Ratnasambhava Buddha – The third of the five Dhyani Buddha

This article is about Ratnasambhava Buddha – Who is He? His iconography, His mention in literature, and His doctrine & advantages of worshipping Him.

Meaning of Ratnasambhava

Ratnasambhava Buddha is the third of the five Dhyani Buddhas – Vairocana Buddha, Akshobhya Buddha, Amitabha Buddha and Amoghasiddhi Buddha. The literal meaning of His name is jewel-born, jewel becoming or the source of preciousness.

How the worship of Ratnasambhava Buddha helps Devotees

Ratnasambhava Buddha frees his devotees from the negative emotions of greed and pride. He transforms the poison of spiritual, intellectual and the other forms of human pride into the wisdom of equality and equanimity. The wisdom of equality helps one see things with divine neutrality and recognize the divine qualities of all the beings in the universe.

Ratnasambhava Buddha remains unaffected by either pleasant or unpleasant sensations. An enlightened individual regards no one as superior or inferior, thus eliminating any grounds for pride to arise. This attitude leads to the attainment of Arhatship.

Ratnasambhava Buddha bestows His blessings impartially without any discrimination or bias. He welcomes everyone, irrespective of their social status, race, gender, or the various life forms they represent. He recognizes the inherent worth and preciousness of everyone, fostering compassion and unity among all sentient creatures.

The wisdom of sameness of Ratnasambhava Buddha gives clarity to mind to see the sameness even in contrasting experiences like gain or loss, fame or disgrace, praise or blame, and pleasure or pain. In the absence of obliviousness of these feelings the world can hold no anxiety to people on this path.

Ravisri, the author of Namasangiti, states in the text, “All phenomena are devoid of essence, lack true existence, and are therefore dreamlike or illusory, and in reality, are empty.” This knowledge of essence lessness and emptiness is the wisdom of equality and in Vajrayana Buddhism Ratnasambhava Buddha is the personification of this wisdom.

Iconography of Ratnasambhava Buddha

Ratnasambhava Buddha smiles compassionately and radiates tranquilly and serenity. His right hand is in Varada Mudra – the gesture of his endless generosity, selfless nature and willingness to offer aid and support to all living beings. In his left hand he holds a jewel (रत्न) or chintamani (चिन्तामणी) – a wish fulfilling jewel that grants all desires. This ratna is in threefold form as triratna signifying the union of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The gem, or ‘ratna’, in His hand symbolizes how, just as a jewel unveils its inherent splendor after being polished, His teachings help us to discover the innate wealth and potential within ourselves and others.

The color of Ratnasambhava Buddha is yellow – the color of the sun in its zenith (midday sun). Yellow is often associated with the color of the earth as well. Ratnasambhava Buddha is similar to earth. Just as He is, the Earth too is generous in sharing her riches with everyone. She shares without any expectations in return.

Ratnasambhava Buddha wears rich embroided yellow robes. He has blue-black hairs. There is an aura of green-light around his head and an aura of blue light around his body.

The vehicle of Ratnasambhava Buddha

His vehicle is a horse, and occasionally, a pair of lions. Horse as His vehicle signifies noble and regal qualities and the impetus and liberation. The horse ferries the sufferers with full vigor. It also evokes a spiritual journey akin to that of Buddha, who, upon leaving his home, rode upon his loyal horse.

Consort and Buddha field of Ratnasambhava Buddha

Ratnasambhava Buddha’s consort is Mamaki and he embodies the skandha of feeling or sensation. He dwells in the sacred realm of Ratnavati heaven, also known as the Srimat Buddha-field to the south, and therefore, his representation is oriented towards the south on the stupas.

The story of Ratnasambhava Buddha attaining enlightenment

When Ratnasambhava Buddha attained enlightenment, golden rays emanated from his crown. These rays manifested many golden colored Bodhisattvas each of them carrying golden scepters emitting light in the southern world and they were as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges. Devotees hold the view that the sighting of golden rays during meditation signifies the blessings of Ratnasambhava Buddha.

Ratnasambhava Buddha upholds the supreme level of Bodhicitta, even as he bestows the gift of compassionate generosity upon sentient beings.

The advantage of chanting Ratnasambhava Buddha Mantra

His mantra serves as gateway to abundance, self-realization and spiritual growth. When a devotee taps into that divine energy, he foster an abundance mindset, filled with gratitude and characterized by the generous sharing of resources. One of the prominent emanation of Ratnasambhava Buddha is Jambhala or Vaishravana – the God of abundance, prosperity and wealth.

Mention of Ratnasambhava Buddha in ancient literature

In the literature there is rarely any description about Ratnasambhava Buddha’s vows, aspirations, and activities. In these literatures His reference is as Buddha born from jewel. The first documented reference of Ratnasambhava Buddha is in Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra and in the Guhyasamaja Tantra of the fourth century AD. He is subsequently mentioned in several Vajrayana texts.The most elaborate account of Him is in Pancakara section of the Advayavajrasamgraha.

In the chapter nine of Ksitigarbha Boddhisatva Purvapranidhana Sutra, Ratnasambhava Buddha gets mention as one of the Buddhas. The sutra elaborates that any man or woman who hears the name of Ratnasambhava Buddha and pays respect to Him quickly attains Arhatship. The mark of an Arhat is that he is away from greed, aversions, and delusions. This sacred scripture recognizes His enlightenment qualities and precises His role in guarding sentient being towards liberation.

In Shurangama Mantra, a highly influential Dharani of the Chinese tradition, Ratnasambhava Buddha is the host of the jewel creating division in the south. This division is mainly responsible for commanding the vast demon armies of the five directions.

In Bardo Thodol – The Tibetan book of the Dead, He finds mention in union with His female consort Mamaki. The male Bodhisattvas Akasagarbha and Samantabhadra, and the female Bodhisattvas Mala and Dhupa attends Him.

Qualities of Ratnasambhava Buddha

To summarize, Ratnasambhava Buddha is associated with generosity, wealth, beauty, creativity, expansiveness, abundance, and the wisdom of equality.

References

Buddhist Deities and Masters – An introduction by Chandra B Sakya

The iconography of Nepalese Buddhism by Min Bahadur Shakya

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