Editing Amitābha (section)

==In Vajrayāna Buddhism==
[[File:Buddha Amithaba.jpg|thumb|Buddha Amitābha in [[Tibetan Buddhism]], traditional [[thangka]] painting]]
[[File:Amitabha-Dhyani Buddha.jpg|thumb|An esoteric depiction of Amitābha in union with his female consort Pāṇḍaravāsinī]]

Amitābha remained an influential Buddha in the [[Vajrayana|Vajrayāna]] Buddhist pantheon. He is considered one of the [[Five Tathagatas]], together with [[Akshobhya]], [[Amoghasiddhi]], [[Ratnasambhava]], and [[Vairocana]]. In this esoteric  buddhological schema, Amitābha is seen as part of the Lotus Buddha Family, which is associated with the color red, the Western direction, the aggregate of perception ([[Samjna (concept)|saṃjñā]]), the [[Kleshas (Buddhism)|defilement]] of [[Taṇhā|craving]] and the [[bījamantra]] "Hrih". In [[Buddhist tantric literature|Buddhist esoteric scriptures]], Amitābha is also said to have a wisdom consort, the female Buddha [[Pāṇḍaravāsinī]].<ref>Buddha Weekly, ''Five Female Buddhas or Mothers: Their Roles as Prajnas or Enlightened Wisdom — Inseparable Co-Equals Rather Than Consorts'', https://buddhaweekly.com/five-female-buddhas-or-mothers-their-roles-as-prajnas-or-enlightened-wisdom-inseparable-co-equals-rather-than-consorts/</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Great Compassion Mantra – Namo Amitabha <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE --> |url=http://www.geocities.com/amitabha48vows/d.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221114240/http://www.geocities.com/amitabha48vows/d.htm |archive-date=2009-02-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2005-02-07 |title=Bardo: Fourth Day |url=http://kaykeys.net/spirit/buddhism/bardo/4thday.html |access-date=2012-11-07 |publisher=Kaykeys.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Symbolism of the five Dhyani Buddhas |url=http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/5_dhyani_buddhas.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308030758/http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/5_dhyani_buddhas.html |archive-date=March 8, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pandara is said to be the Prajna of Amitābha Buddha. Pandara is the same in essence with Buddha Amitābha |url=http://www.himalayanmart.com/pandara.php |access-date=2012-11-07 |publisher=Himalayanmart.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2011-06-04 |title=Guan Yin – Bodhisattva/ Goddess of Compassion |url=http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/Guan_Yin.htm |access-date=2012-11-07 |publisher=Nationsonline.org}}</ref> 

Amitābha is an important figure in [[Tibet]], [[Mongolia]], [[Nepal]], [[India]] and other regions where [[Tibetan Buddhism]] is practiced. In Tibetan Buddhist depictions, Amitābha appears with [[bodhisattva]]s [[Vajrapani]] and [[Avalokiteśvara]], the former to his left and the latter to his right. There numerous Tibetan Buddhist teachings and practice lineages which focused on attaining rebirth in the buddhafield of Amitābha.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chen |first1=Shu-Chen |last2=Groner |first2=Paul |date=2007 |title=Cultural Change of Indian Pure Land Buddhist Teaching in Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism |url=http://search.lib.virginia.edu/catalog/libra-oa:4284 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025225210/https://search.lib.virginia.edu/catalog/libra-oa:4284 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |access-date=2017-08-06 |website=UVA Library {{!}} Virgo |language=en}} An extensive comparison of Pure Land Buddhism in India, China, and Tibet.</ref><ref name="Halkias-2012">Halkias, Georgios T. (2012). ''Luminous Bliss: A Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet'', pp. xxv–xxvii University of Hawaii Press.</ref> These include exoteric (or sutra) and esoteric (or tantric) practices''.<ref name="Halkias-2012" />'' The composition of Amitābha focused  works was popular among major Tibetan Buddhist figures such as [[Sakya Pandita]], [[Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen|Dolpopa]], [[Je Tsongkhapa|Tsongkhapa]] and [[Karma Chagme]].<ref name="Halkias-2012c">Halkias, Georgios T. (2012). ''Luminous Bliss: A Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet'', p. 109. University of Hawaii Press.</ref><ref>Halkias, Georgios T. (2012). ''Luminous Bliss: A Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet'', p. xxx University of Hawaii Press.</ref>

In Tibetan Buddhism, Amitābha is clearly distinguished from Amitāyus (Measureless Life), while both names are used interchangeably in East Asian Buddhism.<ref name=":1" /> [[Tibetan Buddhism]] sees Amitāyus as an enjoyment body (''[[saṃbhogakāya]]'') while Amitābha is seen as a [[Nirmāṇakāya|manifestation body]].<ref name=":4" /> 
[[File:種字阿弥陀三尊像-Amida_Triad_in_the_Form_of_Sacred_Sanskrit_Syllables_MET_DP221030_(cropped).jpg|thumb|Japanese depiction of the Amida Triad in Seed Syllable form ([[Siddhaṃ script|Siddham Script]]).]]
Birth in Amitābha's Sukhavati remains an important goal for many Tibetan Buddhists, especially laypersons who commonly revere Amitabha, [[Avalokiteśvara|Avalokiteshvara]] and [[Padmasambhava]] as [[Trikaya|three bodies]] of a single Buddha.<ref name="Payne-2004">Payne, Richard Karl; Tanaka, Kenneth Kazuo (2004). ''Approaching the Land of Bliss: Religious Praxis in the Cult of Amitabha'', p. 17. University of Hawaii Press.</ref> Amitābha is invoked during the yogic death practice called [[phowa]] ("transference of consciousness at the time of death"). Furthermore, Amitāyus is also commonly invoked in practices relating to longevity and preventing an untimely death.<ref>Payne, Richard Karl; Tanaka, Kenneth Kazuo (2004). ''Approaching the Land of Bliss: Religious Praxis in the Cult of Amitabha'', p. 25. University of Hawaii Press.</ref> In Tibetan Buddhism, Amitāyus is also one of the three deities of long life (Amitāyus, [[Tara (Buddhism)|White Tara]] and [[Usnisavijaya|Uṣṇīṣavijayā]]). ''Amitāyus'' being a compound of ''amita'' ("infinite") and ''āyus'' ("life"), and so means "he whose life is boundless".

The [[Panchen Lama]]s<ref>''Tibet is My Country: Autobiography of Thubten Jigme Norbu, Brother of the Dalai Lama as told to Heinrich Harrer'', p. 121. First published in German in 1960. English translation by Edward Fitzgerald, published 1960. Reprint, with updated new chapter, (1986): Wisdom Publications, London. {{ISBN|0-86171-045-2}}.</ref> and the [[Shamarpa]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.diamondway.org/whitewater/new-teachers.html|title=Teachers: Shamar Rinpoche|access-date=2007-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030191810/http://www.diamondway.org/whitewater/new-teachers.html|archive-date=2007-10-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> are considered to be [[Emanationism|emanations]] of Amitābha.

In Japanese [[Shingon Buddhism]], Amitābha is included as part of the [[thirteen Buddhas]]. Amitābha is associated with the [[Diamond Realm]] (''vajradhātu''), whereas Amitāyus is associated with the [[Womb Realm]] (''garbhakoṣadhātu'').<ref>Charles Muller, "Buddha of Immeasurable Life 無量壽佛" Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, http://www.buddhism-dict.net/cgi-bin/xpr-ddb.pl?71.xml+id(%27b7121-91cf-58fd-4f5b%27).</ref> Shingon, like Tibetan Buddhism, also uses [[Mandala of the Two Realms|special devotional mantras]] for Amitābha, though the mantras used differ. Amitābha is also one of the Buddhas featured in the [[Womb Realm]] Mandala used in [[Abhisheka|Shingon practices]], and sits to the west, which is where the Pure Land of Amitābha is said to dwell. 

===Mantras===
[[file:OM AMI DEWA HRIH (Lanydza scrpt).jpg|thumb|Om ami dewa hri mantra in the [[Lantsa script|Lantza script]]]]
In Esoteric Buddhism, Amitābha Buddha has various [[mantra]]s associated with him. His main seed syllable mantra is [[Hrī (Buddhism)|hrīḥ]].<ref name=":18" />   

In [[Tibetan Buddhism]], the main mantra of Amitābha is ''Om ami dewa hri''  (Sanskrit: {{lang|sa-Latn|oṃ amideva hrīḥ}}). This is an alternative form of {{IAST|''[[oṃ]] amitābha hrīḥ''}}.

Amitabha's main mantra in [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]] Buddhism is ''{{lang|sa-Latn|Om amirita teizei kara um}}'' (Japanese: {{lang|ja|オン・アミリタ・テイゼイ・カラ・ウン}}), which represents the underlying Sanskrit form: ''{{IAST|oṃ amṛta-teje hara hūṃ}}''.