Ākāśagarbha


Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva or Akasagarbha Bodhisattva is a bodhisattva who is associated with the great element of space. He is also sometimes called Gaganagañja, which means "sky-jewel."

Overview

Ākāśagarbha is regarded as one of the eight great bodhisattvas. His name can be translated as "boundless space treasury" or "void store" as his wisdom is said to be boundless as space itself. He is sometimes known as the twin brother of the "earth store" bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha, and is even briefly mentioned in the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra.
Kūkai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, met a famous monk who is said to have repeatedly chanted a mantra of Ākāśagarbha as a young Buddhist acolyte. Kūkai took a tutorial with him on Kokuzou-Gumonji. As he chanted the mantra, he experienced a vision whereby Ākāśagarbha told him to go to Tang China to seek understanding of the Mahāvairocana Abhisaṃbodhi Sūtra. Later he would go to China to learn Tangmi from Huiguo, and then go on to found the Shingon sect of esoteric buddhism in Heian Japan.

Sutras

There are several Mahāyāna sūtras in which Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva is a central figure:
Additionally, he appears briefly in the final chapter of the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra, requesting the Buddha preach on the benefits of praising both the Sūtra and Kṣitigarbha.

Five Great Ākāśagarbhas

The Five Great Ākāśagarbhas are manifestation of the Five Wisdom Buddhas in Esoteric Buddhism. They are said to bring about an increase of benefits such as good health. Within the traditional mandala, they are arranged as follows:
NameDirectionColorAssociated Buddha
Dharmadhātu Ākāśagarbha CenterWhiteVairocana
Vajradhātu Ākāśagarbha EastYellowAkṣobhya
Ratnaprabha Ākāśagarbha SouthBlueRatnasambhava
Padma Ākāśagarbha WestRedAmitābha
Karma Ākāśagarbha NorthBlackAmoghasiddhi

Mantras

The mantra of Ākāśagarbha is popularly used by Shingon Buddhists, practitioners of Tangmi, and by artists. It is believed to give rise to wisdom and creativity, and dispel ignorance.
Another mantra also exists for Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva: