大日如来

See also: 大日如來

Chinese

For pronunciation and definitions of 大日如来 – see 大日如來 (“Vairocana”). (This term is the simplified form of 大日如來).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
大	日	如	来
だい Grade: 1	にち Grade: 1	にょ Grade: S	らい Grade: 2
goon

Alternative spelling
大日如來 (kyūjitai)

大日如来 (Dainichi Nyorai): a statue of the Vairocana Buddha at Tōdai-ji in Nara.

Etymology

大日 (Dainichi, literally “great sun”) is a calque of Sanskrit महावैरोचन (Mahāvairocana), while 如来 (nyorai, literally “thus going”) is a calque of Sanskrit तथागत (tathāgata, literally “thus coming and going”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) だいにちにょ​らい [dàíníchí nyóꜜràì] (Nakadaka – [5])
• IPA^(key): [da̠iɲ̟it͡ɕi ɲ̟o̞ɾa̠i]

Proper noun

大(だい)日(にち)如(にょ)来(らい) • (Dainichi Nyorai) 

1. (Shingon Buddhism) Vairocana (or Mahāvairocana) as the sun Buddha, the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of emptiness (sunyata), and one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas

   Synonyms: 大日 (Dainichi), 毘盧遮那仏 (Birushana-butsu)

Coordinate terms

The 五智如来 (Go Chi Nyorai, “Five Dhyani Buddhas”) and associated directions:

• 阿弥陀如来 (Amida Nyorai, “Amitābha”, west)
• 阿閦如来 (Ashuku Nyorai, “Akṣobhya”, east)
• 大日如来 (Dainichi Nyorai, “Mahāvairocana”, center)
• 不空成就如来 (Fukūjōju Nyorai, “Amoghasiddhi”, north)
• 宝生如来 (Hōshō Nyorai, “Ratnasambhava”, south)

Descendants

• English: Dainichi Nyorai