Ashuku Nyorai - The Immovable Buddha

Description Of Form
He has his left hand clenched tightly in a fist, and it is resting on his waist. This expresses the strength and firmness of the true Bodhicitta. His right hand hangs down near his knee and his fingers tips pressing against the earth. This expresses his ability to put down all defilements of minds.

Purpose and Vow
Ashuku Nyorai is the chief Buddha of the Land of Abhirati, the Land of Extreme Bliss which is located in the East. It is in the east where the sun rises, and every morning as the sun rises he devotes his efforts to make people have a mind of immovable, unshakable faith and the aspiration for the realization of enlightenment. He also protects them.

It is essential that prior to seeking blessings and benefits, one must first have what in Buddhism is called the aspiration for the realization of enlightenment (bodaishin). This is also called having faith.

Shingon is a religion in which people wake up in the morning and try to live that day as buddhas. Ashuku Nyorai has made a vow to hold to the aspiration for the realization of enlightenment, to bestow that mind to many people, and to make this world into the world of the buddhas.