers,andtraditionally
fouroftheseMothersaredepictedupontheintercardinallotuspetalsofthe
mandalascentraldais.WhiteLocana(Tib.sPyanma),astheconsortorprajnaof
Vairocana,isusuallyassignedtothesoutheast,andherseedsyllableisawhiteLam.
BlueMamaki(Tib.Mamaki),astheprajnaofAkshobhya,isusuallyassignedtothe
southwest,andherseedsyllableisablueMam.RedPandara(Tib.Gosdkarmo),as
theprajnaofAmitabha,isusuallyassignedtothenorthwest,andherseedsyllableisa
redPam.GreenTara(Tib.sGrolljang),astheprajnaofAmoghasiddhi,isusually
assignedtothenortheast,andherseedsyllableisagreenTam.ThefifthMother,
yellowVajradhatvishvari(Tib.rDorjedbyingsphyugma),astheprajnaof
Ratnasambhava,isusuallyassignedtothecentralpositionofthemandala,whereas
theMistressofthevajrarealmshemayalsobecomethegoldenconsortof
Manjuvajra,ortheblueconsortofGuhyasamaja.

WhenadeityfromaparticularBuddhaFamilyoccupiesthecentralpositionofa
mandala,thenthepresidingdeityofthemandalascentre(VairocanaorAkshobhya)
movestooccupythedirectionalquadranttowhichthatdeityisusuallyassigned.For
example;whenAvalokiteshvaraoccupiesthecentreofthemandala,thenwhite
VairocanamovestothewesternquadrantofredAmitabha,sinceAmitabhaisthe
LordofthePadmaFamilytowhichAvalokiteshvarabelongs.
TheFiveBuddhasalsocorrespondtothefivemainchakrasofthesubtlebody,with
whiteVairocanaatthecrown,redAmitabhaatthethroat,blueAkshobhyaatthe
heart,yellowRatnasambhavaatthenavel,andgreenAmoghasiddhiatthesexual

center.Heretheycorrespondtothebody,speech,mind,qualitiesandactivitiesofthe
deity,whicharerepresentedbythesyllablesOmAHumSvaHa.Thesefivesyllables
aretraditionallyinscribedonthebackofthangkasbehindtheaxialchakrapointsof
themainorcentraldeity.