What does the name Akshobhya mean?
Akshobhya means "Immovable One" in Sanskrit. The name comes from a vow, described in an early Mahayana scripture, in which a monk refused to harbor anger or malice toward any being until he reached enlightenment.
Questions about Akshobhya
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Which pure land does Akshobhya rule over?
Akshobhya rules Abhirati, meaning "The Joyous," the pure land tradition places in the eastern quarter of the Diamond Realm mandala. He is described as a product of the Adibuddha and as representing consciousness as an aspect of reality.
What color is Akshobhya and what does he hold?
Akshobhya's color is blue-black, and his attributes include a bell, three robes, and a staff, along with a jewel, lotus, prayer wheel, and sword. His consort is Lochanā, and he is normally accompanied by two elephants.
What ancient texts mention Akshobhya?
Akshobhya appears in the Akṣobhyatathāgatasyavyūha Sūtra, translated in the second century CE and among the oldest known Mahayana or Pure Land texts. Newly found Gāndhārī fragments in Pakistan's Bajaur Collection, dated by paleography to the late first or early second century CE, also mention him, with a paper on these texts published by Ingo Strauch in 2010.
How is Akshobhya connected to Acala and Bhaisajyaguru?
Akshobhya is sometimes merged with Acala, whose name also means "immovable" in Sanskrit. Before the rise of Bhaiṣajyaguru, Akshobhya was the focus of a minor healing cult in Japan, and both buddhas are now venerated within Shingon Buddhism.
What role does Akshobhya play in the Suramgama mantra?
The Śūraṅgama mantra, taught in the Śūraṅgama sutra and especially influential in Chinese Chan Buddhism, names Akshobhya as host of the Vajra Division in the east, one of five divisions that command demon armies across the five directions.