Encyclopedia of Buddhism Volume One A -L Robert E. Buswell

A MULETS AND T ALISMANS
generally linked to the soft radiance of the setting sun,
which suffuses, without burning or blinding, all corners
of the universe (in East Asia he is also linked to
moonlight). The emphasis on his luminous qualities
(or those of his halo), which occupies an important
role in East Asian iconography, does not displace or
contradict the association of Amitabha with a religion
of voice and sound; his grace is secured or confirmed
by calling out his name, or, rather, invoking his name
with the ritual expression of surrender: “I pay homage
to Amitabha Buddha.” Even in texts that emphasize
imagery of light, such as the Dazhidu lun (Treatise on
the Great Perfection of Wisdom), he is still the epitome
of the power of the vow and the holy name.
Amitabha is represented in dhyanamudra, perhaps
suggesting the five hundred kalpas of meditation that
led Dharmakara to his own enlightenment. An equally
characteristic posture is abhayamudra (MUDRA of protection
from fear and danger), which normally shows
the buddha standing.
In its more generalized forms, however, FAITH in
Amitabha continues to this day to include a variety of
practices and objects of devotion. A common belief,
for instance, is the belief that his pure land, Sukhavat,
is blessed by the presence of the two bodhisattvas
Avalokiteśvara and Mahasthamaprapta. Faith in the
saving power of these bodhisattvas, especially
Avalokiteśvara, was often linked with the invocation
of the sacred name of Amitabha, the recitation of
which could bring the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara to
the believer’s rescue. The overlapping of various beliefs
and practices, like the crisscrossing of saviors and
sacred images, is perhaps the most common context
for the appearance of Amitabha—it is the case in
China, Korea, and Vietnam, and in Japanese Buddhism
outside the exclusive Buddhism of the Kamakura
reformers.
The perception of Amitabha as one among many
saviors, or the association between faith in him and
the wonder-working powers of Avalokiteśvara, are
common themes throughout Buddhist Asia. It is no
accident that the PANCHEN LAMA of Tibet is seen as
an incarnation of Amitabha, whereas his more powerful
counterpart in Lhasa, the DALAI LAMA, is regarded
as the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva
Avalokiteśvara.
See also: Nenbutsu (Chinese, Nianfo; Korean, Yŏ˘mbul);
Pure Lands
Bibliography
Foard, James; Michael Solomon; and Richard K. Payne, eds. The
Pure Land Tradition: History and Development. Berkeley: Regents
of the University of California, 1996.
Gómez, Luis O. “Buddhism as a Religion of Hope: Observations
on the ‘Logic’ of a Doctrine and Its Foundational Myth.”
Eastern Buddhist New Series 32, no. 1 (Spring 1999/2000):
1–21.
Gómez, Luis O., trans. and ed. The Land of Bliss: The Paradise
of the Buddha of Measureless Light: Sanskrit and Chinese Versions
of the Sukhavatlvyu ha Su tras (1996), 3rd printing, corrected
edition. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2000.
Tsukinowa, Kenryu; Ikemoto, Jushin; and Tsumoto, Ryogaku.
“Amita.” In Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, Vol. 1, Fasc. 3., ed.
G. P. Malalasekera. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Government Press
of Ceylon, 1964.
Zürcher, E. “Amitabha.” In The Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol.
1., ed. Mircea Eliade. New York: Macmillan, 1987.
AMULETS AND TALISMANS
LUIS O. GÓMEZ
Amulets are small, mystically charged objects carried
upon the person that provide the bearer with good fortune
or protection from harm. Amulets are carried by
members of many Buddhist cultures, most prominently
in the THERAVA DA countries of mainland Southeast
Asia (Burma [Myanmar], Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia).
These amulets are almost always explicitly Buddhist
in form. They often take the form of small Buddha
images or representations of holy people. They can also
be representations of sacred objects, such as cetiyas.
Cetiyas (Sanskrit, caitya) are reliquary monuments,
such as STU PAS. The sale of Buddhist amulets can be an
effective means of raising funds.
Amulets are usually either stamped medallions or
molded clay statuettes—similar to votive tablets—that
are small enough to be worn on a chain around the
neck. Stamped medallions, usually of bronze, are a relatively
modern but very popular type. They are often
issued in honor of a particularly holy monk and bear
the monk’s portrait on the obverse. The reverse can
bear representations of renowned stupas or apotropaic
texts and designs, such as magical number squares.
Amulets can also be short sacred passages (usually
gatha) written on paper, cloth, or metal. In Southeast
Asia, texts on base or precious metal are wound into
tight little tubes. Texts on paper are similarly rolled up
and put into a small container. Texts on cloth can be
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