Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra


Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra, Japanese name Ichiji Kinrin Butchō, is a Buddhoṣṇīṣa and deification of the single-letter mantra Bhrūṃ, which was taught by the Buddha while settled in a profound state of samādhi.
The term “ekākṣara" refers to the mantra "Bhrūṃ," which is expressed using a single Sanskrit syllable. "Uṣṇīṣacakra" refers to the most exalted of the Cakravartin kings, symbolizing the exceptional spiritual efficacy of this deity. In the Ichiji Kinrin Mandala.
Depending on the scriptural source, two forms of this deity are described: Śākyamuni of the Golden Wheel, representing Śākyamuni in the form of a Tathāgata, and Vairocana of the Golden Wheel, representing Mahāvairocana in the form of a bodhisattva.

Śākyamuni of the Golden Wheel

Śākyamuni of the Golden Wheel is regarded as a Buddha Crown manifested by Śākyamuni Buddha. His samaya form is the eight-spoked wheel, and his seed syllable is "Bhrūṃ."
In sculptural representations, he typically appears in the Tathāgata form with spiraled hair and dressed in red robes. He sits with a wheel placed atop both hands in the dhyāna mudrā, and is seated atop Mount Sumeru, within either a white moon disk halo that surrounds his entire body or a red sun disk. In some depictions, the Wheel Treasure also appears encircling the halo.
According to the Dhāraṇī Collection Sūtra, Volume One, he is depicted as follows:
Śākyamuni of the Golden Wheel is said to subdue planetary deities, such as the navagraha, using his cakra. Within Sukuyōdō, he is highly regarded as a principal deity for rituals that ward off calamities caused by malevolent stars or planetary influences. He is the central figure in the Star Mandala.

Vairocana of the Golden Wheel

Vairocana of the Golden Wheel is manifested by Mahāvairocana Tathāgata and is the personification of the mantra "Bhrūṃ", which was recited by Vairocana of the Vajra Realm after entering the Sun Disk Samādhi of the Womb Realm.
His samaya form is the twelve-spoked wheel, and he shares the same seed syllable with Shaka Kinrin—"Bhrūṃ."
In appearance, he is adorned with the jeweled crown of the five wisdoms and other ornaments. He is depicted with his hands in the wisdom fist mudrā while seated on a white lotus supported by seven lions. A primary difference between Vairocana of the Vajra Realm and Vairocana of the Golden Wheel is that the former is seated within a white moon disk, while the latter sits within a red sun disk. Sometimes, a wheel treasure is depicted surrounding the sun disk as well.
In Tendai Buddhism, Dainichi Kinrin is regarded as a principal deity of the Susiddhi rite, and revered equally with Vairocana of the Vajra and Womb Realms.
Moreover, Vairocana of the Golden Wheel is believed to be an alternate form of Buddhalocanā, the two being inseparable. In this view, the form of Vairocana of the Vajra Realm, in the state of the Sun Disk Samādhi of the Womb Realm, is embodied in Vairocana of the Golden Wheel, while the form of Vairocana of the Womb Realm, in the state of the Sun Disk Samādhi of the Vajra Realm, is Buddhalocanā.
This duality also signifies that Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra subdues sentient beings, while Buddhalocanā is responsible for converting them, emphasizing their complementary roles. The evil spirits defeated by the power of Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra's wheel treasure are revived as benevolent gods by the true eye of Buddhalocanā.
The Mandala of Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra features an image of Buddhalocanā, while the Mandala of Buddhalocanā contains an image of Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra, again symbolizing the mutual relationship and complementary powers between the two.
Rituals involving Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra as the main deity are considered to be extremely powerful. It was said that all other rituals performed within a 500-yojana radius of the ritual site would be nullified. For this reason, the Shingon school believed that only the chief priest of Tō-ji could be authorized to perform this ritual.

Iconography

Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra is often depicted in paintings, but rarely represented in statuary. One notable example of such imagery is the wooden seated Ichiji Kinrin Butchō Statue housed at Chūson-ji. This statue is an Important Cultural Property and is considered a secret Buddha, meaning it is typically not displayed to the public.
He is traditionally believed to have been the principal Buddha worshipped by Fujiwara no Hidehira, the third ruler of the Northern Fujiwara clan.

Literature

Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra appears in several texts that are significant to Vajrayāna Buddhism, all of which were translated into Chinese by the sixth patriarch of Esoteric Buddhism, Amoghavajra. These include:
  • Summary on the Method of Chanting the Golden Wheel King Buddha Crown
  • Sūtra of the One-Syllable Wheel-Turning King Spoken at the Seat of Enlightenment
  • Ekākṣarabuddhoṣṇīṣacakrarāja Sūtra
  • Dhāraṇī Sūtra on the Samādhi of the Five Buddha Crowns
  • Uṣṇīṣa Cakravartī Tantra
  • Ritual Manual for the Recitation of the One-Syllable Crowned Wheel-Turning King
  • ''Ritual Manual for the Yogic Visualization Practice of the One-Syllable Crowned Wheel-Turning King''