The Five Dhyani Buddhas

"Once your soul has the courage, and you prompt her, support and direct her, and bathe her in love and compassion, she will open that door and walk through. And because you have tended her needs, your soul will know her own Inner Christ and her own Inner Buddha." an unnamed Master

Developing what I consider a wholistic attitude of the world's religions, philosophies, belief systems, etc... I offer you another in a series of hubs dedicated to the unity within the diversity of those systems of belief from around the world.

The main point that unifies them all, in my humble opinion, is to heal the soul, and to bring the mind out of carnality. The pursuit of understanding the soul; what the soul is and is not, and the healing, protection and raising of the soul back to her higher consciousness of immortality, is the Path to the One/ God/Universe.

There are many spiritual beings not in human form, within the Universe, at many different levels of consciousness. But some beings are not already One with God, and may not be moving toward that One/God, and because it is the soul's responsibility to move toward that One, the purpose of the Path is to contact only the highest spiritual beings to help the soul attain her highest level of inner guidance/consciousness.

In my studies through the years, I have come to believe that Gautama Buddha's teachings were for the purpose of enlightening the mind, and that Jesus' teachings were for the purpose of igniting and expanding the heart to have command over lower mind, work with the mind as it rises out of carnality, completing a spiral of learning for the soul on her path toward the goal of One/God.

Working together, the mind and the heart in unity can reach the goal. It is through uniting with the celestial and heavenly hosts, that are the helpers of God/One, that humanity will reach the highest levels of consciousness. Without the help of these Saints, Sages, Prophets, Masters, Buddhas, Archangels, etc.. the mind and soul will be tossed and lost in the planes of Samsara, the astral realms of consciousness that all souls have to make it through without getting lost in desire, to reach the goal.

The Five Dhyani Buddhas are considered celestial Buddhas, transcendent beings who symbolize universal divine principles or forces. They are visualized during meditation to bring healing of the mind and soul. They represent aspects of the enlightened consciousness as guides to spiritual transformation.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead¹ recommends "...that the devotee meditate on the Dhyani Buddhas so that their wisdoms will replace the negative forces the devotee has allowed to take hold within..." the mind and soul. These negative forces are called the five deadly poisons "...that are of ultimate danger to spiritual progress..." and keep the devotee tied to worldly existence.

Each Dhyani Buddha is associated with symbols, symbolic animals, wisdoms as antidotes to the poisons, directions of space, and the cosmic realms of the elements, as well as, the five skandhas (components that make up cosmic existence as well as human personality). They each have a color, a mudra (hand gesture), a Bija (seed syllable), and a Mantra.

Sometimes the Five Dhyani Buddhas are shown within a mandala. A circle of Buddhas that denotes wholeness, completeness and the perfection of Buddhahood. (see picture below). One can visualize themself within this mandala of Buddhas as a sacred, consecrated space where no distracting influences or impurities can disturb them during meditation.

In this sacred "place" one is to experience the Buddhas within their own consciousness, so that when they are not in meditation, when they are living day to day life, they will recognize if a poison becomes present in themself and others and know the antidote to heal it. Invoking the Buddha that is the intercessor for that particular poison, is similar to the way Christians pray to Jesus to help them with problems of character and follow his example to change.

"The bija is the essence of the particular Buddha and used along with the sacred syllable Om, and the Buddha's name, create a series of mystic syllables that have an esoteric meaning..."² as well as more power in the sound of reciting aloud, the bija/mantra. Giving the bija/mantras pulls the essence of the Buddhas down to all lower levels of the individual's consciousness to clear and heal in those levels, AND it also helps to heal those that the individual is karmically tied to as well! Wow! What a Blessing!!

It is an increase in one's power of consciousness to transform/change if they involve body (posture and mudras), mind (visualization of components and symbols that represent character traits of the buddhas), soul (character, feeling and right desire) and speech (Bija/Mantra). To use every aspect of being; body, mind, soul (desire) and speech, is that increase of balanced power. According to Buddhist monk and teacher Sangharakshita , "one can not only place oneself in correspondence or alignment with the particular order of reality which he (the particular Buddha) personifies but also be infused with his transcendental power."³

Quite wholistic, is it not? A figure eight flow of energy between God and human individual. We praise God and ask for help, God gives the increase and we unite with God, transcending lower human aspects.

For additional defining interpretations of the mystery (from various interpreters and sources) of becoming one with God through the Five Dhyani Buddhas, and a chart of each Buddhas' symbols, and aspects, go to www.tsl.org/Masters/buddhas/dhyani/frintroduction.html

Sources: ¹The Tibetan Book of the Dead.²The Masters and Their Retreats, p. 99. Copyright 2003 Summit University Press. ³A Survey of Buddhism, rev.ed. (Boulder, Colo.:Shambhalawith London:Windhorse, 1980), p.372.