five Dhyani Buddhas, viz. (1) Amitabha, (2) Akshobhya, (3) Vairochana, (4)
Ratnasambhava, and (5) Amoghasiddhi. These Dhyani Buddhas represent the
five material elements of which the world is made; air, water, ether, fire and
earth, and they also stand for the cosmic elements (skandhas), rupa (form),
vedana (sensation), samjana (name), samskara (conformation) and vijnana
(consciousness). The Dhyani Buddhas take no part in the act of creation,
which task they relegate to their corresponding Bodhisattvas. The
Bodhisattvas are further supposed to have been working through the Manushi
Buddhas (Mortal Buddhas) like Krakuchchhanda, Kanakamuni and Gautama;
this idea is however, extra-Indian. With the increasing preponderance of the
‘Female’ principle each of the Dhyani Buddhas and Bodhisattvas was given a
consort. Further, each of the Dhyani Buddhas came to be looked upon as
kulesa (lord of families) of several gods and goddesses. The five kulas
(families) are dvesha (hatred), moha (delusion), raga (attachment), chin-
tamani (gem of contemplation), and samaya (convention). Evidently with the
introduction of new entrants of deities, the Vajrayana priests and authors
began to tag them to one or more of these Dhyani Buddhas.
Table-1
Names Material Cosmic Mudras Colours Symbols Vahanas
Elements Elements
Amitabha Air Samjana Samadhi Red Padma Peacock
Akshodbhya Water Vijnana Bhusparsa Blue Vajra Elephant
Vairochana Ether Rupa Dharmachakra White Chakra Dragon
Ratnasam- bhava Fire Vedana Varada Yellow Ratna Lion
Amoghasi- ddhi Earth Samskara Abhaya Green Visvavajra Garuda
Table-2
Names Saktis Bodhisattvas Manushi
Buddhas
Amitabha Pandara Padmapani or Gautama
Avaloktesvara
Akshobhya Lochana Vajrapani Kanakamuni
Vairochana Marichi Samanthabhadra Krakuchchhanda
Ratnasambhava Mamaki Ratnapani