Venerable Hui Hsuen

Mahāvairocana, also known as Vairocana (大日如來 Dainichi Nyorai)
He is considered to be the cosmic Buddha in Mahāyāna Buddhism, particularly in the esoteric traditions of Shingon and Tendai of Japan. His name literally translates as “Great Sun”, indicating his all-illuminating radiance of wisdom that dispels the darkness of ignorance. In artistic representation, he is often depicted to be a seated regal figure who wears a tall bejeweled crown, and his hands show the gesture known as Wisdom Fist, which symbolizes the unity between the Five Great Elements (earth, fire, water, air, space) and spiritual consciousness.

The word Maṇḍala (曼荼羅) in Sanskrit often refers to a certain geometric configuration of profound spiritual symbols. In the esoteric Buddhist traditions of East Asia, particularly in Japan, two of the most important Maṇḍalas are the Vajradhātu (金剛界) and Garbhadhātu (胎藏界)Maṇḍalas, serving as the blueprints of cosmic reality.

The Garbhadhātu Maṇḍala, known as 胎藏界 Tāizāngjiè in Chinese and Taizōkai in Japanese, essentially means “Maṇḍala of the Womb Realm” derives from Mahāvairocana Sūtra《大日經》 . It symbolizes the universal principle, compassion, and the inherent potential for Buddhahood within all sentient beings.

The Vajradhātu Maṇḍala, known as 金剛界 Jīngāngjiè in Chinese and Kongōkai in Japanese, can be translated as “Maṇḍala of the Adamantine Realm” derives from Vajraśekhara Sūtra《金剛頂經》 . It symbolizes wisdom, the indestructible nature of enlightenment, and the active realization of that potential.

Mahāmāyūrī Vidyārājñī, literally translates as “Great Peacock Wisdom King”(孔雀明王）. In the Sūtra associated with her, it is recorded that when a monk known as Svāti was bitten by a venomous snake, Ānanda, one of Śākyamuni Buddha’s chief disciples, asked the Buddha for the means to heal Svāti. The Buddha then expounded the Sūtra of Mahāmāyūrī Vidyārājñī《佛母大孔雀明王經》, and through her power, Svāti was saved. She is often depicted as a peacock-riding goddess and is believed to be able to dispel calamities and diseases. Spiritually, this also signifies her ability to transform the three poisons, namely greed, ignorance, and anger, into enlightening wisdom.

One of the meanings of Mahākāla’s name in Sanskrit translates as “Great Black Deity”. He is known as Dàhēitiān 大黑天 in Chinese and Daikoku-ten in Japanese. An important Dharmapala (護法) in Buddhism, he was originally considered to be a wrathful form of the Hindu deity Śiva, he was later absorbed into Buddhism. In Japan, having been identified as the Shintō deity Ōkuninushi-no-Mikoto, Mahākāla’s iconography evolved from being a wrathful god to become a gentle, jolly-looking old man, who holds a huge treasure sack in one hand and a miraculous mallet that can produce all desirable things in the other, and he stands on two rice bags that symbolize abundance. He is one of the Shichifukujin 七福神, or Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and is extremely popular and well-beloved in Japan as the bringer of luck and prosperity.